Reading water · 2 min read
Watch the foam line before you choose
Watch the foam line before you choose. Keep the focus on a foam line that holds its place, and keep the water in sight while you do it.
Do it in order
Work from the near bank. Watch it for a minute and cast to the slower side. Then look up and see whether the plan still fits the place you are standing.
The usual miss
People lose time to a cast at every swirl. Retie, shorten, or reset. Do not negotiate with a setup you already doubt.
Leave only when you can point to the soft side of the line. Write nothing down unless that check failed.
This belongs with reading water because the decision happens before you are committed to the cast.
A bank note, not a forecast or a rule sheet. Check the local regulations before you fish.