With The Weather Warming, The Trout Fishing Should Start Heating Up

As the spring descends on us all like an old friend that you haven't seen for a while approaching you from the other side of the grocery store, my thoughts are turning to one thing.  Fishing for trout.  I know from experience that the early spring can be a great time to catch some nice trout, but I also know that during the early spring timing is everything, especially when you are talking about river fishing for trout.

You see the trout have been lethargic all winter due to the freezing cold water temperatures and during the spring, as the water temperatures rise, the trout begin to feed quite heavily.  The problem is that rising temperatures also mean rising water levels due to snow melt, and rivers can become high and muddy quite fast.  And high and muddy water make river fishing for trout difficult to impossible, which is where timing comes in.

With any luck you live within close proximity to the rivers you like to fish, so paying attention to the water levels won't be difficult.  Here in Northwest Montana, the rivers are usually very fish-able from late March to late April and even into May sometimes.  Although the exact weeks vary from year to year. I have found that the biggest thing to keep in mind are the air temperatures at night.  I have found that once the air temperatures stop dropping below freezing during the night, the run off will really speed up, which means the rivers will become too high to fish much faster.  When the air temperatures stay below freezing at night, the snow in the mountains will melt much less quickly, thus that water won't be flowing into the rivers quite as fast. 

This is especially true if you are into drift fishing, as I am.  Drift fishing for trout is my favorite activity and the early spring can be quite productive, as long as you get the timing right.  Just remember a few simple tips when it comes to early season trout fishing;  the clearer the water the better, afternoons and evening are often some of the most productive times of the day during the early spring and watch those temperatures at night.  Once they get above freezing, it won't be long until the rivers will become much less suitable to fishing.  

The Dog Days For Trout Fishing

As I become older, or maybe it's as my daughter becomes older, I find that I have less and less time for my favorite activity on earth, fishing for trout.  Over the past few months I have had little or no time to get out there and chase rainbows as it where, which is a departure from 10 or so years ago when I would fish for trout 3-5 times a week from April through November.  At this point in my life I have reserved myself to jamming my trout fishing into the fall, mostly because here in Northwest Montana, I have learned that the fall is the best time of the year to catch rainbows.  Well, that and the fact that my daughter is back in school in the fall, which provides me with a smidgen more free time.

At the end of the day, it works out okay because given the choice I want to river fish and when I was down at my favorite trout river last week I saw that the water was still high and muddy anyway, which as you probably know makes the trout fishing tough to say the least. So, I figure that I'm not really missing out on that much anyway, at least as far as catching a ton of rainbow trout is concerned?  Then again maybe this is just what I tell myslef so that I don't go crazy? 

What I do know for a fact is that the fall fishing season is right around the corner and come hell or high water (which I need no more of by the way!)  I'm going to be out there fishing for rainbows and taking advantage of the usually fruitful fall season.  With any luck family obligations and other worldly issues aren't impacting you in the same way, so that you can get out there and get some trout fishing in right now.  Because even though these are the dog days of trout fishing, these beautiful fish can still be caught right now, I remember from when I used to have the time to do what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it. 

River Fishing by The Skin of My Teeth

When I arrived at the river and looked down over the bank I wondered if the river was cross-able.  It

looked as if it was going to be close, so I walked the couple of hundred feet it took to get alongside the river so that I could investigate.  Sure the river was high, but the water was still fairly clear, so the trout should be biting, I thought to myself.  As I took a couple of steps into the current I realized that the water was deeper than I had anticipated.  I stood there for a second looking the hundred or so feet to the other side and realized that it probably wasn't worth the chance.

I mean, sure it was a beautiful day with temperatures in the high sixties, but I really had no interest in taking a wet and wild ride downstream, so I decided to stay on the west side of the river on this day.  With temperatures this warm and foretasted to be this warm for the next few days, I knew that this was probably it for river fishing until August or so, so I began to work my way downstream.  With the heavy current, the drift fishing was difficult, but I could see a boulder fifty or so yards downstream, that would give me a good vantage point to fish what I knew top be a productive hole.

From on top of the boulder, it was as I thought and I had a good view of the deep, only slightly stained water that was swirling around two large underwater boulders.  This is a hole that I preferred to fish from the other side of the river, but from the boulder, I figured that I could still get a fairly good drift.  I was correct and within 10 casts had my first bump from an inquisitive trout at the end of the drift.   I missed the trout, but things were looking good.  On the next cast, the trout hit again, and I set the hook.

Almost immediately the fish came off (this is what I refer to as "jagging" the fish) and I reeled in and continued to fish.  Normally when I "jag" a trout it will bite again, as this doesn't seem to upset them very much, and within three more casts I had the trout hooked.  It was a heavy rainbow (I know this because I always wear quality polarized glasses and I saw the trout "flash") and I was wondering why in the heck the trout didn't "take off" as spring rainbows tend to do.  Just as I was thinking this the weight was gone and so was the trout.  From what I saw and the weight that I felt, the rainbow was at least twenty inches and probably more like twenty two or twenty three. 

I continued fishing for another thirty minutes or so without another bite and as I was walking up the embankment back to my vehicle (I had to leave to pick my daughter up from school), I looked back down at the river.  Yep, it was a good afternoon even though no trout were landed, but with the beautiful weather and borderline hot temperatures I could all but feel the snow melting off of those beautiful mountains in the background.  It's no doubt a good thing that I got a little river fishing in (by the skin of my teeth by the way) because this and all of the area rivers are going to be un-fishable for the next 3-4 months due snow runoff. 

River Fishing Tips For The Rainbow Trout Fisherman

When it comes to fishing for rainbow trout there is one place that I prefer above all others and that

place is the flowing water that a river provides. I have been fishing for rainbow trout in rivers for almost 30 years and enjoy it so much, there is virtually no other form of fishing that I prefer anymore. I mean, sure I'll head out bass fishing once in a while or go on a steel head trip from time to time, but the older I get the more I prefer simply standing in the flowing water with my ultralight gear and catching a nice healthy rainbow or two.

When you have spent as much time as I have on the river you can't help but learn a thing or two, so keep in mind that all of these tips are born from real world fishing experience and aren't fabricated in any way. They are all tips that I have learned and continue to use to this very day and help me catch rainbows virtually every time that I head out fishing. If these simple tips are added to your arsenal, I have no doubt that they will do the same for you.

The first tip has to do with when I head out fishing. I have learned that if you want to consistently catch rainbow trout you have to make sure that you are on the water at the most opportune times, which is to say when the trout are the most likely to be feeding. When I was a younger fisherman, I never paid attention to such things and I believe that this fact alone made me a much more inconsistent fisherman. So now I am always cognizant of when I am fishing so that I can "tip the odds" into my favor.

So when are the odds "in your favor" as a trout fisherman? Well we all know about the morning and the evening, so that's the first way. But there is also the weather and moon both of which I am also aware of when it comes to river fishing. You see, the weather and moon both play very large roles in whether or not the rainbow trout that we are fishing for are going to be actively feeding. For this reason you want to familiarize yourself with some of the simple ways that these two forces of Mother Nature impact fishing so that you can use this information to your advantage on the water.

The next tip that I have is to be as efficient as possible anytime that you are river fishing for rainbow trout. The more efficient you are the more time you will spend with your line in the water where the trout are rather than out of the water while you perform menial and repetitive tasks. This means employing fishing gear such as a fishing vest, waders, a bait bag, and polarized sunglasses just to name a few of the more pertinent items. The bottom line is that the more efficient you are, the more trout you will catch because you will be spending more time with your bait or lure in the water.

Keep these simple river fishing tips in mind as the trout season gets underway and you will be on your way to your best season ever. As I said, these fishing tips have helped me tremendously over the years and I know they will do the same for you.

Tips For Catching More Rainbow Trout on Your Next River Fishing Trip

When it comes to the act of fishing there is one style of fishing that stands out above all the others as rainbow trout. Fishing for and catching rainbow trout has been a passion of mine for almost thirty years, so much so that about ten years ago I moved to the sate of Montana with these beautiful fish in the front of my mind.
far as I'm concerned and that style of fishing is fishing in a river while wading. And when I fish in this manner (which is a majority of my fishing time) there is one species of fish that I target above all others, and that fish species is the

Well, as you can probably imagine, in the past three decades I have learned many tips and tricks many of which enable me to catch rainbows virtually every time that I head out fishing. Below I will outline a few of the tips that I believe are the most important so that you can use them to experience more success on your next river fishing trip as well. The tips are being outlined in no particular order and are all equally important in my humble opinion.

The first thing to keep in mind when you are river fishing for rainbow trout is the way in which you walk through the water. Never forget that sound travels very well underwater and when rainbows hear "unnatural" things they tend to become weary and much less apt to be interested in eating. For this reason you always want to wade through the water mindfully and slowly, so as to not cause too much of a ruckus under the water. The more noise you make the more apt you are to spook the trout that you are fishing for and spooking the trout that you are attempting to catch is never a good idea.

Next, you want to familiarize yourself with a river fishing technique known as drift fishing. This technique involves letting your live bait, lure, or even fly drift with the current of the river that you are fishing. I have found that it is a good idea to adjust the amount of weight on your line so that you offering bounces along the bottom as it drifts, especially in cases where live or synthetic fishing worms are the bait of choice. If you want to catch more rainbow trout on your next river fishing trip, drift fishing needs to be a part of your arsenal.

Finally, if you want to catch more rainbows the next time that you hit the river, pay attention to what time of the day that you go fishing. There is a phenomenon that happens every day called the moon rise and believe it or not when the moon is rising or setting, fish tend to be much more active and thus more likely to be feeding. Try to be on the river when the moon is either rising or setting and you will catch more rainbow trout, I promise you. A simple internet search for the term 'moon rise' will reveal all the free information that you need in regards to when this phenomenon takes place each day.

Add one or all of these simple tips to your fishing data base and you will experience more success on your next river fishing trip, I promise you. If they work for me (and they do) I guarantee that these tips will do the same for you.

River Trout Fishing Tips

As you have no doubt realized from reading this blog, our favorite place to fish for and catch all manners of freshwater trout is in a river, and not only in a river, but also while wading in that river. There is something cathartic and soul restoring in the act of standing in a river and attempting to catch fish (mainly trout) that makes it such an enjoyable activity to us, and I assume to some degree for you as well? As river trout fishing is something that we have extensive experience in and the fall of the year (the best time of the year for trout fishing in our opinion) is right around the corner, in this post I will outline a few "must know" trout fishing tips that every serious trout fisherman needs to be aware of.

Since most of us get a limited amount of time to spend on the water fishing for trout, the first tip is to make sure you are maximizing that time by being on the water when the trout are most likely to be feeding. This way you are much more likely to receive bites from hungry trout. So how in the world are you supposed to accomplish this task? The simple answer is by paying attention to things like the weather and moon because these two forces of Mother Nature have an amazing impact on whether of not fish will be feeding. Educate yourself as to exactly how and why this happens and then use this information to your advantage. You can also use tools such as this fishing forecast tool from the weather channel, to help you determine the best fishing times so that you can plan your trout fishing trips accordingly and be on the water fishing for trout at the most opportune times.

The next tip is to be as efficient as possible when you are on the river fishing for trout. As we all know, when river trout fishing we have to carry all of our gear and bait with us in our fishing vest and it's often not possible or a HUGE pain in the butt to have to go back to our "home base" to get something that we forgot. For this reason we always want to make sure that we have all of the gear, bait, lures, etc. that we are going to need for the time that we will be fishing. You also want to make sure that you utilize equipment such as a bait bag (if you are a bait fishermen) to help you to be more efficient when baiting or re-baiting your hook, which saves valuable fishing time.

Finally, you want to make sure that you are proficient at multiple trout fishing techniques and tactics so that if the trout aren’t cooperating, you can switch to another technique quickly and easily. The tops 3 river trout fishing techniques in my opinion are drift fishing with bait, drift fishing with small trout lures, and fishing an artificial fly by utilizing a casting bubble or bullet weight and 12-18 inch leader. If you are proficient at these 3 trout fishing technique, are on the water at the most opportune times, and are efficient while you are fishing, it will be a rare day when you don't catch at least a trout or two.

Some Great Tips To Help You Catch More Fish While River Fishing

In my opinion, the most important thing to remember while river fishing is not to spook the water that you're about to fish. I've seen entirely too many anglers do this very thing. For example, they'll wade 1/4 of the way out into the river and begin fishing. Thus leaving themselves standing in the very water they probably should have fished first.

The first tip is: When river fishing, remember to work the area that you want to fish in "sections". Don't just jump in and start fishing in the spot that you think looks the best. And don't just fish the water directly below where you're wading. Make your casts into the current then let your live bait or lure flow with the current until it is finally below you, keeping your line as tight as possible the entire time. Repeat this step while varying the length of your casts in order to cover the water entirely.

The second tip is: When river fishing, while using live bait, the bottom is your friend. As my mentor used to say, "if you're not getting snagged, you're not fishing in the right place!" The goal is to bounce you're live bait off of the bottom as it drifts naturally through the current (JRW Gang Hooks are the most natural way to present a worm in my opinion). This is accomplished by adjusting the number of split shot sinkers you add to your line. Start with two and make a cast. If you don't feel bottom throughout your drift, add another on the next cast and so on. Once you're bouncing bottom, you'll be able to feel it. And with practice, you'll be able to tell the difference between the bottom and a bite with ease.

The third tip is: Look for deeper water. For the most part you'll want to spend 80% of your time on any given river fishing trip, fishing the deeper parts of the river. Deeper edges and riffles and of course pools are where a majority of the fish will congregate(especially in hotter weather. You don't want to get caught spending 80% of your time fishing the shallow riffles and 20% of your time fishing the beautiful pool below the riffles. And the deeper edges along most riffles (especially in the bend of the river) are generally more productive as well. Just remember: for the most part, deeper is better.

The fourth tip is: Match your fishing gear to the type of fish that your fishing for. I've seen all too many anglers out on my local stream fishing for rainbow trout with gear that would enable them to hook and land a small mako shark! My personal preference is a five foot ultra light rod and reel spooled with 4 lb. test. If this would be too "small" for you, a 6 foot light action rod spooled with 6lb. test would suffice, but any larger is complete overkill. If you're going river fishing for fall steelhead, obviously your going to need larger fishing gear. Just make sure to match it to what you're fishing for. I don't need to see any more shark fishermen on my local trout stream.

These tips should save you time, and with any luck, help you catch more fish as well. So get out there and do just that. And remember what a very wise person once said, "a bad day fishing is better than a good day at work." Amen!

Always Use a Longer Fishing Rod When Trout Fishing in the Spring

I don't know about you, but I'm primarily a river angler. There's nothing I enjoy more than standing in a flowing river and fishing. To me, there's something spiritual about the entire process. Many times the terms 'spiritual' and 'fishing' seem to reserved for fly fishermen, which is obviously a complete fallacy, but I digress. As the spring fishing season begins, it means that in many parts of the country, our rivers and streams become high and muddy because of run-off, rain, or a combination of the two. When rivers and streams become high and muddy, fishing becomes much more difficult.

The biggest mistake anglers make with these high water conditions is to try to use the same fishing rod that they use in "normal" water levels. This is a huge mistake and a big reason attempting to fish when the water's high is difficult. If a longer fishing rod is employed when the water is higher, fishing is much less difficult.

A longer fishing rod enables the angler to "feel" both their bait and the bottom much better. As a matter of fact, it makes all the difference in the world. In normal river and stream situations, I use a five foot ultra light fishing rod and reel for my fishing. When the water id high in the springtime, I use a six foot six ultra light rod and reel. That's the only thing that I do differently and it makes all the difference in the world. I still use four pound test line, gang hooks, and live worms. The only difference is that in the springtime I use a longer fishing rod.

This simple tip makes a ton of difference and is so easy. You can even use the same reel that you normally do, just have your longer fishing rod available when the water is higher. And the cost of having an extra rod is minuscule, when compared with the amount of fishing time you gain. So have a springtime fishing rod available, so you don't miss out on this productive time of year. Using a fishing rod that's too short in high water situations will simply result in you feeling so many more less bites that it's not worth fishing with. Having a longer rod available for these high water situations is a great idea.

River Trout Fishing

Trout can be caught in two main types of water; rivers and lakes and in my humble opinion there is no better place to catch trout than in rivers. Now rivers come in many shapes and sizes, so what size river am I referring to when I refer to the subject in the title of this article, river trout fishing? It's really quite simple; a river that is the size that can be waded in and fished effectively, what many people would refer to as a "small river".

I have been fishing for trout in this type of river for more than two decades and in that time have been taught and learned many tips and techniques that have enabled me to experience a ton of success while river trout fishing. In this article I will list 3 of these tips which will undoubtedly help you catch more trout when river trout fishing in water like the type previously mentioned.
So, what do you say we get down to business?

1. Focus on the New Moon - Many trout fishermen overlook this simple fact, but the fishing tends to be much more productive in the three to four days that surround the phase of the moon called the "new moon". It sounds strange, but is nonetheless true that being on the water during any "new moon" phase means that the trout that you are attempting to catch will be much more active, and thus more apt to bite whatever it is that you are offering them. The bottom line is that anytime that your are fishing for trout in a river, try to focus your efforts on the "new moon".
2. Worms are an Excellent Bait Choice - Worms, either live or synthetic, are an excellent bait choice to employ any time that you are fishing for trout in a river situation. The most popular technique to employ when you are river trout fishing is known as "drift fishing". Drift fishing with a live or synthetic fishing worm in a river fishing scenario can be as effective a trout fishing technique as there is. Never forget that worms are an excellent bait choice to use when you are trout fishing in rivers.
3. Keep Foreign Odors in Check - When I refer to the term "foreign odors" I'm referring specifically to your hands. You always want to make sure that your hands are free of any unnatural odors, as these odors will transfer to your bait or lure and be detected by wary trout. If foreign or unnatural odors are detected on your bait or lure, the trout are much less apt to bite whatever it is that you are using as bait. Keep foreign odors on your hands in check and you will experience more success when river trout fishing, there no doubt about it.

If you enjoy catching trout in rivers the aforementioned tips will serve you well for many years. Add one or all of them to your trout fishing arsenal sooner, rather than later.

Fall River Fishing Tips: 2 Amazingly Effective Fishing Techniques to Try This Fall

When it comes to river fishing, there is no more productive time of the year than the fall. The months of September, October, and November offer some of the most productive fishing of the year, and in this article I will outline a pair of amazingly effective techniques for you to try in your favorite river this fall.

Now, when I refer to the term river fishing, what is the style of fishing that I would be referring to exactly? The style that I am referring to is known as "wade fishing" or wading in a river while you are attempting to catch our underwater friends. Wading in the river that you are fishing is always what I have considered river fishing, and this is the style of fishing that I am referring to in this article. Obviously rivers can also be fished from a boat or the shore, but the both of the techniques below relate specifically to wading in the river that you are attempting to catch fish in.

So, what are the 2 tips that are so effective when wading in a river during the fall of the year? Read on, and you will find out.

1. Drifting Worms - There is no doubt that drifting worms is an amazingly effective technique to use in the fall of the year and it is a technique that I have been using with great success for more that two decades. "Drifting worms" involves allowing a live worm to drift naturally with the current of the river in an attempt to catch fish. The technique is often called "drift fishing", and is as effective a technique as there is in the fall of the year when fish are "stocking up" on food before the onslaught of freezing water temperatures.


2. Drifting Flies - Drifting an artificial fly through the current of the river that you are fishing is also an extremely effective fall fishing technique to use when fishing in the fall. Traditional fly fishermen know this fact very well, but spin fisherman probably don't because they think that they can't fish with artificial flies. This is actually not true, and with the help of a fly fishing bubble spin fishermen can actually drift fish with artificial flies quite effectively. Although specific fly patterns will vary from area to area, various nymphs and/or streamers are popular fly choices when fishing during September, October, and November.

The bottom line is that if you are a river fisherman and enjoy wading in the water, the aforementioned techniques should be added to you repertoire sooner rather than later. They have both been working for me on species of fish such as rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, and even walleye for many years and I am confident that they will do the same for you.

The Best Time To Trout Fish: Fishing For Trout As River Flows Normalize

There are many different times to trout fish; the spring, summer, fall, and even winter, but one of the best times of the year to trout fish is when water levels return to normal after spring rains and run off from the mountains. If you are a "drift fisherman" like I am this is an incredible time of the year for trout fishing. Many times trout feed heavily in rivers as river flows normalize and the water begins to clear up after months of muddy and extremely heavy current flows.

For this reason fishing for trout as river flows normalize is considered the best time to trout fish for many trout anglers, especially those who choose drift fishing as their "go to" trout fishing technique. What is "drift fishing" you ask? Drift fishing is allowing live bait (such as a live worm) or your favorite trout spinner or spoon to drift naturally with the current of the river that you are fishing in an attempt to catch trout, and one of the best times for drift fishing for trout is during the late summer and fall as river flows return to "normal" levels.

In this article I will outline some drift fishing strategies so that you can partake in this trout fishing technique and experience the best time of the year to trout fish (if you haven't already). The first technique involves allowing a small spinner or spoon to drift naturally with the current of the river that you are fishing. Attaching your spinner or spoon to your line with a twelve to eighteen inch leader by using a swivel is a great idea. This will prevent your line from becoming twisted and in the case of in line spinners, allow the lure to perform as it was designed to perform. Fishing your spinner of spoon within three inches of the surface is the way to go, especially as river levels continue to drop.

The next technique to employ as river flows normalize is drifting a live worm. This technique works throughout the time that river flows return to "normal" levels, but this technique becomes truly special during the fall. Drift fishing with a live worm is an excellent way to go about fishing for trout and is a technique that every serious trout fisherman should have as a part of his or her trout fishing repertoire. The goal when drifting a worm is to have it bounce along the bottom over the river bed as it flows with the current. At first this can seem strange, but with practice you will get the hang of it and realize the effectiveness of the technique.

Although the "best" time of year to trout fish more than likely varies from trout fisherman to trout fisherman, there is little doubt that the time when river flows normalize after spring rains and run off is at the very least among the best times of the year to fish for our beautiful friends known as 'trout'.