Trout fishing basics by Robbie Alexander

There are a growing number of anglers enjoying trout fishing and like any new type of fishing, there are always questions to be asked.

Here I will run through some of the basic techniques to help get anglers started on small streams, larger rivers and lakes. I hope I can give you all a few pointers and steer you in the right direction to catch your first fish or increase your catch rates.

SMALL STREAMS

Trout fishing in small streams is one of my favourite forms of fishing and I just cannot get enough of it. Due to the small, quiet environment and usually clear water, it really is combining fishing and hunting to provide great sport.

Rule number one with any type of trout fishing in streams is to always fish your way upstream. Trout almost always face upstream, watching as the current delivers any kind of food source.

Whether it be dead insects, mayflies, nymphs, scrubworms and so on, the current will always wash the food downstream and the trout know to face upstream in anticipation.

Trout can be very spooky fish and if they see you they often move to the cover of an undercut bank, deep hole or snag and stop feeding until they feel safe again.

By walking upstream you are sneaking up behind the trout, making it harder for them to see you. Remember, though, that unlike humans, trout do have eyes at the top of their heads! We have our eyes at the front and look forward, whereas the trout have eyes that face further up, so that they can sense danger above them and also watch for food.

So the trout may see you coming sooner than you realise. The best way to overcome this is to fish from further back.

Walking upstream, cast ahead of you and retrieve your bait or lure downstream towards you. Where possible, try to make your casts long and accurate.

The further back you can cast from the less likely you will be to spook the fish.

Keep an eye on the bank for human footprints. If there are fresh footprints along the bank, in the mud or sand, then it may be likely that somebody else has recently fished that same stretch of water, which can result in very poor fishing.

As mentioned earlier, when trout get spooked they hide and will not come out until they feel safe. In angler's language, we call this 'second-hand water'.

If the fishing is slow and there are fresh footprints, it's always a good idea to try somewhere else. Trout in these small waterways are very unforgiving.

Depending on the availability of food, trout often feed freely all day in small streams. During the brightest times of the day, concentrate your casts on the shady areas, under shrubs and undercut banks.

LURES

Small bladed spinners are an excellent starting point, particularly in the Spring when there is plenty of water in the streams and little slime. Small Celtas are excellent.

My favourite bladed spinner is the No 1 Super Vibrax by Blue Fox. I have loved these lures for a very long time.

Small minnow lures also work very well, as do soft plastics.

In the streams, small natural patterns of soft plastics can really outshine other lures because they work on the trout's inquisitive nature and also present as a real nymph emerging from underneath a submerged rock.

LARGER RIVERS

The basics of trout fishing larger rivers are quite similar to those in small streams, with a few exceptions.

You should still always fish your way upstream but if you cast downstream you can still expect results in the larger waterways.

There is a lot more water between the fish and the fish are often much