[NIB]

Nice site. Eddies play a big part in the fishing of rivers. I prefer to fish the seams or the edges of the eddies. I prefer work all parts of the hole, the beginning, the middle, and the end. I learned this trout fishing long time ago .It can take many cast's to bring the lure into these edges or seams in different places. Often times the jig you bring into the edge will fall to the bottom as it swings into the backward current. So cast's in almost 5 ft increments might be needed to work the edge entirely.
Like I mentioned I am a counting freak. When fishing the seams I might choose to slowly retrieve my offering along the edge of the seam. I cast to a target then I count turns of the handle. So I have a idea of where I am at all times. This way I can work or dissect the hole completely. I 'm not just firing cast's out there willy nilly I am working the whole completely. If I get hit, I have a idea of where it is.
That’s one way to fish the edges of the moving water. From the shore your choices might be limited. Fishing this type of structure will have you moving around quite a bit.
The eddies I like to fish are the ones you don't see. Almost like if you took a typical eddy and turned it on its side. River bottoms will have undulations that make little eddies just off the rivers floor itself. I have a friend who is a diver. Years ago he told me how he could lay on the bottom of the river in the current while expending little to no energy. Looking up at the current like he was standing at the edge of a four lane highway. These breaks along the bottom can be hard to find. When boat traffic is up you can see how the water boils in some spots more than others. Scouting trips during the day can pay off big time. Though quite a few of my better holes have come from plain old casting..
You will hear many different philosophies while fishing along the waters edge. Try not to fall into this trap. Try to figure out what is happening on your own. I here guys tell me all the time how there is this great hole in the middle of the river where the jig won't get to the bottom on the middle to the end of the swing. In reality the current is lifting the line up off the bottom. You can let line out but after time that has diminishing effects.. The more line you let out the tension or resistance on the line increases. More line = more tension. Casting from the waters edge you sometimes have to get creative. In order to fish a hole down current you might have to go with a heavier jig. If I can fish 1.5 oz's at 12 o'clock I might go 3 oz's to get to the same bottom down current.. There are times when letting line out won't get ya to the bottom or keep ya on the bottom long enough. This is when I will use a heavier jig that gets me to the bottom faster. I fire it down tide at 2 o'clock to fish that part of the swing more effectively. I call this fishing a heavy line. As opposed to fishing lighter line when I jig straight out from me. It is different. You do have better control on the heavy line but sometimes they just want that jig presented on the lighter line.
There's many ways to skin a cat.. The trick is to be proficient in all of them..
When I have encountered holes in the middle of the flow what normally happens is the jig falls to the bottom like it has landed on a pillow. Poof.. This is where I might slowly pick up the retrieve. When I say slowly I mean sloooowly. I will only work the jig as fast as I have to to keep it just off the bottom. The same way I work the edges or seams. I force myself to go slow by turning the handle once per ten count. When I fished a Penn 706 I could count the clicks per turn of the handle that’s slow..
Most of my better fish have come this way. Nothing is better..
Let me paint a picture for ya.. NIB is standing on the edge of a rock. Rod up high to the 11 o'clock position. Right arm bent at 90 degrees holding the rod tight, Left hand sloowly turning the handle. Body slightly bent from the tension and anticipation. All of the sudden.. WHAACK.!!! The rod doubles over and I'm in. It just don't get any better that that..