Trout Fishing
Trout fishing has taken on two completely different characteristics in the last twenty years. One type is the annual stocking of the hatchery-raised trout to support a fishing event, and the second is the time-honored wild trout fishing.
Trout fishing has become so popular that cities and civic organizations conduct trout derbies to spur fishing and encourage family participation. Even in waters that cannot support trout in the summer, the fish are stocked for special events. Local waters are temporarily transformed into trout streams and lakes in the late fall or early spring. These stocked fish are normally eight to twelve inches and are ready to be caught. The most effective way to fish these stocked trout is to use natural bait. Do not try live fast moving bait such as minnows. These fish are farm raised and have never dined on live creatures unless they accidentally caught an insect. These fish are fed grain that is spread on the water and quickly floats to the bottom of the farm pond or hatchery. These type of trout are generally bottom feeders. When fishing stocked trout use salmon eggs, worms, or corn. Use a small hook baited well. Trout have small mouths requiring a hook they can get in their mouths. If the bottom has a great deal of structure and you keep getting tangled then use a float with a long leader. A long leader will keep the bait out of the tangles and deep enough for the normal eating depth of the trout.
Fishing for wild trout is totally different. Artificial bait should be your bait of choice. If the fishing is slow and you decide to try fresh bait, be sure to use a float. Trout in the wild feed on the top of the water requiring anglers to keep the bait close to the surface whether fishing in a fast moving stream or a lake. Be sure to use a clear float tied above the bait. This reduces the chance the fish will the see the unnatural float and scurry away. When fishing fast-moving water with natural bait, tie the float four feet above the baited hook. When fishing natural bait in a lake, tie the float as high on the line as possible. This will keep the bait suspended but below the surface. After trying some still fishing for a while, start a slow retrieve. Reel very slowly. This slow retrieve will create a moving target about four inches below the water surface. Only use baited hooks when all else fails.
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Many expert trout fisherman use only flies. Many streams are in protected wildlife areas are fly-fishing only waters and often only allow “catch and release” angling. When fly fishing, gather local information to determine the best fly to use. Choices will vary based on water temperature, season, drought, flow volume and other natural factors. Seek the advice of another fisherman or a local tackle store. After selecting the fly, study the water patterns and look for spots that offer deep bank cuts, overhead cover or pools behind and down stream from rocks. Cast the fly above your target zone and let it drift through it. Repeat this action several times. For some variety, add a split shot three to four feet above the fly. This extra weight will drop the fly below the surface a couple of inches and might attract a trout that is lurking a bit deeper. If you decide to use artificial bait such as a Mepps spinner, be sure to start with one sixteenth of an ounce. If rapid water keeps the bait bouncing above the water surface, tie on a heavier spinner until you get a retrieval track two to three inches below the surface. When fishing fast moving water, cast the bait into the center of the flow and let it drift down stream. As the bait drifts it will naturally drift back towards the shoreline. If you are wading you have some flexibility as to the distance the retrieve can be executed from the bank. If you are fishing from the bank, then extend your fishing rod over the water to keep the bait a safe distance from the shoreline. If you spot a ripple or a pool of calm water behind a boulder or part of a depth change, cast across the water and above the target. Experiment until you get the correct casting distance to reel the bait through the pool. Never cast once into a likely target and give up. It make take several casts over the same water to generate a trout rise. Remember to allow your bait to drift past the target water and then reel the bait back through the target water. When retrieving, move the rod tip from side to side. This movement pattern changes the look of the bait and often entices the strike. The retrieve itself should be match the speed of the water flow. The faster the stream is moving; the slower the retrieve. Let the speed of rushing water spin the blade of the bait instead of reeling at a steady gait. In fact, the speed of the retrieve should change during every cast. The bait will cross fast and rushing water requiring the retrieve to slow down in fast water and speed up in slower water.
In all cases, scout the fishing grounds for cutouts next to banks, pools, ripples, overhanging trees or brush and boulders. Trout tend to wait in these areas for insects to pass overhead or to just rest. Trout do strike very hard and fight viciously. They die quickly when out of the water or handled improperly. If you are going to catch and release, or you hook an under-sized fish; wet your hands, carefully remove the hook and gently release the trout back to Mother Nature.