Fly Fishing : Trout Senses - Sound
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Trout have
an acute sense of hearing and is well worth understanding. Trout
have two sound receptors. The first one runs along the length
of the fish’s body. This receptor picks up frequency vibrations – such
as the banging of rocks or oars against a boat. A second receptor,
located inside the trouts ear, is used to detect the movement of
aquatic insects which the trout eats. This receptor is extremely
acute, allowing the trout to hear sound frequencies well outside
the human hearing range. This hearing receptor of the trout is
what allows the fish to find food even in very murky water.
Because trout have such acute senses of hearing, anglers need
to keep several things in mind when fishing for trout.
First, trout
can’t hear human voices outside of the water.
Thus, having a loud conversation about something along the bank
of a river will not spook the trout.
Second, trout
are acutely aware of vibrations and sound that occur in the river.
Banging oars on the side of a boat is a wonderful
way to alert the trout to your presence, thus spooking them. Likewise,
great care should be taken when wading. Wading loudly, either caused
either by the splashing of the water or the movement of rocks beneath
the angler’s feet, is easily heard by a trout – especially
in slower moving water. In fast water, these vibrations tend to
get drowned out by the current and rapids. But in slower water,
such as runs or spring creeks, it is crucial that an angler take
care when wading.
Third, trout
are easily able to hear things that fall into a river – again,
especially in slower water. A nearby trout can readily hear a grasshopper
or other bug that falls into the river. Because of this, care must
be taken in casting to prevent the fly line from making a splash
in the water or from having the fly itself strike the river at
full force. A gently dropping fly is far more likely to attract
the attention of a trout than one that gets slammed into the river
due to a bad cast or too heavy of a fly or fly line.
Note
: Read our Buyers
Guide to Fly Lines for more information about selecting
the right type of fly line.
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