Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3911 May 2020 | Page 6

6
How To...
May 2020
VOL.39 • ISS. 11
Key Tips For Stream Fishing Success
<
Pansize trout like
this feisty American
River rainbow are the most
common target of stream
fishing enthusiasts in northern
California and why not. They
are fun to catch and if you
keep a few they fry up to a
mouthwatering golden brown.
presents
Your Guide To Stream Trout Action!
I
^
by Cal Kellogg
<
When planted
trout are in the
mix, few baits are as
effective as salmon
eggs. Pin one or two on
a hook, add a split shot
and get ready yell, “Fish
On”!
>
For anglers that enjoy
the challenge of using
artificials, spinners and flies are
cornerstone offerings.
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trout I’d ever seen, measuring 16 inches
in length and weighing in at about two
pounds. I remember being super excited
and hoping that someday I could land a big
‘ol trout like mom’s!
Targeting stream trout is the
quintessential trout fishing
experience. Sure, in general,
trout found in reservoirs and
lakes average larger than stream
trout, but fishing for stream trout
reduces the sport of trout fishing
to its basic elements. There are
no sonar units, downriggers
high powered boats or extensive
tackle assortments to depend on.
Stream fishing pits the angler
against the trout. It’s largely
this chess game like quality that
makes stream fishing so exciting
and satisfying.
As with other forms of trout
fishing, having the proper tackle is a
crucial component of stream fishing
success, second only in importance to
employing proven tried and true tactics.
The spinning rod and reel combination
used for stream fishing is a lot like the
outfit used for bank fishing at lakes, except
the stream combo is lighter and nimbler.
Some experts recommend using a short
spinning rod in the 5 to 6 foot range,
reasoning that a short compact rod is
easier to carry when maneuvering through
streamside willows and brush. I won’t
argue that a short rod is easy to carry, but
what is the purpose of a fishing rod? To
catch fish, right? Well do you want a rod
that is easy to carry or do you want the
most effective rod for catching fish? If
you’re like me you want the most effective
tool for hooking trout and that’s why I use
a, 6’6” to 7 foot rod for stream fishing
most of the time.
A rod rated for 4 to 10 pound line is
perfect. It needs a moderately fast action
with plenty of flexibility in the upper third
and solid backbone in the lower two thirds.
Match the rod with a spinning reel
spooled with 6 or 8 pound fluorocarbon
line, further enhancing the rig’s sensi-
tivity and responsiveness. For all practical
purposes fluorocarbon is invisible to fish,
which is important in the gin clear waters
of a trout stream. In addition it stretches
very little and sinks readily. It is fluorocar-
Fish Sniffer
how – to
Author Cal Kellogg tempted this husky American River brown
with a night crawler bounced along the bottom of a deep pool.
Day in day out, worms are one of the best offerings you can use for
stream trout.
#
was about 10 years old. In my hand
I held a willow switch with a half
dozen rainbows and browns hanging from
its length. Mom and I were sneaking along
the banks of the Feather River a few miles
from Quincy, California. We
were taking turns fishing
from the holes in the stream-
side brush that anglers had
hollowed out over the years.
The trout were feeding on
cased caddis worms and they
had a real fondness for the
black and yellow Panther
Martin spinner knotted to
the end of our spinning rod’s
line.
Both my mom and dad
are crackerjack stream trout
anglers and I learned a great
deal about effective stream
trout tactics from them back
in those days. On the afternoon my mom
and I spent fishing the Feather more than
30 years ago I learned the importance of
keeping my feet quiet and staying low. All
the trout I caught were on the small side,
but mom’s were quite a bit bigger.
“You stay back and watch how I
sneak up on this spot,” she told me as
we approached a pocket in the brush.
Stopping on the trail I watched as mom
crouched down and softly walk up just
close enough to the opening to get the
rod tip out over the water. Making a short
underhand pitch she shot the spinner out
into the current and closed the reel’s bail.
Almost instantly the line came tight
and the lure swung across the current and
came to a stop next to the undercut bank
below mom’s position. Just as she started
to turn the reel handle an unseen trout that
had been lurking among the roots under
the bank rocketed forward, grabbed the
spinner and then darted back into its lair.
The light fiberglass rod bent nearly
double. Looking back on the scene today,
I’m surprised the line didn’t hang up on a
root. Keeping her cool, mom put the rod
tip in the water and slowly used the reel to
coax the trout in her direction.
After what seemed like an eternity the
thick bodied trout boiled to the surface at
mom’s feet and she deftly slid it onto the
bank where I pounced on it. Up until that
time the holdover rainbow was the largest
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