Stream Camo?

Realtree MAX-1 XT was designed for hunting
more open terrain. Photo courtesy of Realtree.

An email I received this morning delivered details about a new Realtree camo pattern. Being a fishermen, but not much of a hunter, stuff made mostly for the hunting market doesn't normally catch my eye. This one did because I immediately thought about fishing applications.

Max-1 XT was designed to blend into open more open landscapes, such as brushy areas and fields, as opposed to a deep-woods setting. Many streams I fish cut through the woods, but even when I'm working along edges, I'm rarely quite in the woods, so many traditional camo patterns would make me stand out more than they would allow me to blend into the background.

In big streams with even a hint of stream, I don't think too much about the color my clothes. For fishing clear trout and smallmouth streams, though, I try to dress in natural tones, and I definitely put a premium on stealthy movements. I work from the edges or use in-stream boulders to break my silhouette, and I try to stay low and move slowly. I don't normally go as far as dressing in camouflage, but for some extra clear streams, especially ones that don't tumble a lot or push really hard, I think the right camouflage pattern could make a substantial difference some days. And from what I see, I think the Max-1 XT might be the right camouflage.

Look for yourself at the photo above. Look at the background and the hunter and think about the streams you wade. If you agree that Realtree Max-1 XT might help you blend in better and sneak up on more fish, keep an eye out for clothes that fit your stream fishing needs that come out in this pattern.

Thursday Tips: Get Sneaky

Watch Nathaniel "put the sneak" on a beaver pond backwater bass. For more videos, please visit our YouTube channel.

As spring progresses and fish of various kinds move shallow, stealth becomes important in many waterways. If the water where you fish is even somewhat clear, it doesn't take much to spook the fish. Stealth doesn't call for fancy refined skills or specialized equipment; just an awareness of the fact that if you make the fish aware of you they are far less likely to stay in place and to take your offerings.

Consider likely fish positions as you approach a piece of cover or structure and plan your attack. Don't make your first cast to the outer edge of a great piece of cover, where fish will see it from a far and get a good look. Identify the very best spot and cast just past it so that the first time the fish sees your offering it's right there in the fish's dining room. When possible, stay back from the spot you are trying to work, and for really clear water dress in drab colors, avoid abrupt movements and consider lighter line or a fluorocarbon leader.

Of course, being sneaky doesn't necessarily mean using finesse. A buzzbait, a big flashy spinnerbait or a hard-kicking shallow crankbait might be the best bait to draw reaction strikes. Simply avoiding extra boat banking or holding the boat downcurrent so the fish face away from you can make a huge difference in your success rate. The key is to consider your position and movements and how your lure should cross a flat or come down a bank for the best chances of the fish seeing it within the ambush zone before it otherwise detects your presence. Do that, and you will catch more fish.