Editor’s note: The following is exerpted from TU’s book, “Trout Tips,” which is available online for overnight delivery.
Fishing big rivers can be intimdating. Large rivers contain complex patterns of habitat, some or all of which contain fish.
The best way to approach a bigger water body is to almost partition it in your mind into a series of smaller streams. For example, the friffle to the left has a nice hole under it. Fish the hole, and move up to the riffle. The middle of the river has soft water on the edges of a run that looks inviting for trout. River right has a series of downed trees in it where trout could be hding. Thing small on big rivers to catch a lot of fish.
— Chris Wood, Washington, D.C.