Tips for Trout Fishing Success

Trout fishing can be a great challenge, especially in heavily fished waters. In West Virginia, where I do the majority of my trout fishing, there are many famous and popular trout streams. There are also some unknown, and often unnamed streams that hold trout. I have seen one person fish through a section, and not catch a fish. Two minutes later, another can fish through the same section and catch a fish on nearly every cast. What's the difference? Having the right information, and knowing how to catch fish. There are some tips and tricks that you can use to ensure that you catch more fish while out on the trout stream.

Learn to read the water. When you approach a stretch of water, it is imperative to read that stretch correctly. The first cast into a new run is the most productive, if you know where to cast. Look for breaks behind rocks mid-stream. Trout will lay in these breaks, and wait for food to flow around the rocks, and into their feeding lane. Outside curves in the stream are also a good place to look. Watch these areas first, and watch for feeding fish. Once you find fish, you can determine how to fish the water.

Be stealthy. Many people charge right into a stream, splashing all the way, and then cannot understand why they cannot get a hit in a prime location. Trout are, by nature, a very skittish fish. You must be cautious in your approach, especially if you are fishing for wild fish (as opposed to stocked trout). Approach the stream cautiously, keeping a low profile. Fish that see you will be very difficult to catch. When wading, do not splash any more than necessary, and approach fish from the down stream side if possible.

Be flexible. It is great to have a plan for fishing any stream, but you have to be flexible if you are going to be successful in trout fishing. Conditions can change suddenly on trout streams, which means that you have to change strategies quickly as well. You have to watch water levels, and clarity to help determine what size and color of lure or bait you should use. Rain can make water levels rise quickly, and can make water cloudy. Such a change in conditions can be met with great success, if you start casting a hopper imitation, or some other terrestrial imitation. Similarly, as water levels rescind, you may need to move to smaller, brighter colored lures or flies.

Be willing to use different baits, lures and flies. Some fishermen are set on one particular lure, fly type or bait. Some, for example, are dry fly purists, who will fish all day with a dry fly even if there is no indication of fish hitting on the surface. The question is, do you want to fish, or catch fish? If you truly want to catch fish, you have to be flexible on your fishing style. If one method is not working, you have to be willing to change and try something different. After all, if fish are actively feeding on nymphs, you can fish dry flies above them all day, and never catch a fish. However, switching to a wet pattern may make all the difference, and cause you to bring more fish to hand. You should also be willing to expand your horizon when it comes to types of lures or bait. If you are a spin fisherman, who always fishes spinners, think about trying something natural, such as minnows or worms. If you have never tried it, put on a salmon egg, and see if your catch rate improves. If you have never tried fly fishing, give it a try. You may discover that you are catching many more fish simply by trying different methods. The more proficient you become in different methods of fishing, the more options you will have to face changing and challenging conditions.

Get the depth right. When fishing for trout, you have to put the bait, lure or fly where the fish are feeding. You may have to experiment with this a bit on any given day. If you are fishing deep holes, it may take more weight to get the bait down to the fish. If you float your bait over the top of the fish, they may never know that it is there, making it impossible to catch them. Not only is it necessary to fish all the different runs of the river, you must also move the bait up and down the water column. Think of it as a matrix, fishing the river from near side to far side, and then from top to bottom.

Keep moving. When fishing a river for trout, you can be confident that any fish in the run you are fishing will bite within the first few casts. If you see a fish, and it does not bite on the first few casts, move on and come back to the hole later. A fish that will not bite may have already spotted you, and therefore is avoiding your bait, or it may not be feeding. By returning later, you may have a better chance at catching an otherwise inactive fish. If you keep moving on the river, you will cover more water and you will have more opportunities to catch fish.

Trout fishing is a great sport. If you spend the time to learn about where the trout will lay in the river, and what will catch them, you will have great success. Make sure and check all local regulations for what baits, lures and flies are legal. Find what works for your area, and then put it to work for you!