HOME »
Saltwater »
Barra
» Reading a Trout River
Reading a Trout River
By Adrian Webb
Reading a river isn't really that hard as there are many areas that will hold a trout or two, such as a small eddy behind a boulder in a river or stream. Trout will sit behind a boulder to save energy, wait for food to come passing by and it will then snap it up as it passes. So there's one area that you can work the spinner, by casting it upstream and retrieving it back past a boulder in the river.
Try casting the Mepps spinner at a slight angle across the river and then retrieve it at around the same speed as the flow of the river. You can also cast up and across the river as I frequently do and let the spinner drift, letting the flow of the river do the work of the spinner as you slowly retrieve it. Keep the rod tip up at around 45 degrees to the river, when using this method, to keep the lure off the bottom.
Then there are the flat water areas along the river banks, just away from the main stream flow and trout will often sit in these areas too, just waiting for the food to come to them. I regularly look for a bubble line that runs close to a river bank as this is a food carrier. These are easy to reach in small rivers and streams, however when fishing the larger, wider rivers you just have to make your way to the middle of the river, where possible and work from there. Do not take any risks though, if the flow is strong and the river is above the knees then don't attempt it. No fish is worth drowning for, so move to another section of river that is the right depth and much safer for you.
Using a metal blade spinner is not the same as when using a hard body because you have to keep the lure on the move for the blade to keep on rotating, whereas a hard body lure you can retrieve it, then pause and start the retrieve once more in short bursts. I do give the rod a slight twitch on the retrieve as this causes the spinner to flutter and more often than not a trout will take the spinner. The top and bottom end of pools are also good spots to pick up fish that lie in wait for food to come their way, so always flick a spinner into those areas too.
One thing you have to remember is that trout like to save as much energy as possible in a river or stream and so this is the reason for casting to and working areas of water that have, as I call them, flat spots. Whether it be behind a boulder, rock, river bank or anywhere else similar in a river, this is where you will more than likely pick up a trout.
Once you can read the water, then you are well on your way to catching a trout or two. If you know someone who mainly concentrates on trout fishing rivers and has a lot of success, then ask that person if you can tag along and gain some experience. The majority of my trout fishing is done in small to medium size rivers and streams as they are not as deep as the large rivers and can be easily accessed most times.
When fishing for trout with any type of lure I feel it is essential to be in the river wading and working the river from one side to the other. Never bypass any backwaters as they can hold some nice fish too. Fishing like this your chances are much better of catching trout, than when walking and casting from a river bank. By being in the river you can cover and access more areas than when fishing from the river's edge.
Cheers,
Adrian (meppstas) Webb