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Glossary
reading-water

Rise

A trout taking food off the surface, leaving a visible disturbance. The form of the rise (splash, sip, dimple) tells you what stage the fish is eating.

Also calledrises · risers · riser · rising

Reading rises is its own skill. A splashy rise often signals a caddis chase. A slow head-and-tail rise typically means the fish is keying on emergers in the film. A subtle dimple or sip is usually a small adult mayfly.

Watch a rising fish for thirty seconds before casting — the rhythm tells you the cadence and the rise form tells you the fly.