Contrails Lead To The Fish

…Look Up, Before You Fish

David Hutton, Palmetto Fly N Fish 

update Jan 2022

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Where are the fish? 

As anglers, this is our greatest question - El Numero Uno. 

All the gear, rods, reels, lures and gadgets are worthless if you are, "fishing where the fish aint." 

So fishing success ultimately boils down to one question:

WHERE are they?

Where We Look vs. Where They Are

For most of us, the hopeful answer to "where?" is covered by two words:

"shallow water." 

This means anything from 10 feet to ankle deep. 

Why shallow water?

Well, you can see into shallow water, for one thing; it is familiar, non-threatening. 

Shallow water has visual things you can fish around - weeds, wood, rocks, docks, etc. It isn't vast, and formless, like deeper water.

So....

• We fish towards shore from boats
• We fling lures and flies towards visible, shallow targets and "cover"
• We stay near the shore, and fish features of the shore, like points. 
• If we're fly anglers, we are mostly bound to the shallows by our chosen equipment. 
• If we are gear fishermen, we have an entire fishing industry that caters almost exclusively to shallow water fishing.

And, while we get shut down often enough, we occasionally find fish in the shallows... enough to keep us interested, and make us think they sit by a log all season waiting for us to appear.

However, there's a paradox: the big, adult fish we most often want to catch aren't keen on shallow water. 

They DON'T just set up camp by that log all year.

They also don't like bright light, and they don't like feeling exposed. 

So they live deeper. Usually, in the deepest water in an area. 

But when the weather and water conditions are right, these fish WILL go shallow, which saves the day for us. 

An Indicator for Their Movement

Fish want 3 main things:

• Food
• Protection
• Stable conditions in their environment

Look at that list. Now think about shallow water, with its instability, exposure and limited protection, and bright light. 

Not really their cup of tea, is it?

So, they stay in the safety of the deep, dim water most of time.

But, they have a problem - a lot of their food may be in shallow water.

So they must come there to feed when conditions are right.

When that happens, we say something like, "Man, the bite is on today!"

Yet, we still don't really know what encourages them to be there, and more importantly, just when the big fish will move shallow.

Now, suppose we had one reliable indicator that helped us know when those special fish might be coming in range? 

Well, we do. And you see it all the time, without realizing it.

It is the aircraft contrail.

What Is a Contrail, Anyway?

Most people will read that and say, "Huh? The what - contrail?"

If you are alive today, and not blind, you are likely aware of aircraft contrails; you look up and see them and know an airplane is up there.

But almost no one gives them a second glance.

So, the idea that contrails in the sky can help you catch better fish, well...it sounds crazy.

But stay with me here, and I'll explain.

Contrail (short for "condensation trail")

kŏn′trāl″, noun 

Artificial, line-shaped clouds produced by the hot exhaust from aircraft engines; formed at moist, icy-cold, extreme altitudes above the Earth's surface. 

Hot, hyper-velocity exhaust, comprised primarily of combustion products, and super-heated water vapor, blasts out from the engine. It hits the sub-freezing air at high altitudes, instantly condenses into ice crystals...and forms contrails. 

WWII Bombers With Contrails

But it's the ATMOSPHERIC WATER VAPOR that creates the contrail ice crystals. That is the connection.

Moisture is The Key 

Previously, I mentioned that certain conditions will encourage fish to move shallow. Stable weather is a big one, in large part because stable weather normally allows latent moisture to develop in the atmosphere - the kind of moisture that hangs around.

Therefore, when you see a fat, lingering aircraft contrail, you know one thing immediately: there is a lot of moisture in the air above.

And this atmospheric moisture causes a singular effect that is important to fish...

it reduces the intensity of the sunlight striking the earth and its waters. 

Stratocumulus clouds

Normally, we recognize atmospheric moisture in the form of clouds.

Remember, though, that both clouds and contrails require sufficient atmospheric moisture to form....the kind of moisture that reduces light intensity.

In the contrail, we now have an indicator of this fish-friendly condition. 

The Contrail Rule of Thumb

• When you don't see contrails, or only very small, thin ones, then moisture is low, maximum light intensity is on the water.... fish are likely to stay deeper.
  
  
• When you see thick, long, lingering contrails, you can expect reduced light-intensity, other clouds - and fish may move shallower.
  
  

Short, Thin Contrails..

Atmospheric moisture zilch... maximum light on the water, deeper fish

Long, Lingering Contrail w/Late Day Clouds...

lots of light reducing moisture aloft, fish may move shallow

Why Fish Care

With a couple exceptions, nearly all of the fish we might want to catch are strong sight feeders.

For many fish, particularly gamefish, sight is a primary feeding mechanism. 

This means they need light by which to see.

BUT, they don't like intense light for reasons related to both safety and comfort. 

So, the more moisture in the atmosphere, the less intense is the light that enters the water. 

And this sets up a beneficial condition that may encourage the fish to move shallower.

For example, compare a sparkling bluebird sky to an overcast day, maybe even a bit rainy,....what we call a "dark day," one with reduced light intensity.

We say the pure blue sky is 'good fishin' weather.'

"Launch the boat Mabel - the sky is blue!"

But, have you ever wondered why the "dark days" seem to offer better fishing?

Is it because, with the less intense light afforded by the cloud cover, the fish are more willing to leave the murky depths and move further into the shallows where we mostly fish for them.
I think so.

We like the bright blue sky. But the fish don't.

Summary

If we fished in the very deepest water in an area, more often, we would probably encounter more and better fish.

But for most people, that is uncharted territory -  both literally and figuratively.

They simply aren't schooled in fishing such waters effectively, and their supporting industry almost never promotes that kind of fishing.
So, it's a mystery, and it seems like a waste of time.

They stick to the more shallow depths because that's what they know, that's where they feel comfortable.

Okay, rather than upset that apple cart, we'll roll with it.

Accepting that, we can now rely on an indicator that better fish may be moving into the shallows where we actually fish most of the time...
That indicator? The long, thick lingering contrail in the sky.

These will normally be accompanied by clouds as the day goes on, you can expect reduced light intensity - and perhaps more fish where you mostly cast your lines.

So look up every day.
Watch the contrails.
Track their development over time, and look for patterns.

Then you may soon be saying...

"All right - NOW get out your poppers, boys....look at them contrails!"

Okay, say that and people are gonna reckon you're a kook,...until you catch that whopper!

Thanks for reading and Tight Lines!

David Hutton
Palmetto Fly N Fish
© 2018, 2022 All rights reserved

1. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrail

2. Federal Aviation Administration, "Contrails 101,"

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/apl/noise_emissions/contrails/

3. "A Primer on Solar Radiation Data," 
https://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/pubs/shining/chap3.html

4. N.A.S.A, "Water Vapor Confirmed as Major Player in Climate Change," 
https://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/vapor_warming.html

5. "The 10 Basic Types of Clouds," https://www.thoughtco.com/types-of-clouds-recognize-in-the-sky-4025569

Sharing My SECRET

Location "X" Walkabout

Feb 3, 2019

NOTE: Everything you see here will be under 8-12 feet of water by summer. Keep that in mind as you follow along.
I did some more photologging and note taking, today, at location "X," while the water is still low from the drawdown. I also made a few more discoveries.

I went with the intent of adding some numbered markers to a couple of the select "hotspots" I previously uncovered.
And I did just that. And they look alright.
But I decided I like using old plastic bottles and beer cans, better. 

Why use trash as markers?
Because, a brightly colored marker, with a number, is an obvious sign of "something." 
It says to people,

"Stop here. Look around. Someone put me here for a reason...." 

Quite often, in fact, they will take remove such a marker, out of spite. They don't know why its there, so they rip it down.
People sometimes suck.

But any of a zillion cast-off beverage containers, well... they are essentially unseen by the angling horde. I mean, who notices yet another bit of trash? They are the perfect marker.

However, there is a "secret" to these markers: I affix them vertically.
Cans and bottles, well, they float, or lay, on their side by nature.
But, if you know what you're looking for, a vertical Mountain Dew can sticks out among all the other horizontal eye clutter.
If you're NOT looking for it, on the other hand, its just another bit of flotsam.



When the water returns - these will be unseen except from the water.
The markers in the tree will probably be moved a little lower, though.

Discoveries
The channel is flanked by breaklines on either side, which rise to wide flats on the west side, and relatively steep banks on the eastern side. But on close examination, I found several areas where these breaklines switch to hard edge jumps - call them miniature cliff faces, 3-4 feet high.



Sloping breaklines in foreground, sharp edged in rear. This flat runs for about 300 yards.
It is also sandy in a number of places; I expect it will be a bedding site.




Deep running cut, leading to a flooded back bay



A "break," or anomaly, along one of the sharp edged breaklines. 

Will it hold fish along their migrations?

I also got a closer look at the bar at the upper end, where the channel turns 90 degrees to the west. It has a large pool behind it, separated from the main channel by a saddle. This pool has a couple feet of water in it, now - it will be 8-12 feet deep when the water comes back up.



Creek channel sweeps to the left, saddle bar in middle, and deep pool w/submerged tree Can we get some water covering this, please?

UPCOMING
Next week, I'll do a general trash clean-up around the area. I'll bring my 7 year old grandson, Jeremy, and maybe have a casting lesson or two.
God knows, I can use all the help I can get.

I also found some good advice under the bridge... a rather odd place to find such a thing, I suppose. But good advice is where you find it.




Thanks for looking, and Tight Lines, 

David

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Where To Find The Fish

I took a walk along the shore at one of my favorite fishing locations, today, not far from home. I've been documenting many low water observations while the water at Lake Murray is in draw-down. And I'm grateful for your forbearance through it all.

I've been fishing this site, "Location X," since I moved to the region 6 years ago. And I've caught a lot of fish from here. But now... oh man,... now I've got a lot of good pics and will have walked a bottom that will be under 4-10 feet of water by summer.
Not only will I have real insight into the structure along this section. but I'm also adding inconspicuous markers along key points. I won't go into too much detail... but, let me say there will be cataloging, and graphic mapping......

This place is not a "secret," by the way. In fact, its pretty popular.
It's on the waterway's Navionics maps, and anyone can get here. But these maps lack what I call "fishable details".
They have virtually none, in fact. They are general aids, only.
And in all the time I've fished here, I cant recall seeing anyone fishing the structures I now see revealed.

Now, I'm not the only person to think of using this period to have a look. Judging by the small number of footprints in the mud, there have been a handful.
But, I'm betting there may be no one that is deep diving the detail I'm trying to capture.
For example, I found two key structures that lead from the deepest water in the area back into wooded cuts. But these don't go straight and it won't be obvious, later, just how they run.
But I will know.
And I'll have maps, photos, markers and a trail of bread crumbs.

NOTE: ALL AREAS SHOWN WILL SOON BE HIDDEN UNDER WATER FOR ANOTHER 6-8 YEARS!



The cut to the right leads back to a shallow feeding area. There is a long narrow feeder channel leading to it - but it meanders and wont be seen one the water is back up.


 

Rocks and sand bar




Point extending out from shore


 

Tree indicates the end of the point!




Deep creek channel and tight sharp turn - soon covered up.


Many people are howling in frustration over the 10 foot drop in the lake level. Some are going elsewhere. Others refuse to fish here again.
But I see an opportunity that may not come again, soon. And I'm grabbing it while its here.


"Knowledge Is The Key To Fishing Success"


- Elwood Perry

The Great Aberdeen Hook Test

The Great Aberdeen Hook Test

Jan 20, 2019

This blog is paired to a Facebook page, “Palmetto Fly N Fish” and one of the group members, Mark Fishburn Jr., recently asked about low cost, readily available hooks for tying some bass streamers.

I went out on a limb and said, "Why not just use a large Aberdeen? They’re low cost, widely available, and they come in a wide range of sizes.

Just get you some of the whopper sized Aberdeen hooks, because it's bass, and because these hooks get stronger as their wire diameter increases in size." 

I also mentioned that they have a piercing, sharp point, which helps with the tough mouth of a bass. That's a biggie, in my book.

I Was Ignorant
Now, I usually stay out of, "which hook is best" discussions, because they often turn into a Chevy vs. Ford sort of exchange. 

Each person swears by their pet brand of hook, and maybe we get somewhere - and maybe not.
I only offered my two cents because when I started this warm water fly fishing game, I didn't know about the rules for hooks.
I didn't know I must only use certain hooks for certain things; I should use THESE... but not those. 
Oh no, not THOSE.
It just isn't done. 
It just isn't right

So, when I started out tying flies, I used the Aberdeens because they are what I had, and they worked...I caught fish and was none the wiser.

Only later did I discover I had been breaking all rules of hooks.
My ignorance was bliss, I suppose. 

Weak Hooks and Bass

To no one's surprise, however, suggesting Aberdeen hooks for largemouth bass got some "vigorous" comments, most of which suggested that such hooks are too weak for bass.

Too weak? Well, they're not forged in Valhalla's sacred fires by Norwegian gnomes, I'll admit that. 
But, I'd never had any bass complain, so I had to disagree.

See, I reckon we're talking about the average freshwater, largemouth bass here, which isn't exactly a leviathan of the deep.

1 - 3 lbs. is about the average catch weight, for average fly anglers banging the shore weeds and docks. These are what Buck Perry used to call, "tournament fish,” ..... get 5 and you might win the tournament.

If you're lucky, a 3-6 pound fish is still hanging around the shallows by the time you get there, and most of us would call that a trophy.

Fish in the 6-10 lb. class certainly do exist, somewhere, too, so that's a remote possibility on the fly. 
They're the stuff of legend and we mostly dream it'll be us that gets one...
Even so, we're happy with tournament fish caught off a fallen tree, in three feet of water.

But, Pandora's Box was open, now... and these questions arose:

"So, how strong a hook DO you need?"

"Can an Aberdeen in the larger size ranges actually work for tying bass flies?"

"Will the pillars of the earth collapse if you try it?"

To get answers to these questions, I rigged a little experiment.

THE GREAT ABERDEEN HOOK TEST

Abstract: to determine the failure point of a standard, 10 cent Aberdeen hook.

Materials

- 1 pkg. of 10, Eagle Claw Aberdeen hooks, size 1 @ $1.17USD

- 30 lb test line

- Luggage scale

It says "panfish"

  

What you get

The scale

Method

1. Select a hook at random from the package.

2. Use the 30 lb. line to tie a Double Improved Clinch Knot to the eye.

3. Tie a Double Surgeons loop 18" above the hook.

4. Affix line and hook to the luggage scale.

5. Tare the luggage scale at zero.

6. Weigh random stuff around the house.

(All weights in pound increments)

Results

I started by zeroing the scale with no weight.
Then I grabbed the first, fish-heavy thing I could find - an antique, wooden RC Cola crate. 

I poked the point of the test hook into the crate, and lifted it clear of the table, free-hanging.
The scale read 4.70 lbs of weight on the hook point and bend.

This was double checked afterward, with just the crate being weighed.

So far, so good.

And the hook held the crate, no problem. 
Really, the old crate felt pretty heavy to me; if that was a fish weighing that much, I'd be bragging all over Facebook about it.

Next, I moved to the kitchen and hooked into the bench at the dining table. I lifted one end of the bench a foot off the floor, placing 10.83 lbs of weight directly on the hook point.

It held.

I don't catch many benches out on the lake, but this was a good omen.

Now, to be fair, the hook started to bend a little at that weight.

So that's where I quit.

I might have made it to 13 lbs if I babied the thing, but that's not what I wanted. 
I sought an indication of failure, without any fudging, and I got that.
It was flexing at 11 lbs of static weight.

Its Not All Bad

But bending under pinpoint tension of this type might not be so bad, either,... if your fly gets snagged on, say, an underwater branch. 

As long as your leader and tippet can take it, you may very well pull that hook out of the snag. Then you can bend it back and go back to fishing.
Frankly, I'd be more concerned about my leader or tippet under that kinda strain.

Seriously, I can't count the number of large branches, sticks and logs I've hauled in, using those same, "wimpy" Aberdeen's.

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SECONDARY FINDINGS: CATS
My testing also revealed that weighing house cats in this manner is a bad idea. 

I put a strap around our kitty, Haggard, and lifted him up.
Within a few seconds, this "average," 3 lb., house cat went from, "...pet me," to, "Hell No!" 
He became downright unwilling to participate in any more of these shenanigans.

Take it from me - don't waste your time weighing cats. 
You end up bleeding, and the cat runs off to lick his butt.
I swear I heard him laughing. 

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UPDATE ON CATS: OCT 21. 2021

While we're on the subject of cats, Mike Whitehurst here in South Carolina wants to dispel the idea idea that these Aberdeen hooks aren't strong enough for anything serious...

"I went perch fishing this morning. Got lucky, and landed this cat on 8 lb test and #2 gold hook (Aberdeen). Weighed in at 20.6 lbs! And I talked to a buddy of mine that uses them for red fish!"

Other Factors
Okay, back to the Great Aberdeen Hook Test.
It should be reinforced at this stage that all of this hanging weight was placed directly on the hook point, and supported by the bend only.

In a fishes mouth, the hook won't be forced to carry the stress directly on the point, only. It'll be cradled against tissue and bone, and the line will be carrying some of the stress, pressing against the fishes mouth, etc.

I made no attempt to duplicate this, as I was conducting an abuse-to-fail test of the hook itself.

The Spring Factor

Another element I didn't duplicate was the cushioning effect of rod - line - leader, and tippet.

Together, these elements form a giant spring-like buffer. 
I think of this inter-connected system as a shock absorber - one which takes up much of the stress of a hooked fish on the fly.
I call it the "The Spring Factor."

This is a dynamic scheme, one which gives and takes with the action. It's one of the main reasons that people like Mike Whitehurst are able to land really big fish on very light tackle.

A Conclusion

So precisely how much stress does a #1 Aberdeen hook suffer, under a real-world catch scenario?

I have no idea. Not precisely.

However, logic suggests that when all the elements are factored into the real world of catching fish, the stress isn't as great as under a direct, static weight test like this. 

In my original comments to Mark, I threw out a challenge: 

If he lost a five pound bass because a large Aberdeen like this bent out under the strain, without anything else but the fish on the line (no weeds, not caught in a branch etc.), then I would buy him lunch.

But, now that I've run this test, I've also added this...

"And if that fish DOESN'T bend the hook and you land it, well,... I like extra onions and pickles on my cheeseburgers."

Thank you so much for reading, and Tight Lines,

David Hutton

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A Doggone Day

After all the foul weather, recently, today dawned bright, clear and warm.
There was nothing to do for it, but to take a drive, and we went to Dreher Island State Park.
Lori wanted to take some pictures, and thought the dogs would also enjoy a few hours away.
Well, it turns out dogs on a leash, and photography, don't mix too well.

Actually, if I managed both dogs, instead of fishing, the photography portion would have been better. But you cant expect me to simply not fish, can you?

What we did was split our efforts.
She got "Mooch," the small dog, and I got, "Sophie, the big Labrador mix.
I've leash trained dogs before, so I had her heeling and sitting pretty quickly. I could work the shore, with the dog by my side.
But Lori struggled with getting pics, while keeping a The Mooch under control in the process.

We've agreed that next time, The Mooch will stay at home.
The truth is, he didn't like it all that much, anyway. He's a complainer, and bitched like a teenager the whole time.

Some looks around the lake with the water at its lowest.

Deer signs are everywhere, and we got pics of several roaming deer. Dreher Island encompasses a large peninsula, and is a well-used, public venue. But deer trek around the place like they're the only ones there.

Normally under water #1

Normally under water #2

Normally under water #3

Normally under water #4

Normally under water #5

Stinky Rotten Turtle Remains

The dog loved it; Lori wasn't thrilled as we two.

The Worm

No fish were caught - but I did slip into the mud once.

Thanks for looking. Don't forget to subscribe, comment, and visit us on Facebook at Palmetto Fly N Fish,

David

Palmetto Fly N Fish, © 2018

New Year Begins - 24 Hour Fishing Success!

Last Day, 2018: I wanted good year-ender, but the fish had other ideas. No fish caught.

First Day, 2019: 5 fish in hand, in a short time, and 3-4 strikes that failed hook up.

Location: Fly Lab II, aka, small pond

Region: SE United States/South Carolina Midlands

Water conditions - dingy clear

Weather conditions - overcast, occasional drizzle
Stabilizing after several days of rain, and unsettled frontal weather

Air temps - mid 60's

Water temps - cold

Structure - on drop off to bottom 

Tackle and Method

Medium light spinning outfit

4# test

4" soft plastic worms, in blue, electric blue and black shad

Method: finesse weightless

Target: 1-2 lb. largemouth bass, aka "rocket bass"
(I call em rocket bass because they 'rocket around' and jump out of the water several times when hooked) 

New Years Pond, High Water

Both days, the method was the same - small finesse worm on light line, weightless on the drop. 

One day nuttin' - the next, score!

I like this weightless finesse method. My fly angling friends will be happy to know it is pretty much the same as fly fishing a wet fly. You cast, then hold the rod tip up at about a 45° angle. This lets the bait fall for the countdown on a tense line - not tight, but hanging on the drag of the line itself. 

As often as not the fish take the lure on the initial fall, so you have to be ready.

If they don't take it, you let it settle down to the bottom and take up the slack line without moving the worm. After a count of about 10, raise the rod tip with a sharp twitch to get the worm off the bottom, then let it glide back down again on the tense line. Add a few "strips" and twitches of the rod tip along the way. Easy does it - it doesn't take much in Winters' cold water. 

I call it a Lift and Glide retrieve.

Sometimes the fish take it on the bottom, once it has settled - I can only guess these fish were following it on the initial fall, and waiting nearby. But this is not the usual way.
More often, they take it after 2 or 3 of these lift-glide cycles, as it drifts back down.
I fish it all the way back, too.... I've had strikes within a few rod lengths of my position.

So, since this is so much like fly fishing, well, ... you folks can stop sending me hate mail for betraying the fly fishing fraternity by flirting with ....{{{{ gasp }}}}, worm fishing!

Airetail Action Worm, Electric Blue

*****************************************

The Airetail worm was a standout performer. I got hits on other worms in dark blue, and black/shad. But once this one started catching the fish, I never took it off. And it kept on giving; battered as it was, it hung in there.
And I like the color - a light, clear purple, heavy with blue metallic flake.

The Airetails are unique in that they have an air chamber molded in that helps the worm stay up and above the bottom at rest. I've always liked this idea, and cant understand why these aren't more popular than they are. They're a little pricey, compared to Walmart, and not widely available. Combined, this probably keeps them out of the limelight.

I  only know of one source: www.f'ishcandy.com 

And this site seems a little quirky, at last visit.

I hope I can get more....

*************************************************

The extra wide gap hook (EWG) has to become a standard in this worm-work. 

I attribute the several missed fish to the straight shank Sproat hooks I had pre-rigged in the worms. The hooks had been in the worms from several years ago, when my last, half-assed attempt at soft plastic worm fishing went bust. 

These hooks were wrong back then, just as now, because of their hook gap... or, rather, lack of it. This is something I didn't know much about back then. And I didn't really think about it this morning.

"They'll be alright," I said to myself. "They're plenty strong, not rusted, and a hook, is a hook. Right?

Don't worry about all that 'bass hook' jazz." 

Maybe my resolution for 2019 should be to stop talking to myself. Or, at least stop listening.

The problem with this too-small hook gap is that this condition doesn't allow the worm to compress and move out of the way on the hook set... the worm fills the hook gap, instead. 

This means you set the hook, but the point can't push free to stick into the fish's bony jawbone. The fish has a mouthful of soft, chewy worm, but you end up snatching the thing from his mouth - that's it.

After three times, I got the idea.

NOTE: EWG and offset worm hooks from here out.

As Mike Head would say..." If it aint broke, don't fix it."

********************************************

I've found that 4 lb soft mono is not a good choice for this work of catching small pond bass. It is thin, so it doesn't have much water resistance. But its a little too light and wispy and sometimes gets into trouble with spooling casting these relatively weightless baits. I'm gonna switch it to a 6 lb mono, and add a fluoro leader.

**********************************************

I got bit on nearly every cast, though....until about 10AM.
Then I had to work in fan cast style, and quarter-section the drop-off in 45 degree angles.
But, such a change from the day before. What a difference 24 hours makes.

We have a few more days of rainy conditions and mild temps this week, and a clearing session on Saturday. With luck, late Saturday and Sunday will be another good opportunity.

Tight Lines,

David

Don't forget to subscribe, comment, and visit us at Palmetto Fly N Fish

Palmetto Fly N Fish, ©2018