John Kranick: The Essential Trout Fishing Guide

discover these in the western United States. And if

you really want to make an unforgettable fishing trip

I think I’ve already demonstrated that the trout is

out of it, try fishing in Argentina. Yeah, I’m serious. a smart fish. And to be successful in trout fishing, This South American country is now home to some you really have to out-fish the fish, if you will.

of the largest brook trout in the world.

Knowing how this fish uses his three main senses

can only help you in this regard.

Their relatively small size isn’t all due to the cold,

nutrient-deprived waters they live in. Part of it is also

due to over planting. While it may sound like HATCHERY TROUT

something you do to tomatoes, it applies to fish as VS. WILD TROUT

well.

Let me make one exception to this generalization.

These fish have been transplanted everywhere and There appears to be, believe it or not, a vast difference so well stocked that there are often too many of in the thinking processes (if I may call it that) of them in one body of water. And of course that stunts hatchery trout and wild trout. For the most part, their growth.

hatchery trout are not quite as “smart”. And I do

hesitate to label them this way.

NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS . . .

Perhaps because they weren’t born in the wild,

And yes there are some! Their plentiful numbers they don’t possess the same instincts in the wild as make them easy to catch. Isn’t that refreshing? Add their free reeling cousins. They didn’t need to use to that the small fact that they taste awesome and their senses for survival. All they had to do was show you have the makings of a darn good fishing up, the food was there, and nobody threatened their expedition.

existence with a hook and a tempting meal.

So just how do you know if it’s a brook trout

Whatever the case, especially if you go to the west,

dangling from your line? Oh, you’ll know. For one you’ll encounter some of the smartest fish you’ve thing, he’s one beautiful fish. The sides and back of ever met. And these guys use every sense they have him are harmonious shades of gunmetal gray.

and pull out every trick in the book to keep from

getting hooked.

The Secrets Professionals Refuse To Share11

THE ESSENTIAL TROUT FISHING GUIDE

THE BLOODHOUNDS

off for the fishing trip at least. If it means coming

O

home with a trout or not, where would you rather

F THE WATER

be? You can always come home, get all dressed up

and use all the aftershave and cologne you’d like as

That’s what one friend of mine call trout. This fish part of your victory celebration.

simply has an amazing power to scent. Now, it may

be difficult to understand how a creature smells

underwater, especially since we just don’t seem to NO READING GLASSES HERE!

be able to do it. But the trout does it with ease.

No, I don’t believe that a trout ever needs to squint

So, as a trout fisherman, you need first and its eyes. It has excellent vision, as a matter of fact.

foremost to be especially careful not to introduce This really shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise foreign or strange smells into the water you’re fishing. though. After all, this is the sense the trout uses in its This is a large red flag to the trout that something is determination whether to eat the chance item floating just not right.

or swimming its way.

Yes, I know. It’s not as easy as I’ve just made it

Granted, its long-range vision isn’t that great, but

sound. You have many different smells in your tackle its short-range sight is absolutely excellent — no box even as you fish. Consider the smell of your fly question about it. And now you know exactly why line cleaner, your fly floatants, epoxies and glue. Any so many artificial flies fail to catch the interest of the one of these — or all of these — may be the smell that trout. He is scrutinizing them closely. And something alerts one trout to be on its guard.

just doesn’t seem right to him.

Besides that, consider how you dressed this T

morning. In addition to your deodorant, did you wear

HE “TROUT’S WINDOW”

an aftershave? Heck, something as simple as the smell

Ever hear an angler talk about this fish viewing

of your clothing can alert a trout to danger.

the world from a “trout’s window”? No, it’s not a pair

of rose-colored glasses that the most optimistic of

If anything, I’ve probably convinced you that it’s the species use. Rather it’s the natural cone shaped near impossible to eliminate all foreign smells. It does view of the fish, extending from the bottom of the appear as if your mere presence at the lake or stream eye upwards at an ever-increasing diameter. What is probably being monitored by some sort of “scout does this do for him? Plenty. The deeper the water trout”.

he’s in, the better he can see. Now that’s nifty!

But I can provide you with some tips to keep that

Here’s where things get even more interesting. A

smell down a bit. First, change your fly line cleaners trout eats only that which passes within this cone of and fly floatants, whenever possible, to the newer vision. This is where he can see it and literally “inspect”

versions. These are designed to mask their chemical it. Now, don’t get me wrong. Due to their naturally smell. The good news? These newer, “masked” well-honed senses, these fish may very well be aware versions are the same price as the older, smelly of items that lie outside their cone of vision. But versions.

they won’t trust anything they can’t see up front,

The other step you can take is to leave the cologne close and personal. Not a bad motto to live by!

and other accoutrements that make you smell good

12 The Secrets Professionals Refuse To Share

THE ESSENTIAL TROUT FISHING GUIDE

Knowing this, you may already be forming your these organs is found along the length of the fish’s strategy for your next fishing trip. When you’re fly body. This specific one detects frequency of vibrations.

fishing a rising trout, your ability to drop the fly That would be the vibrations of the banging of rocks upstream of where the rise was is crucial to your or oars against a boat.

success.

Located inside the trout’s ear, the second receptor,

In this way, the fly will float down the river detects the actual movement of aquatic insects of naturally, not just suddenly drop out of nowhere interest to the trout. As you may presume, this second into the trout’s cone of vision. Trust me — to a thinking receptor is very acute. It’s so sensitive, in fact, that it trout, food that appears out of nowhere sounds way allows trout to hear sound frequencies that are well too good to be true!

outside our range of hearing.

But that’s not the only thing you should know

By the way, it’s this receptor that allows the trout

about the vision of trout. Did you know that this fish to find food even when the water is murky and it can distinguish colors? Yes, indeed, it can. And this, can’t see.

believe it or not, means it can also distinguish among