Trout Fishing for Beginners: Everything You Need to Know
If you are ready for a break from running buzz baits across the top water and want to chase a different species, trout are stocked in many places all over the world! They are a very exciting game fish that fights well and eats smaller aquatic insects as well as baitfish, giving you a new set of skills, tackle, and bait to be used.
Should you dare chase trout in small streams then you will be in for the challenge of a lifetime whether you carry a fly rod or a spinning rod.
- Types of Trout
- Spinning Tackle for Trout
- Fly Fishing Tackle for Trout
- The Magic of Matching the Hatch
- Wade Fishing for Trout: The Ultimate Experience
- The Fun and Access of Stocked Trout
- The Last Word on Trout Fishing
Types of Trout
Trout is a generic name for several species of carnivorous freshwater fish—mostly freshwater, with some anadromous species—that belong to the sub family salmoninae. It sounds like Salmon because they are related. You can see it in their look and behavior.
Trout are fish that prefer cold water (usually 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit) and when the water becomes too warm it will affect their health and can even kill them. Stocked trout often darken and develop deep markings under heat stress, which is a sign of severe physical distress and high mortality risk.
Most trout species live naturally in large lakes and cold-water streams. Lake trout are a distinct trout species that can reach much larger sizes than many stream-dwelling trout. If you are specifically targeting trophy-sized brown trout, larger rivers and lakes can offer opportunities for bigger fish, depending on the local population.
Though they come from the salmonid family most species never live in the ocean. Some species of trout will swim upstream to spawn mimicking a salmon’s trek.
Rainbow Trout - The rainbow trout has a silvery body that is speckled with many small black spots. These spots extend into the tail and dorsal fin. Their most distinctive feature is the beautiful pink color that runs the length of their lateral line and blends into numerous shades or a "rainbow" of colors that runs over much of the body.
Brown Trout - The brown is speckled with larger spots that are less uniform than the rainbow trout. The body is more of a creamy yellow that is accentuated on the underbelly. The tail does not share the spots like a rainbow trout.
Brook Trout - While many species of trout are native to Northwestern parts of the US, brook trout are Northeast natives. Some of the most challenging fishing can be had in the Appalachian Mountains chasing small native brook trout in tiny trickling creeks with the fly rod.
Palomino - This is a man-made hatchery fish which is a rainbow trout variant created through selective breeding and hybridization. The fish is a beautiful pale golden color all over. They are stocked in trout lakes and streams where they are often targeted because they can be seen easily with the naked eye.
Tiger Trout - These are another hybridized fish that crosses the brook and brown trout. It has a distinct pattern in place of the brown trout’s spots. They are dark shapes that are largest at the lateral line and expand outward across the fish’s body, the markings resemble a leopard more than a tiger's stripes but the name "tiger trout" does sound cooler!
Spinning Tackle for Trout
For many stream and stocked-trout situations, an ultralight or light spinning setup is a practical choice. A shorter 5'6"–6'6" ultralight rod works well when fishing small, brushy streams where casting space is limited. On larger rivers and lakes, a 6'6"–7' light or medium-light rod can provide more casting distance and line control.
For the reel, 1000- to 2000-size spinning reels are a good starting point for light trout tackle. A 1000-size reel keeps a small-stream setup compact and lightweight, while a 2000-size reel offers a little more line capacity and can be a more versatile choice for rivers and lakes. The right size ultimately depends on the rod, line, lure weight, and fishing environment.
Recommended Spinning Setup for Trout
If you want a lightweight setup for trout, the Piscifun Carbon Series is a natural fit. The Carbon X is available in smaller sizes suited to ultralight and light freshwater fishing, including trout and panfish. Pair a 1000- or 2000-size reel with an ultralight or light spinning rod depending on the water you fish.
For small streams, a setup such as a 6'6" ultralight rod paired with a 1000-size Carbon X keeps the outfit light and compact. If you fish larger rivers or lakes, stepping up to a longer light or medium-light rod and a 2000-size reel gives you more versatility for longer casts and larger trout.
Best Trout Lures for Spinning Gear
Panther Martin Yellow Red Spinner
A small spinner bait that flashes and hums through the water can be devastating for trout. The Panther Martin has a small pea sized base that is painted yellow with a little red. It casts accurately at distance so for the perfect presentation.
A steady consistent reel to keep the spinner moving and off the shallow bottoms of creeks is all you need to make these fish strike.
White Twister
This simple but deadly bait can be run with a 1/32-ounce or 1/16-ounce weighted jig head. The color of the lure and the action of the tail tend to set the trout off. Fish it in the same way as you would a spinner only slow the reel down a bit.
A little jerk can drive trout crazy, too.
Gold/Silver Minnow Hard Plastic
The floating or suspended minnow can be devastating in gold, silver, or rainbow trout colors. You can buy them in a wide variety. These minnows seem to work best with a very slow reel and jerk combo. Every 3-4 revolutions of your reel give the bait a slight jerk.
This gives the impression that the minnow is injured and makes for easy prey.
Fly Fishing Tackle for Trout
Trout Fishing Fly Rod - the 7'6 3-4 wt rod will make it easy to get around smaller creeks and streams. You can get a larger rod if you are fishing lakes for larger trout.
Trout Fly Fishing Reel - Match your reel to your rod so 4/5 wt. reel is the way to go. Maybe go up to 6wt if you are using a larger 9ft pole for lake trout.
Fly Line – A weight forward floating line (WF4F) for trout is best. These range in price. You will also need a tapered leader to about 4-6x tippet depending on the trout you are after. I prefer a 4–5-foot tippet of 6x line as well to tie my fly to. All of this will make casting easier and catching trout more consistent.
Needle Nose Pliers – Flies often have small hooks. These hooks can be hard to get out of a trout’s mouth. A good pair of needle nose pliers, like the ones from our Fishing Tool Kit are perfect to carry on your next trip.
Flies and Techniques for Trout
Dry Flies - Dry flies are designed to match the hatch. You fish these on the top water and allow them to drift by hungry trout who are sitting in current sipping bugs. Use a short strip of your fly line to give the bug some movement or a gentle long strip to make the fly dance across the surface. Just be careful not to pull the fly under the water.
Streamers - Streamers are your baitfish imitations. Primarily they are used to look like minnows, leaches, or larger aquatic insects. You can use quick short strips to make the streamer dart through the water.
Longer strips will create a gradual swim through the water that can be coupled with a stop and go retrieve. This will swim the fly a little and then stop it. The fish will often strike on the strip after the bait pauses.
Nymphs – Fishing nymphs is easy and productive. You find water that is fast enough to drag your nymph along to the trout and then just allow it to float in front of the fish. With many nymph presentations, the goal is a natural drift rather than an active retrieve. Some techniques, however, use controlled movement or a swing to imitate emerging insects.
Use a strike indicator, small bobber for fly fishing, to see even the smallest strikes on an underwater nymph.
The Magic of Matching the Hatch
Whether you are using spinning or fly fishing tackle, understanding the hatch when trout fishing will increase your success on every trip. To be a trout fisherman is to have a deep admiration for the body of water you’re on and aquatic life therein.
Understanding that caddisflies are fluttering around you in large numbers while trout are hitting the surface helps you get into the head of the fish you are after. During a hatch aquatic insects like mayflies, caddis, tricos, and even dragonflies emerging from the water and developing wings fly.
For some species this whole process happens on the water and these emergers become the perfect food source for trout.
Wade Fishing for Trout: The Ultimate Experience
Large lake trout can be taken by boat, stocked trout can be caught off the banks of the lake or stream, but wade fishing for trout in small creeks is the ultimate experience.
My father and I often said it was more like hunting than fishing. You must be very quiet and careful not to spook trout in small creeks and approach them with your fly and cast almost perfectly to get the fish to bite. It is one of the best fishing experiences of all time.
Waders - Fishing cold water requires waders. Waders can make cold-water trout fishing much more comfortable, especially when you need to enter deeper or colder sections of a stream. The best are hip waders made from lightweight materials. If you can find the waders with felt soles, they make wading through mossy slick rocks much safer.
However, felt soles can be prohibited in some areas as they can spread aquatic invasive species. Check local regulations to be sure.
Vest or Sling - A fly fishing vest or sling bag can be perfect for carrying all your fishing tackle and lures/flies. Look for a lightweight but tough material that will stand up over time. I prefer the small Orvis chest pack.
Ultralight Tackle - Short rods and light lines make tight casts much easier to pull off. This kind of setup will also make medium sized trout feel like a Tarpon on the end of your line and what could be more fun than that!
Ninja Aspirations - Moving quietly and unseen through the environment is key to having success when it comes to wade fishing for trout. Trout spook easily in small streams and then they will not bite anything you throw at them.
Dress in colors like green and brown that match your surroundings and move slowly through the water. It can help to stay close to the shoreline or against shoreline brush as you will blend in better. I have seen fisherman take this as far as casting from their knees to the right fish to avoid being seen.
The approach from downstream to cast upstream is the best because fish are often looking upstream as the food floats down towards them. Also, avoid casting on top of the fish and making a large splash. Cast up stream or away from the fish and work your fly or lure as it crosses their path.
The Fun and Access of Stocked Trout
The biggest obstacle for most trout fishing hopefuls is access. It is easy to assume that since you do not live near mountains or on a large trout-filled lake you cannot go trout fishing.
The truth is there are waters all over this nation that are stocked with trout throughout varying seasons of the year. In fact, most state’s have some kind of trout stocking program. Some stocking programs are designed as put-and-take fisheries, while others support different management goals. Check your state's regulations and stocking information.
This means that a certain amount of the trout you catch can be taken home and cooked up for dinner!
The most common trout stocked are rainbow trout and brown trout. These fish are stocked in a variety of sizes with some true trophy sized fish being stocked. Both are incredible trout to fish for and to battle. If you can find a stream that is stocked, then you are in for true challenge.
It is very common for small ponds to be stocked with trout so be sure you read your state's trout stocking information in detail.
The Last Word on Trout Fishing
It’s hard to compare a day of trout fishing to anything else. You just feel it. You are after a different kind of quarry, and they prefer a different speed of fishing and thinking.
The trout fisherman pays attention to the stream, the waters, the flies, the way the water is flowing and focuses on presentation. When fishing in creeks and streams, a bad cast can spook an entire spot and then you head for the next trying to make the same mistake. Take your time with these fish.
It’s a misnomer that you need a wicker basket and a fly rod to enjoy trout fishing. I have had as many great days in stocked trout streams with a spinning rod as I had in my River Runs Through It gear on a mountain stream.
Find these fish, hunt these fish with care, and reap the benefits of a day on the trout stream.