When I was little, my dad gave my little brother and I a rod and reel hooked up with a rubber sinker and we would practice “precision” casting into a tire in the backyard.
Coming from New York City, I guess my dad never saw the need to bring us to a lake or stream, so it wasn’t until years later that I ever actually cast into water. But I felt like a fisherwoman from an early age. I would recommend not spending a whole lot of time in the backyard, however. The lakes and streams around here are stocked with rainbow and brown trout for the most part, and brook trout and kokanee and a few other species are possible as well. But all respond quite well to a few basic lures, like the Castmaster, the Rooster Tail and the Panther Martin. There are other, fancier and more expensive lures (like the rapala), but for starters, these are good, basic lures. They often have treble hooks, but if one is committed to catch-and-release, the barbs can easily be mashed down or the hook could be switched to a single-point barbless one. Line should be light, say, 4- to 6-pound test. This is because trout are not stupid fish and will avoid thick line. Lures can be cast easily into streams, often under low-slung branches and hard to reach places. The weight of the lure makes it easier to aim. If desired, one can tie a dropper fly onto a lure, and fish with that as well. That way, you have the best of both worlds – the lure to take it where you want it to go, and the artistry of the fly as well. Cast to one side, then the middle, then the other side. You are hunting, surveying the territory and trying not to be too obvious to the fish. Vary your speed as you retrieve the lure. Watch your lure, notice its action in the water. The Castmaster wiggles back and forth like a wounded fish. You want it to seem like an easy meal to a trout. It has a spinner on it that gets the trout’s attention. Trout are aggressive predators (especially browns). They strike at something, not only because they are hungry, but because they are annoyed that somebody is in their face.
When casting out a Rooster Tail, let it sink to various depths, then give it a sharp jerk to get the spinner working as you reel it in. Develop a feel for it as it goes through the water.
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