Apr 18, 2015 4 min read

Trout are nasty predators. They hide behind rocks and other creek bed cover and leap out on passing minnows or worms.

It is this behavior that prevents me from feeling sorry for them as hordes of people spend a weekend in mid-April trying to imbed a hook in their mouth.

I can hear a soft-hearted angler now look at the big, red spots on the trout I just caught and let it go, Letting it go means more dead minnows and worms. Of course, it is hard to feel sorry for the worms.

Personally, I like to eat fish. I would place walleye and the other members of the perch family as the top fish to eat. While the trout is less desirable on the table, there are times when I eat trout for a meal.

I have a rule on keeping fish – I only creel the fish if I intend to eat it that day. I fight the urge to take a trout or any other fish home to be put in a baggie and frozen.

The trouble with following the freezing path is, in most instances, the fish ends up thrown away at a future date.

While there are those who are critical of the flavor of trout, there are times when trout offers an unforgettable meal.

We were fishing the small trout streams of McKean County and had a batch of native brook trout. We fried them over an open fire, and the three of us enjoyed as fine a meal as I ever tasted.

The problem with trout is the majority of the catch is made up of recently stocked fish. Catch fish that were in the stream for some time or are natives and the story changes.

Of course, you must catch fish before you can eat fish. Of all the fishing I do, which might run from sitting on a stool waiting for a carp to hit my dough ball or to sitting in a boat trolling for muskie, it is fishing for trout along a stream that most resembles hunting. Walking along the trout stream, the angler must watch the water, looking for pockets that conceal the trout while it waits for a passing meal.

A slight change in depth attracts a cast, as does that log just under the water. Both will cut the flow of the stream and the trout won’t spend as much energy as it would if it was located out in the open flow.

If the spot was good and the resident trout is caught, there is a good chance another will move in to take its place. All trout look for the best spot to be found in the creek. They don’t want to fight the stream current, and they want food to drift close by them.

For the beginner, there are a few things to know.

First, trout won’t be evenly distributed in a stream. As I just explained, they are found in certain places.

Second, when at rest, they will face upstream, which makes it easier to approach them from the downstream area. This is important enough that long ago it was considered unsporting to fish upstream.

Actually, I prefer to approach a likely looking spot from about 4 or 5 o’clock downstream. I am behind them but slightly to the side. I find it easier to get a good drift with bait from this position and it is also easier to use a spinner.

Another thing to remember is to never cast the bait or lure in the exact spot where one suspects a fish to be hiding. Toss the bait or lure upstream from the fish and bring it downstream as close to the nose as possible. Wait, do fish have noses?

Snag a rock or bush? Don’t wade out to retrieve a No. 5 hook. If you wade into that hole, any trout worth his weight won’t hit for hours after such a disturbance. Just break it off as quietly as possible and come back in 30 minutes.

Wade in to retrieve your tackle and you might as well come back tomorrow. It’s your choice.

One other thing to watch is keeping your shadow off the water. Few things scare wild trout as much as a shadow passing over them.

Finally, to catch fish, it helps if you think like the fish. Since fish aren’t all that bright, it tells you the playing field is even. Anybody can catch fish, so enjoy yourself out there.

George Block writes a weekly Outdoors column for the Observer-Reporter.