Watch the rise

Warming weather and longer days present an ideal opportunity to sit beside a river and watch the rise – a swirl, splash, gulp or leap as fish move to catch prey on the surface of the water – says Susanne Masters. 

Warmer months are perfect for taking time to be languid by the side of rivers and watch for the rise. Sit by a river pool where the surface of the water runs smooth. Start to notice activity going on underneath the surface by observing what happens on and above the surface.

Noise from a splash landing, and if within your field of view the sight of a fish jumping out of water, indicates that it was chasing its insect prey at speed. A slower chase and attack can be seen as a fish’s nose or dorsal fin breaks the water surface. More subtle to spot is when an expanding circle of ripples move across the surface, they are caused by a fish rising up and disturbing the surface, without emerging from it, to catch an insect. 

If you pay attention to the shape of the ripples you can see which way the fish are swimming. Superficially, the ripples look the same height in all directions. With a good view you can tell that on one side the ripples are slightly higher than the other. This difference is caused by the trajectory of the fish, and its body shielding the movement of water. So, the fish is swimming from the lower side of the ripple in the direction of the higher side.

Watching the rise doesn’t just observe the health of a river, noting the presence of insects and fish that feed on them, it is also a peaceful way to spend time and focus your mind.

This article is from the May 2023 issue of Outdoor Swimmer. Click here to subscribe to the magazine.