Fishermen often find themselves stumped as to where to fish when confronted by large bodies of water. Most of the time the size of a lake or a river dictates the confidence level of an angler, especially on new bodies of water. Fortunately, for trout fishermen, the ability to target fish in small streams can lessen the confusion. Never underestimate the fishing ability of small streams.

Pools held within these waters may be hard to get to, but tend to hold fish. Another benefit of fishing off the beaten path is less pressured fish tend to bite more readily. Trout prefer cold, fast-moving water with high oxygen levels. Although trout can be caught at water falls and dams, these tend to be the most highly pressured areas. I recommend fishing these sites early, then moving on to your secluded honey holes.

Trout fishing can be easy at times, but for the most part is a lot of work. Unlike fishing in a lake, stream fishing can be quite complicated. Melting snow contains a variety of winter kill insects which find themselves in the streams. Because of this, you will find that trout aren’t as picky and will eat many different baits early in the season. While fish such as the large mouth bass, will eat a variety of forage on a given day for the entire season. In times of insect hatches, trout tend to gorge themselves on a particular bug exclusively.