Fishing Equipment Review for Trout
Rigs for Small Streams
Small streams have less water, smaller fish and more underbrush so you will want an ultralight rod between 4 and 5 feet long.
A spinning ultralight rig, which combines the short flexible rod with a reel featuring a fully exposed spool at the front of the reel will give you the most flexibility in this category.
Since trout tend to be line shy, consider using line in the 2-4 pound test weight category.
Rigs for Larger Streams
Larger streams call fro heavier rigs, medium to heavy action, 6-7 feet long. Spinning outfits are great solutions for this kind of fishing, but spin-casting rigs are also effective.
In spin-cast equipment, the line spool is enclosed in a housing mounted to the top of the rod. To cast you depress a trigger and as teh rod brings the the lure forward, release.
Choose monofilament line in the 6-16 pound class to make sure the line doesnt bunch up inside the cover.
Natural Bait
Fishing with artificial flies can be rewarding, but the learning curve is smaller with natural bait. A little searching can turn up aquatic larvae known as hellgrammites, grasshoppers, grubs, leeches, and caddisfly cases. Even small salamanders can be effective. Nightcrawlers and large earthworms are still popular.
Secured once with No. 10 to No. 14 regular shank bronze hooks, these worms will stay active and lively for several minutes underwater.
Minnows and mealworms can also attract trout.
Prepackaged Trout Bait
Several manufacturers sell bottled salmon eggs, corn pellets and dough products. One such product is Berkley PowerBait, which comes in various colors and flavors.
Simply mold PowerBait onto your hook, and you are ready to go. You may need to attach a split shot - or some other sinker weight - approximately 12 inches above the hook to make sure you have enough weight to hold the bait down.
Artificial Lures
Spinners have metal blades that spin as you reel then through the water. They come plain or trimmed with feathers or bucktail.
Spoons are concave metal lures that wobble and twist in the water, imitating the motion of baitfish.
Plugs also imitate small baitfish. They are small light lures, usually made from balsa wood or plastic.
Catch and Release Nets
Standard thin-mesh nets are not good for catch-and-release fishing. Thin-mesh nets often compromise a trouts protective slime coat and can damage caudal fin rays.
Good catch-and-release nets are made with rubber netting, featuring a seamless bag that expands naturally to fit a fishes size and weight. They also have a flat bottom panel to support the entire length of the catch.
