When it comes to fishing around the world trout fishing seems to be the most popular for most anglers. I would have to agree with that most of the time although bass fishing puts up a good fight for first place among sports fishers like myself here in North America.

I have been fishing for these rather abundant yet crafty fish using my spinning gear and fly fishing gear for about half a century. Trout fishing just never gets old whether I’m fishing a lake, pond, river or brook.

I live in North America, Canada actually and we have trout all the way from the east coast, where I currently live to the west coast where I’d love to take a fishing trip some day. The trout in it’s many forms such as brookies or speckled, rainbow, brown and even lake trout are all over most parts of North America but they are not limited to N.A.

The Trout Habitat I Love To Fish

I really don’t find fishing lakes for trout as exciting as I do fly fishing a stream for brookies probably because a brook is so much more visual. But I won’t turn down a trip to a lake for some trout fishing.

One of my best fishing trips was a fly in trip into Quebec for lake trout and pike. A fishing trip I will not soon forget as I got to sight fish for spawning lake trout, my first chance to fly fish for lake trout.

We have rivers here in New Brunswick with Brown trout in them. I didn’t even realize we had brown trout here so you can imagine how excited I was when I landed my first brown trout ever in a brook I was fishing for brook trout in.

Luck can be a big part of fishing and I enjoy making a cast that hooks into a fish I didn’t expect.

My fishing buddies tend to think I’m lucky or have horse shoes up my behind when I catch a big one.  Of course when it’s them that makes the big catch it’s all skill.

The truth is there are always a few things you can learn to do while fishing that will make you a better trout angler.

1. When trout fishing a stream don’t get in the water until you have evaluated the lay of the water and structure. What’s happening in and around the water that will tell you want might be happening under the water.
2. Knowing what the trout are feeding on will give you a big advantage so follow step one first and then step two is to turn over a few rocks that are under the water to see what kind of life is living there, then use a bait that matches what you find.
3. Having taken the time to read the water and surrounding for indicators of what the trout are feeding on and you have turned a few rock you now need to get your bait or fly where the fish live, but not on top of their head as you will spook them and never catch much other than dumb fish which are usually quite young and small.
4. Situate yourself so that you are not in a feeding lane and then cast ahead of the fish so that the bait or fly will drift into the fishes feeding zone. You are much more likely to get that big one when you’re stealthy.
5. Patience is a virtue, especially when it comes to trout fishing as they are extremely easy to spook. Practice patience and you will do much better. When you accidently slap your bait or fly on the water and spook a fish, stop, take a break to give the fish a few minutes to calm down. That’s when you get the big one and the other guy gets skunked.

Bonus Trout Fishing Tip

A real key to successful trout fishing is to go with a fishing setup that will give you the most excitement and sometimes that means going with a light setup for those smaller trout. I have so much more fun when I am fishing light tackle or fly fishing setup that matches the size of the trout I am fishing.

These 5 useful trout fishing tips will help you catch more trout and even bigger trout in the same water you couldn’t catch them before. Happy fishing and remember to take a kid fishing, it could change their life like it did mine.

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My love of fishing began just about 50 years ago when I moved from Toronto to a foster home in the country. It was a 100 acre beef farm with a river running through the back end. I spent a lot of hours fishing for catfish. It was were I went get rid of stress.

Those memories of fishing are as fresh in my mind today as they were 50 years ago. Take a kid fishing and change a life.

I couldn’t wait to get out of that foster home and eventually moved to New Brunswick Canada where I still had blood relatives.

It was New Brunswick where I learned how to use a fly rod for the first time and spent the next 5 years finding and fly fishing every trout streams, brook and beaver pond I could find. I also spent a lot of time fly fishing for Atlantic salmon but that’s for another post.

Trout Fishing Tip #1 – Patience Wins The Day

As many years as I have been fishing I still get more excited the closer I get to a fishing spot.

I used to be the first to the water and usually the first to catch a fish but I wonder just how many bigger, wiser fish I spooked being in such a hurry.

I remember watching brother-in-law Joe, the guy who taught me to use a fly rod. He was slow and pokey but it turns out that he was more methodical about fly fishing and would always catch the bigger fish. it took me a few years to calm down enough to pay attention to him.

Joe would get all geared up, then he would creep down to the edge of the water, find a comfy rock and have a coffee while watching what was going on in and around the water.

Trout Fishing Tip #2 – Being Stealthy Wins The Day, Again

I learned a bit of patience from Joe but I learned to be a stealthy fly fishing from a college professor who was an avid fly fisher.

My professor asked me if I wanted to go fly fishing after supper as he knew I carried my fishing gear everywhere I went.

Well he took me to a spot I have fished many times and caught some nice fat 12 and 13 inch brookies. Nothing any bigger than that there, I thought.

Well I was about to find out there were much bigger brookies in that brook.

We didn’t take the same path I usually took to fish this spot. He took me up river a bit where we crossed to the other side and came back down to where I usually start fishing.

Before getting to the brook he started to crouch and almost crawled to a tree right on the river bank. From behind the tree he pointed out a little riffle of water going under an overhanging tree on the other bank.

He made one false cast to get the line out and then changed his direction and landed a small dry fly at the beginning of the riffle and let it drift under the tree. A huge splash and he had on a brook trout that could eat the trout I usually catch there.

I was blown away when he netted the first 18 inch brook trout I had ever seen.

He said to give that spot a break for a few minutes and we moved to the next spot where he did the same thing. Kinda crawled to a spot he could get a good cast with his fly, without being seen by any fish. Heck I used to just walk up and start casting.

This time he hooked into a 16 inch brookie.

The next spot it was my turn. I did all the stealth and tried to keep low in the tall grass. I had a bit of trouble making a cast in that position and my fly slapped the water. Big mistake when you’re fly fishing spooky fish like brook trout.

I did hook a 13 inch brook trout. Guess he wasn’t as smart as those bigger brookies who took off when I smacked the water.

Trout Fishing Tip #3 – Learn To Read The Water

Back to brother-in-law Joe who taught me to fly fish with a bit of patience. Well Joe also taught me about reading my surroundings. Something I have taught many people over the years.

He’d sit there sipping his coffee and reading the river for potential fish locations were we could take a fish.

Once he had them pointed out we would watch those spots. It was amazing to me when we would see a brookie take something from the surface, exactly where he showed me.

The more I observed the better I got at observing which showed in the numbers of fish I was catching on the fly. I actually got to the point where people I took fishing were impressed with my talents, talents I had to learn from others.

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Our son Steve and his buddy Robin both bought their fishing license this year. They’ve even been out fishing twice already. Even with the water as high as it has been.

They asked me were they could go close to Moncton and I told them of a great spot Kerry and I had fished where we had the best trout fishing day of the year.

This is actually the only spot in New Brunswick I have ever caught brown trout. They are fun to catch and fight and jump better than the brookies, very acrobatic fish and beautifully coloured as well.

I was sure how high the water would be there but it was not far away so they took their back roads map book and head there.

When Kerry and I had gone we took main roads to get there but I had shown Robin a shorter road, not realizing one of the roads was a dirt road and some of it was washed out.

They spent a little over an hour getting out of a big ole mud hole and then turned around and took the same route Kerry and I had taken.

This little spot can take you all day to fish so it’s good to hide a big to get back to the vehicle or taking two vehicles would work well as well.

I can thank my fishing buddy Roland for this great fishing spot.

I’m looking forward to taking Jamie to this spot where we can take both our spinning rods and our fly rods as there is a lot of this brook that’s open enough for the fly rods.

Anyways back to Steve and Robin’s day.

Robin Trout Fishing

I can see from the pictures Steve took that the river is up a little and the water’s running a bit faster but quite fish-able.

It was raining and heavy clouds so the lighting was the greatest for taking pictures so they may seem a little dark.

Robin Caught A Huge Flounder, Well Maybe Not Huge

By the time they were ready to come back home they kind lost track of where they were. Do we go left back to the road or was it right, hmmm.

Hey look there’s a guy that knows how to get to the highway.

So they managed to find their way to the truck, thanks to Porky.

The boys were using worms on a few Mepps and Red Devils.

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Barry, an old friend I haven’t heard from in years, since he moved away. Well he’s moved back and gave me a call to see what’s happening in my neck of the woods.

He didn’t even fish the last time I saw him but now he’s into a little less stress in his life, for health reasons and thought fishing would be a good way to get away from things that stress him.

He told me he has always loved a good feed of brook trout and thought that might be exactly what he wants to fish for.

We met before I was married and he knows I was out every day during fishing season, even had a part time job to support my habit yet still have loads of time off. That changed once I got married of course as it wouldn’t be fair to a non-fisher lady, would it.

Barry doesn’t know how to fly fish, yet, so I thought I would just share a few tips to help him produce better results.

Trout fishing was the first thing I did when I moved to New Brunswick, where I learned to fly fish, but most of the places I was fishing back then were tough to fly fish so I did a lot of spinner and worm fishing.

It’s sure great having a huge lawn as I can get enough worms for an entire day of fishing in about 15 minutes. I water the lawn just before dark and then come back after an hour or two, with a flash light, and start grabbing them.

Where To Locate Brook Trout

It’s not hard to locate trout here in New Brunswick but to find those bigger brookies one needs a little stealth or they will spook and be gone in a flash.

Obstacles That Hold Brookies

When I am fishing brooks and streams I look for under-cut banks, log jams, turns in the brook that create deeper holes and just about anything else that will give trout protection from above and predators around them in the water.

Areas With Different Water Speeds

I also watch how the water moves because the seems between water at different speeds is a real hot spot for feeding trout. They will sit right where they keep in the slower moving water but dart out into the faster water to pick up food.

How can you tell good spots? Well I personally like to sit for a few minutes before starting and watch what floats down stream. Watch how foam, bugs, leaves and other debris moves down stream because that’s the same path the trout’s food will come.

Brook Trout Fishing Gear

When I go brook trout fishing I take both a spinning rod and a fly rod, both light action of course as most of the brookies are small and even the larger ones don’t get much past 5 lbs in the places I fish.

I really prefer that fly rod but it’s good to cover yourself in case there is no room to use the fly rod. That’s when I get the spinning rod out.

I love using dry flies for brook trout but also have great fun fly fishing using leech patterns. The brookies will hit them hard. I fish flies anywhere from size 8 woolly buggers to size 16-18 for midges.

I carry a few small lures like Mepps and Red Devils when spinner fishing. Usually I will put an attractant on the hooks, maybe even a small worm if the fishing’s tough.

Wading The Stream

When I am wading the stream I try to move up stream to prevent spooking fish, however that’s not always an option so my suggestion is to try and be as stealthy as you can because brook trout are always nervous and will scatter easily.

Enjoy the sport, ease that stress and preserve our waters, never leave trash behind and always release the fish you don’t want unharmed.

How long should you hold a fish out of water? Trying holding your breath while you’re looking at and taking pictures, when you can’t hold it any longer that’s too long for the fish.

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If I had to pick only one fly I could only fish with all year long, I would have to choose the Muddler Minnow. I like this fly pattern because it is so versatile, and it seems to produce on big rivers, small streams, and lakes. Popular sizes ranges from size 4 down to size 10 and it doesn’t have to be tied perfect to be effective. In fact, I have a friend of mine who once told me that “the worse it looks, the more fish it catches.” So if you are tying your own Muddlers and they don’t look that good, do not worry they may still catch fish.

The Muddler Minnow is a great fly for Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Brook Trout, Steelhead, and most other game fish. This fly has two major things going for it. First, it looks like a wide variety of fish forage. For example, to the fish, a large Muddler may look like a grasshopper, big stonefly, or even a small field mouse. The smaller Muddlers may look like caddis flies, small minnows, or small sculpins. Second, it can be fished just about any way you want using a dry line or a wet line, dead drifted on the surface, down and across the current, or cast and striping the fly. Don’t be afraid to give the Muddler some action. Make it look like alive trying to get away from a predator, or make it look like a big fly trying to get off the surface of the water.

A Muddler Minnow fishing tip that works when fishing slower currents or lake fishing: Cast out to a spot. As soon as the fly hits the water, twitch the fly a couple of times while stripping in about 2 feet of line, and then let it sit for 5 seconds, then twitch and strip in again working the fly back to you. Make another cast to a different spot about 6 feet from the first spot. Try not to fish over the same place over and over.

Just as there are endless variations of the Muddler Minnow, there are just as many ways to fish the Muddler. For example, in the summer, you can fish it like a hopper; twitch and pause making it look like a big insect has just fallen in the water. Skate the Muddler, and make it wake across the current while at the same time giving the fly the action of an injured minnow trying to escape a charging predator. In the springtime try the smaller sizes, and fish the fly with a sinking tip line close to shore, giving it a short stripping action. During early mornings and late evening of summer and fall use the larger sizes of the Muddler, giving it action along the edges of deep pools and cut banks.

Please remember to be careful while you are on the river, do not harm our wonderful land, don’t litter, and please practice catch and release for the next generation.

Stanley Stanton is an Oregon Fly Fishing Guide and McKenzie River fly fishing guide, Visit: http://www.oregon-fly-fishing-with-stan.com For additional fly fishing tips and information about Fly-fishing for Rainbow Trout, Steelhead Fly fishing and salmon fishing. Email: stan@oregon-fly-fishing-with-stan.com The above author authorizes distribution of this article and that it be reprinted or Published in its entirety, including this resource box.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Stanley_Stanton

Tying the Muddler minnow I use is pretty straightforward. Check it out the Muddler minnow in our fly tying section.

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Where are the Brook Trout?

Brook trout are looking for oxygen and water that is at least 53 degrees or colder. The stronger the current, or the more rapids there are, the more oxygen will be created in the water. As the seasons change, the these trout follow the cooler water.

Spring time, with fast flowing and cooler water, is a great time for catching brook trout. However, as summer comes and the water becomes warmer, the trout will migrate to cooler waters. Here is where you need to understand the waters where you fish.

As warmer surface water flows from the lakes to the rivers, the water becomes too warm for the brook trout. Typically they will migrate downstream where they find rocks as well as natural springs running into the river. Both of these cool the water. However, if the head water of a creek is fed by a spring fed lake, the trout will head up street to cooler waters. In the summer time, you will need to determine which way the cooler water is – upstream or downstream. That is where you will find your trout you are looking for.

What to Use for Bait and Lures?

Brook Trout will hit worms and natural insects They like grasshoppers and mayflies. They also like any artificial flies that mimic the natural bait.

A good bait to use is one that you can roll up into a round ball that resembles a salmon egg. Put this on your hook and see what you can catch. This type of bait comes in a small jar and molds just like Silly Putty, which makes it very convenient.

A 6 or 4 pound test line with small hooks is best for brook trout fishing.

Why can’t I catch Any Brook Trout?

One of the most difficult times to catch one is when the suckers are spawning. The Trout love to gorge themselves on these eggs. That means they will not be interested in what you have to offer them. If this is the case, you will need to go further up or down stream to find some Brook Trout that are hungry.

All trout are very sensitive to sound and smell. They can actually smell you, so leave your smell good stuff at home. They also scare easily, so if you go traipsing through the water making lots of noise and splash, they will hide from you. If you offend their senses, they will swim away to their favorite hiding places.

One more reason Brook Trout may be difficult for you to catch is because they often are at the base of a waterfall or rapids area. They like deep pools and bubbles but they may be in areas that are too deep for you to wade in thereby making them very difficult for you to reach.

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I’ve caught a variety of fish in my time but have to say that I have had the most fun over the years brook trout fishing. The brook trout, also known as speckle trout, have been entertaining me for more than 40 years.  So I would say I’m quite fortunate to have so many brooks, stream and beaver ponds close to where I live in New Brunswick Canada.

Brook trout are located pretty much anywhere the water is clear, cold and running which covers almost all the waters where I live. I don’t think there are many places here in Canada we don’t have brook trout. Of course Brookies don’t stop at the U.S. border as they all have dual citizenships.

The rainbow, brown and lake trout are great fun as well but where I live it’s only at certain times and places these species are available however the brookie is available from opening day right through closing day of fishing season.

Trout Fishing Tip #1

Trout Fishing Using Live Worms

From opening day during trout season you can catch brook trout on worms day after day. It’s a food source that’s not natural to the trout but they sure love em. They like them so much it surprises me that there are any trout left.

I like to rig things easy and fast so depending on where I am fishing I will use a worm, a hook and a little sinker to keep it closer to the bottom. How simple is that.

When I take kids fishing for trout, and the water is deep enough, like when we fish the local trout ponds I bring along bobbers so that we can set them for the depth we want to fish. It helps to keep the kids from snagging the bottom so much and they don’t need to pay so much attention to the fishing.

It’s important to show kids a good time when fishing or they may not have fun and never get hooked on the sport, so take those bobbers along.

Trout Fishing Tip #2

Trout Fishing Using Artificial Baits

I like using live worms when fishing brook trout but I also keep some artificial worms for those times I didn’t get live worms or run out of them which happens a lot. One product I like is from Berkley.

Berkley Gulp Alive Maggots $ 5.99

NEW Berkley® Gulp!® Alive!™ is the next generation in Gulp!® technology. Now your favorite baits come floating in the “Magic Gravy” in a sealable jar, enabling you to recharge your baits by putting them back into the jar for the next use. The new Gulp!® Alive!™ baits absorb 20% more Gulp!® scent and attractant which, you guessed it, makes them at least 20% MORE EFFECTIVE than the 1st generation baits. They also have a 34% better swimming action than original Gulp!®. WOW! More attractant, better action, BETTER RESULTS than ever before! At Berkley®, our passion is that you CATCH MORE FISH! Get yourself some Gulp!® Alive!™ and go have some major fun! Click to Buy

I like to fish trout using artificial baits as well. On those days they seem a little shy to strike I might tip them with a worm or some other product I purchase like: Berkley Trout Bait.

Berkley Power Bait Trout Bait Twist $ 3.59

Bright, attractive colors swirled together with a sprinkling of dazzling silver fleck — resembling the scales of bait fish that trout love.

Environmentally friendly biodegradable composition. Click to Buy

Mepps and Red Devil lures are two other lures that I always keep in my tackle box. I also keep them in multiple sizes as that can make quite a difference day to day and depending on the water I fish.

Acme Wob-L-Rite $ 3.29
A time-tested favorite of fish and fishermen alike. Wob-L-Rites cast far and true, run deep, and have a darting, side-to-side action that resembles a baitfish in frantic flight. Especially effective for casting on windy days, fishing in swift water, or when you want to go deep where the big ones wait.

SIZE	DESCRIPTION	TYPE OF FISH
1/4 oz.	2-6 lb. test – medium-light spinning, spincasting & trolling	Ideal for pickerel, trout, smallmouth & largemouth bass.
1/2 oz.	8-12 lb. test – medium spinning, spincasting, baitcasting & trolling	Ideal for steelhead, salmon, trout & bass.

Click to Buy

Trout Fishing Tip #3

Trout Fishing on The Fly

I love fly fishing for trout. It’s one of my favourite methods for fishing trout, well really any fish, is using my fly rod and artificial flies. Some of these flies are so tiny that I am amazed every single time I hook into a brook trout with them. Others are bigger and some are ones I actually use for fly fishing Atlantic salmon, Smallmouth bass and Chain pickerel.

Some of the places I take my fly rod look like I’d never be able to use it so, unless it’s fly fishing water only I tend to take my spinning rod as well, for those sections of the river that are too crowded with Alders and other trees.

Brook Trout Flies I Use

I like tying my own trout flies for those days on the water and I never go with anything complicated so even if you never tied an artificial fly you would be able to put one of these together.

Most often, almost 100% of the time I use dry flies. It’s just so much fun watching them take it from the surface of the water, but every once in a while I will use a wet fly, a streamer or even a nymph to get below the surface if they aren’t taking anything from the surface.

My personal favourite dry flies for trout, wet and streamer trout flies:

Dry Flies – Hair Wing Dry Flies – size 8-18

• Gray Wulff
• White Wulff
• Irrisistible

Dry Flies – Fan Wing – size 10-20

• Adams
• Royal Coachman Fanwing
• Dark Hendrickson

Other Trout Dry Flies I Use

• Misquito size 10-20
• Brown Bivisible sizes 10-20
• Brown Hackle Peacock sizes 12-20

Wet Flies

• Black and Grizzly Weighted Wooly Worm – size 2-10
• Coachman Lead Wing Wet Fly sizes 12 -18
• March Brown English Wet Fly sizes 10-14

Streamers For Brook Trout

• Mickey Finn – size – 6-10
• White Maribou Streamer sizes 10-14
• Black Woolly Bugger – size – 6-10

Tying Trout Flies

I have never bought many flies because I like to tie my own flies for trout fishing. I have purchased specific flies so that I could see exactly how to tie them. Fly tying is a great hobby and when it comes to catching fish I get much more enjoyment knowing I tied the flies I am catching fish with.

Fish With Our Children’s Future in Mind

Brook trout fishing, whether on your spinning rod or fly rod is a great hobby but always think conservation for our children and their children. Practice CPR – Catch, Photograph and Release.

Note there is nothing wrong with eating a few trout. I love to keep a few for dinner in the early spring when the water is still ice cold here. They taste great but for the rest of the year I always release them unless I hurt them during the fight and know they won’t survive.

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