INTRODUCTION
Trout is one of the most popular game fish, and are an excellent food fish as well. Trout can be caught with a variety of lures, bait, or flies. They prefer clear water that is cold to slightly warm in temperature. Fishing for trout is usually done early morning or evening when they tend to feed heavily on mayflies, caddis flies and other insects during these times. The best time of year to go trout fishing is from April through September. However, there are many other factors that will determine your success.
First, you’ll need a quality fly rod and reel combo with at least 5 different line weights of monofilament line spools. Second, find out if the venue where you’ll be fishing has any fish in it by checking out their online fishing forum or calling the local bait shop near you (they usually have a hot tip on where some fish were last seen). Thirdly, be sure to bring along your waders so you can try to reach those hard-to-get areas. Brown trout are freshwater fish that usually live in the same waters as salmon. You will find them living in large to small rivers and streams or lakes.
Like salmon, trout can swim upstream then lay their eggs before making the journey back down stream to spawn with other trout. Other things that you will need to consider before going trout fishing include:
- Rules and regulations
- Finding the right gear for your needs
- Choosing a location to fish at, such as a river, lake, or ocean
- What type of lures, flies and bait to use
TROUT FISHING RULES & REGULATIONS
The UK has some of the best freshwater fishing in Europe and there are plenty of trout rivers across England. If you have never fished, it can be difficult to know where to start on finding a good trout river. One thing you should look for is if there are any restrictions or rules that apply to the area. This could limit your choice further: this may include number of fish caught, types, bait used (if permitted) or even time allowed between day/night fishing; all these things will help you get more out of the days ahead. For instance, during springtime some areas forbid worms while others require them or they don`t allow flies which might be perfect on so many other days. Trout fishing, like many other fish species in the UK, will require a rod licence or an annual rod ticket.
Another thing you must be wary of is contamination. Many fisheries will have biological decontamination units in place to try and stop the spread of invasive weeds spreading. This is particularly evident when you look at man made freshwater trout fisheries because one invasive species could have a huge effect on their business. Also, most waters in the UK now will ask you to use knotless nets to protect the fish.
The closed seasons vary in Britain depending on what country you are in. Here are links to the relevant web pages for each country that explain the open and closed seasons along with lots of other information:
FIND THE RIGHT GEAR FOR YOUR NEEDS
As a beginner, you want to know what are the essentials? One of the first things you should consider is location. The type of water body will determine your tackle requirements. This article focuses on trout fishing in UK lakes and rivers. You’ll have two main approaches – bottom feeding or fly fishing using flies, bait and lures. For example, spinners, spoons, worms etc..
Finding the right gear for your needs can be quite difficult. The important thing is to know what you are looking for in a rod and tackle set before buying one. There are several factors that will go into making a choice between two or more rods: how much money do you want to spend? What application will you use it for? Are there any specific features that would make the experience better? Using the right gear will help you be more successful and enjoy your experience. I would recommend visiting John Norris shop in Perthshire, they have all the best kit. Or you can buy online from them and ask their fantastic members of staff for some advice.
Some of the gear you will need to consider when buying is:
- Rod
- Line
- Bait
- Clothing
- Waterproofs
- Net
- Bag
CHOOSE A LOCATION TO FISH AT
In the UK, there are several locations where trout fishing is a popular pastime. It’s important to consider your reasons for choosing one location over another and whether or not they align with those of others in the area. Some areas have stricter licensing requirements than others, making it more difficult if you don’t already live nearby. Other factors include cost, accessibility by public transportation and limitations on fishing hours also affect what makes each spot an appealing choice.
The best locations to fish for trout in Britain are not always found where you think they might be. For example, if you’re looking for salmon or trout fishing then then sometimes the smaller rivers and streams offer fantastic fishing and in a much more tranquil setting. If you are a fisherman who loves to fish for trout, there are several locations that will offer different fishing experiences. Deciding which location is the best choice can be difficult but having an idea of what each offers will help you make the right decision.
The most important thing you need to think about when choosing a location is the weather and time of year. The UK has generally good weather, but it can be unpredictable and change quite quickly from one season to another. Rainfall will have a huge affect on the state of the river, sometimes it makes the fishing better or worse.
IDENTIFY THE BEST SPOTS TO FISH
Once you have chosen the venue you would like to fish its then a case of picking the best spots on the venue. The best spots on a river will generally be in the deeper sections of the river or where pools form. The thing about trout is that they can be quite picky and elusive. They prefer to stay hidden within the shadows or near rocks because this is their natural habitat. Fishing behind big boulders where there is deep water behind the boulder is often a good place to start.
PREPARE YOUR BAIT & EQUIPMENT BEFORE YOU GO OUT ON THE WATER
The best way to catch the fish you want is by being prepared. You should suit up for your adventure and have all the necessary gear ready to go before you set sail. While it’s true that preparation can be time-consuming. It will save you time in the long run – after all, who wants to wait around on shore while other fishermen are catching? If you do not prepare properly before going out fishing, then it is likely that your trip will not end with any reward at all!
The gear needed will vary but generally you’ll need hooks, hook snips, bait (your best bet) and equipment including scales for weighing the fish, pliers for removing hooks if necessary, netting to keep your catch contained underwater during landing (keeps it in better condition), sharp knife or scissors with blade guard to cut line. Trout fishing is a great way for families and friends to spend quality time together, but you need to pack light. Your daily fishing outfit should consist of a tackle box with all the essentials listed above. Rod & reel rigged with line, leader and artificial lures appropriate for trout fishing in your area. Keep it simple – that’s what makes it pleasurable!
USE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LURES, FLIES & BAIT
If you want to catch more fish, then try different types of lures. When you’re fishing, what do you use to catch fish? If your answer is anything but “a variety of different things all at once,” then you could be missing out on a lot of great opportunities. Different types and styles of bait can attract fish in different ways. This means that if each specific type of lure/fly works differently for every single stream or lake that you visit, there are more chances for success. It’s crucial to have a variety of lures, flies and bait when fishing. You can spend hours trying to catch just one fish with the same lure or fly.
Whether you are a professional angler or just love to throw out your fishing line every weekend, having the right lure, fly or bait is essential. It will definitely increase your chances of catching fish just by changing up some aspects about how you go about fishing. Many professional fishermen often use at least three different types of lures, flies and/or bait; each one designed for a specific type of water and meal time.
TROUT FISHING LURES
Lures! Properly rigging your lure with a few ounces of lead weight and employing knowledge of weed beds, deep pools, steep points, holding water and down holes is key. There are numerous good ways to present your lures; casting in front or upstream so that anglers work their baits downstream into the feeding zone can pay dividends if they observe fish reactions carefully- too much current or not enough light might make an otherwise promising spot inappropriate. Ability to find these places is enhanced
TROUT FISHING FLIES
There are many different types of trout flies – we’ve categorized them for you. Ranging from dry to wet, fair sized to large, dropper to nymphs. Its about finding the best type of fly in each category that suits the fishes particular preferences on the day. Catching trout is an experience and sport where you need to be very patient, know what type of fly the fish prefer on that day or when the flies are spawning then you have more chance to catch on it. Fishing for trophy trout can require a fighting leader. Careful use of flies that imitate caddisflies, beetles, stoneflies, mayflies and damselflies lying in wait everywhere below the water surface feeding on insects.
The correct fly fishing fly, can make all the difference when it comes to throwing a good day’s fishing – with a wide variety of flies for every type of freshwater, trout fishing is a pure delight. Trout Fishing Flies come in all sizes and shapes so you can find one that suits you best!
TROUT FISHING BAIT
Bait used for trout fishing normally consists of either worms or prawns. Worms are by far the most popular sort of bait used, probably because they are so easy to get your hands on. You can dig your own worms up from anywhere and you are good to go. Garden earth worms are used for brown trout, rainbow trout and sea trout here in the UK.
Prawns on the other hand are harder to get your hands on. There are companies who sell them online and will deliver them to you dead cured in salt. If the prawns are cured correctly they can be stored for months. However, they are expensive to buy in this form. Collecting and curing them yourself requires a lot more time and effort than digging worms up in your back garden. Having said this, prawns are probably one of the best baits you can get for sea trout and salmon fishing. I would highly recommend getting some!
MORE ON THE SEA TROUT
Sea trout fishing in Britain – They enter the river systems to spawn. Great fighting fish, silver when fresh into the rivers. Grow larger than brown trout and are considered a great sporting hard-fighting fish by many. Sea trout fishing in Britain is an angler’s delight. The silver colouring of sea trout changes as they enter streams, with the spawning season ending in Autumn when brown spots appear on its skin, turning them more brown than silver.
The sea trout and brown trout are actually the exact same fish. The brown and sea trout only differ in the habitat that they seek. For some reason unknown to scientists a portion of trout parr (baby trout) decide they will live out at sea while the other portion decide they will live in the river they are born. The river trout become brown trout and the parr that go out to see become sea trout and only return to spawn often much bigger than any brown trout will ever get.
CATCH & RELEASE TROUT FISHING
Many fisheries are now switching to a catch and release system where you are only allowed to keep certain amount of fish caught or none at all during certain times of the year. Wild trout are a precious resource, aiding in biodiversity and ground populations when they aren’t over-fishing or killed for stocks.
Catching and releasing trout is an excellent way to reduce the pressure on our precious resource. Trouts that are caught and released live to breed, swim free or get caught again! Catch-and-release fishing can make a huge difference to the quality of fishing on wild fisheries. Fishing for sea trout in the UK has always been a sustainable fishery. Rod-clutching fish can be caught back to spawn year after year, and at any size from one metre to three kilograms or more. If they live long enough they could even end up turning into a trophy of a lifetime.
If you are going for a days fishing and you know you are going to release the fish that you catch. Then the best way to do so is to keep the fish in a net in the water while you unhook it. This gives the fish a better chance of going back well, you want to reduce the amount of time its out the water as much as possible! I’f I have deep hooked a trout in an area where there is a strict limit then I will keep that fish instead of one which is lip hooked.
TROUT FISHING VIDEOS
Here are some great trout fishing videos that I recommend you watch. It will give you a good idea of how to go about your days trout fishing and what to expect:
THANK YOU FOR READING MY ARTICLE
Thank you very much for reading this article and I hope it helps you with your exploits. Here at Jake’s Outdoors we are very passionate about our hunting, fishing and all things to do with outdoors. I believe our hunting and fishing community really is special and we experience things that others do not. I think its a very good thing if we can all share out experiences and connect with each other all over the world. This way our community is much stronger and we can better protect each other in this modern society where so many people have lost touch with the outdoors.
It’s our job to educate people on why we do what we do and try to keep our passions alive. Therefore, here at Jake’s Outdoors I wont just be reviewing equipment but I will also be creating/promoting ways as to how we can do this. So if you are wanting to join this journey with me then please do enter your email in the footer on my homepage and I will keep you up to date with all things to do with our passions.
Short & Long Term Goals:
My short term aim here is too help you fish and hunt better. I will do this by helping you choose the best equipment for you, whether it be clothing, hunting equipment or general advice. My long term goal is to start inspiring more people to take up hunting and fishing because both are in decline. It’s very important that we start educating this modern society and making them understand why hunting needs to take place. With your support I hope to be able to carry on doing this.
If you would like to learn even more about me and Jake’s outdoors then please read my about page here… Also if you would like to read on about more relatable topics then you can take a look at more of my articles here…
