When you think about the term 'wading for rainbow trout', what immediately comes to mind? For most people what comes to mind is a fly fisherman wading and fishing a river and this is with good reason. Wading and fishing a river was made popular by fly fishermen and this is with good reason as well, because wading in the river that you are fishing is an excellent way to put yourself in the best position for casting and thus fishing a river while utilizing an artificial fly as bait.
While it's true that wading for rainbow trout is a technique that was made popular by anglers who fly fish, the truth of the matter is that fly fishermen aren't the only people who can fish for rainbow trout in this manner. As a matter of fact, I learned a long time ago that this style of fishing (wading) can also be executed at a high level by those of us who fish with traditional spin fishing gear. Yep, although it may sound a bit strange, it is nonetheless very true.
Wading for and catching rainbow trout is an activity that can be done with a high level of success by fishermen other than "fly fishermen" and below I will outline a few tips and tricks that will help virtually anyone experience success when they are wading for rainbow trout while using normal spinning gear. The first thing that you need to concern yourself with is the type of gear that you use, and when I use the term 'gear', I'm referring specifically to your rod and reel. You always want to use an ultralight rod and reel anytime that you are fishing for the beautiful species of fish known as "rainbows".
Why do you want to use an ultralight rod and reel when we are wading for rainbow trout? Because by ultralight rods and reels are designed specifically for using two to six pound test fishing line and light line is the first key to having success when wading for any type of trout. Trout are found in cold, clear rivers and have very keen eyesight which means that they can easily detect your fishing line if it is too heavy and if the trout that you are attempting to catch detect your fishing line they are much less apt to bite whatever it is you are offering them. For this specific reason an ultra light rod and reel should be utilized anytime that you are wading for rainbow trout.
The second key to having success when wade fishing for rainbow trout is to learn a technique that is known as drift fishing. Originally developed by salmon and steelhead fishermen, a downsized version of drift fishing is also an excellent technique to use when wading for rainbow trout. The term drift fishing simply means to allow your bait or lure to "drift" naturally with the current of the water that you are fishing. You can drift fish with small spinners,spoons, or stick baits or with live baits such as meal worms, earthworms, or even minnows. Rainbow trout have a hard time resisting any forage that is drifting naturally with the current of the water that they reside in.
Which brings me to the final key to effectively wading for and catching rainbow trout, which has to do with when you go fishing. Did you know that the phase that the moon is in plays a huge role in the activity level of the fish that we fish for? And, that we want to be on the river when the rainbow trout are going to be the most active and thus most likely to be feeding, right? Well if you pay attention to what phase the moon is in and try to concentrate your fishing efforts on the four day window that surrounds either the full or especially the new moon phase you will find that you experience more success when you are fishing for rainbow trout.
Take one or all of these simple tips and add them to your trout fishing arsenal and you will begin to experience more success any time that you head out fishing for rainbow trout while wading.