Knowing trout can help land the big one
By Doris A. Black

In general, trout are timid fellows, rather like rabbits in their response. They freeze when startled and dart into cover. They are fussy about what they eat and have developed the keen skill of camouflaging themselves to blend into their surroundings. Like all good hunters, anglers must know their quarry in order to successfully catch trout.

Trout are efficient eating machines. They can spot an insect from two feet away and determine if it warrants the energy necessary to obtain it or instead snack on something closer. For most of their lives, trout in moving water feed on tasty insect morsels. They lie close to a stream bottom, preferably in a depression, where they sit still and let the fast-moving water bring the insects to them.

Aquatic insects and trout are both cold-blooded creatures that prefer a water temperature between 45 and 50 degrees. In the spring, as the waters begin to warm, insects emerge from their winter slumber and become prime targets for the driftfeeding trout. During the warmest parts of the day, young insects hatch, and trout, being the ever-efficient eating machines they are, lie in wait at exactly the right time of day. Ideally, water temperatures between 50 and 70 degrees spurn hatching. Any hotter than that and both insect and trout activity dwindles, which is why the hot summer months offer poor fishing. However, as the fall brings cooler temperatures, the aquatic activity picks up and feeding frenzies continue. Many insects will have two or more hatch periods per year. It may be worthwhile to invest in a good insect book to know when these hatches occur. You'll then know when the trout will be feeding heaviest.

Trout have excellent eyesight and can even see in low light. Many a mature trout, especially browns, will hide in a cool sheltered spot during the day and come out at night in search of food. The mature fish take a more aggressive approach toward food and will patrol shallow waters at night for small fish or minnows. Although more energy is used to catch these types of food, the payoff, or calorie intake, is bigger and worth the effort. Trout of all sizes will eat other fish, including those of their own species. It is mostly a matter of availability.

There are a couple of ways you can determine what the trout are eating in the area you are fishing. First, ask at the local bait shop. The owners usually know what is happening in their area and you may run into a local angler who can tell you personally what worked for them. You can also observe the trout first-hand. Trout tip upwards to feed. If a trout is moving back and forth, but with no upwards tilt, it is feeding from the stream bottom. Usually crustaceans are on the menu. Trout have been observed rooting under rocks for larvae or grabbing a mouthful of weeds and shaking it from side to side. This activity releases scuds and sowbugs for the taking. If you see a swirl of water, the trout is most likely chasing minnows. Watch the shallows to see what kind of baitfish is present, then offer the trout a slightly larger specimen and make it look like it is chasing the baitfish. This will evoke an instinctive reaction in the trout.

There are many species of trout, the most common being the rainbow, brook and brown trout. Although now stocked throughout the country, rainbow trout were originally found in the Pacific Ocean to as far east as the Rocky Mountains. They put on a more aerial display when hooked than other trout and prefer faster-moving waters than brook or brown trout. Though they primarily eat insects, rainbow trout have been caught with everything from live worms, spinners and wet flies to marshmallows, corn and cheese. The largest of rainbow trout can exceed 50 pounds. Wouldn't that look nice mounted on your wall?

Brook trout were once found only in streams of the northeast, but are now common

stock fish almost everywhere. Brook trout are generally

smaller than 10 inches in length though under perfect conditions can grow to be three or four pounds. Brookies are very sensitive to temperature change and cannot survive low temperatures or waters of low oxygen content. They will eat just about anything and are easy to catch.

Brown trout were brought to North America from Europe in the late 1800s. They are now found throughout the United States and are routinely stocked in streams. They are a little more tolerant of water temperature extremes and prefer deeper locations than brook trout. Brown trout are very sly and difficult to catch for the beginning angler. Larger browns can reach 30 pounds and eat mainly smaller fish; smaller browns stick to a diet of strictly insects.

Trout are fun to study and even more fun to catch. Although any style of fishing may net you a trout, fly-fishing is by far the most predominant technique. No matter what type of trout you hook, you'll be thrilled with the excitement of landing one.