John Kranick: The Essential Trout Fishing Guide

The advantage to night fishing is that the fish

under just about any bridge.

are…well, more relaxed. They are less apt to jump at

any little noise, like the sound of your leader hitting

N

the water.

IGHT FISHING?

FOR TROUT?

Not only that, but the colors don’t seem to matter

to them as much either. So when you select different

Why not? Sure, at first it may not sound like one colored baits, choose something that is the easiest of those brilliant ideas. But if you do some preparation for you to see.

before the sun sets, you may be in for a very pleasant

surprise.

WEATHER AND MOON?

You’ll need to visit the spot you’re intending to

What’s that you say? You’ve heard old wives’ tales

fish during the day. Scout out a suitable location about fishing and the moon? Well, let’s revisit those (and you know enough now, after reading this book tales. I know more than one angler who swears that to do just that!).

he gauges his fishing trips by the weather and the

And don’t even think you can avoid this step. moon.

This is vital to your success. Not doing your

According to these veteran fishermen, no two

homework could mean come nightfall that instead factors figure into a good fishing trip more than the of fishing, you’ll be untangling your line from brush. weather and the moon. Why? Because these are the Once you know where you’ll be fishing, be sure two vital links that appear to dictate a trout’s behavior.

you arrive at your intended destination with a variety

of big lures. And you especially want big lures that MOONRISE, MOONSET

imitate leeches and nymphs.

You already know that trout feed at dawn and

If you’re planning on using some decent sized dusk. But trout also eat at moonrise and moonset.

36 The Secrets Professionals Refuse To Share

THE ESSENTIAL TROUT FISHING GUIDE

Now, the moon affects a whole array of factors about on your hook. It’ll just crumble off. Soft cheese is the fish — not the least of which is the live food they really what you want to use.

hunt. So these periods, combined with the phase of

the moon, affect their feeding pattern.

WHAT’S A GANG HOOK?

All you really need to know to be an effective

Not only is it essential that you know what a gang

angler is when the sun and the moon rise and set. hook is, you should seriously consider using one on And one more thing. The secret lies in knowing that occasion. A gang hook is very much what it sounds fish are most active during that 90-minute window like. It’s two small hooks tied in tandem.

surrounding these events. That’s 45 minutes before

and after the sunrise and 45 minutes before and

Why is this a good thing? Because when you put

after the moonrise.

your worm or minnow on these, you can put them

on in such a way that they look more realistic to the

FULL MOON:

trout. And we know trout are all about “realism”.

NOT JUST FOR WEREWOLVES

FASTER CURRENT,

But wait! There’s more. Think full moon. No, I’m LONGER ROD

not talking vampires or any werewolves. Think also

new moon. If you can, plan to be at the edge of the

Many a trout fisherman live by this axiom. When

water at these times. Just trust me on this one! Give the water is higher than normal — and you’ll discover it a try.

this happens in the spring — you may want to pull

out a rod that is about six foot long. This extra length

Trying out power bait? This is a popular bait. But comes in handy in the heavier current of the season.

keep in mind you want to use just enough to cover Give it a try.

your hook. No more than this.

It seems to me you’re now fairly well armed to go

DON’T FORGET THE LIVE BAI

trout fishing with the best of them. The best of the

trout anglers as well as the best of the trout!

If you’re more the “live bait” type angler, then

those nightcrawlers we’ve been talking about are your

So what are you waiting for? Let’s go fishing

choice. But make sure you have fairly active ones. together!

You want these guys to move around quite a bit.

CONCLUSION

Some trout fishermen prefer to use salmon eggs.

If you decide to try this, the first thing you should

From your equipment to climbing into the inside

know about them is to handle them carefully. Oh, of a trout’s mind, we’ve pretty much covered all the yes! You need to be gentle with them. They’re very essentials of trout fishing. This knowledge will get soft and they crush quite easily.

you started fishing just about any species of trout.

W

But what’s more, you’re now familiar with both

HO MOVED MY CHEESE?

spin and fly fishing. You also know where to look for

Cheese? Yes. But don’t try putting the hard cheese

The Secrets Professionals Refuse To Share37

THE ESSENTIAL TROUT FISHING GUIDE

those elusive golden trout, the fast-moving brown

So it looks as if my job is done here. Except for

trout, and the acrobatic rainbow trout.

perhaps one last item. When are you going fishing?

My job is now to help you to nail down a date.

And you have some tricks up your sleeve should Remember, there’s no bad time to go trout fishing.

the going get tough. You can also use these in

conversations with more experienced trout fishermen.

So let’s set a date. Let’s go fishing together! I hope

(It’s always good to appear knowledgable in front of to see you down at the stream soon!

other anglers!)

APPENDIX I

Glossary

A.C. Plug:

A.C. Plug: The brand name of a large trout imitating lure. It’s made of wood and is a top water variety.

Acidity:

Acidity: This refers to the degree of “sourness” of the water. Acidity is measured in a pH

level, with a measurement of seven (7) indicating neutrality — neither overly acidic or alkaline. Two (2) indicates the liquid is a strong acid.

Action:

Action: This is the measurement of the rod performance. It ranges from slow to fast, describing the elapse time from the point when the rod is flexed to the point it returns to its straight configuration. This term also refers to the strength of the rod: light, medium and heavy. Light is a limber rod and heavy denotes a stout rod.

Active fish:

Active fish: This term refers to fish in the process of feeding heavily and striking aggressively.

Adipose fin:

Adipose fin: This is the fin on some species of fish, located between the dorsal and tail fin.

It’s usually considered to be a fatty fin.

Air bladder:

Air bladder: A gas filled sac, located in the upper part of the body cavity. Found on many bony fish. It’s right beneath the vertebral column. The task of the air bladder is to offset the weight of the heavier tissue, such as bone.

Algae:

Algae: A single cell plant organism commonly found in water.

Alkalinity:

Alkalinity: This is a measurement of the amount of acid neutralizing bases in a liquid.