What's the difference between a riffle and pocket water?

[greenfish13]

Hello,

I am hoping that somebody could explain to me the difference between a riffle and pocket water.
I understand that a riffle is the fastest flowing water in a river and runs no deeper than 3 feet and that pocket water is the space behind a rock sticking out of the water. Where does pocket water in a river occur? Can pocket water occur in riffles? When trout occupy a riffle are they necessarily found in pocket water? Any input on this is greatly appreciated, thank you!

 

[lightenup]

So............ there are riffles in pocket water..........and pocket water in riffles.........hmmmmm......welcome to the site..
Yahoo! Video Detail for The Twilight Zone - The Card

 

[RUtrout]

Your written explanation of the differences between are adequate. You will clearly see the difference between them when on the water. A typical river model is simple - riffle to run to pool to taillout and then repeat. Don't get too hung up on fishing a particular style of water, your catch rate tends be eaqual once you properly learn to fish each individually ... don't fish a nymph rig in a tailout anymore than you would fish a #20 BWO in a fast riffle. Elements of riffles, runs, braids and pockets can found in virtually all moving water/stretches - learn what a SEAM is! It is the one constant thay will produce invariably in moving water.

 

[JeffK]

I would say a riffle will look more uniform and pocket water will have larger rocks sticking out of the water creating clear "pockets" around the rocks. Of course there are rocks and lies in riffles, but the rocks in a riffle aren't so big so they are less obvious from a distance. One Western guide told me a 5 lbs brown can hide behind a rock the size of a softball, so there plenty of places for trout to hide in a riffle. Sometimes the distictions aren't clear.

 

[Trouser Trout]

Rufffles have ridges.

 

[Corndog]

Greenfish,

First lets look at the anatomy of a stream. In the pic below you will see the difference between a riffle, a run, and a pool. This is what streams/rivers are made up of. Streams are made up of one riffle, run, and pool after another. Some can be as small as 10 foot in length and others as long as 100 yards or more.



I dont know how to make the pic bigger so you will have to click on it to enlarge it.

Now that you understand the anatomy of a stream, lets look at current seams and pocket water which exist in riffles, runs, and pools.

Below is a pic of a pocket within a riffle.



The pocket water is behind the rock. I've drawn lines to define the current seams that are formed by the water flowing around the rock. To fish this pocket effectively, you want to cast above the rock on either side and let your fly drift down and around the rock in the current seam. The lines I've drawn are the current seams and what you want to focus on fishing. Feeding trout will be looking for something to eat in these current seams because thats the natural flow of the stream and everything drifting down it.

This method is primarily fished with dry flies and nymphs. The technique would be different with wooly buggers, streamers, and wet flies.

This third pic is a close up of pocket water. I've marked the pockets. Do you see the seams and how would you fish them?



This is just the basics Greenfish. There are more complex techniques and definitions of water movements, but this should steer you in the right direction and help your understanding of pocket water and current seams.

Hope this helps,
Cdog

 

[Corndog]

Greenfish,

Here's a pic that has good examples of pocket water and where the fish are holding in them.



A - Current seams between rocks
B - Back eddies or whirlpools
C - Funnels in front of rocks and current seams behind rocks
D - Along the bank
E - Hydraulic Cushions formed by rocks or depressions in the steam bottom

I scanned this from a book and will probably go to prison for copywright infringement, but thats ok. I could use the rest and free meals.

Cdog

 

[flytire]

pocket water is when youre in over your hippers!

:thankyou:

:beer:

 

[SRT]

I don't post here, I don't think ever, but for a bunch of self proclaimed ball busters,and assholes, this is some fine well thought out information.

 

[Corndog]

Once in a while we screw up and do something right. :nose-picking:

Cdog

 

[greenfish13]

Thank you! I realize it has probably been a little over a week. Any way is a riffle considered a first class rapid?

 

[Corndog]

The only time I've ever used the term "First class rapid" was while kayaking. But, if I were to walk into a riffle and hook a dozen brownies over 18", I would call that first class.:thumb:

Cdog

 

[nicklenuts]

all google-able but here you go:

pocket water (my favorite to fish)

the seams around pocket water and where fish often hold... in some rivers fish will often hold underneath the head of the rocks so dont ever overlook it:

here is a decent example of a riffle.

in my experience this type of water is much harder to fish because its less descript than pocket water. fish can be out in the middle of a run, holding in an area of the stream that looks featureless but is slightly deeper than normal. it helps to know the water and know where the fish lay. it is not at all the same as pocket water.

in these non-descript runs, if Ive never fished it before, I find it helpful to squint my eyes a bit in order to achieve some contrast and pick out the most prominent features of the run and start my fishing there.

 

[Rusty Spinner]

More photo samples:

Above is pocket water on the Musky.



Above is a typical riffle which lacks the depth and larger boulders of pocket water.

Lastly is a pool that runs into a riffle as you can see on the far left at the bottom of the pool: