Rainbow Trout Fishing

Finding and Landing Wilderness Trout

Rainbow trout fishing is available throughout
the United on wilderness streams, large and small. You
may have to boat them. Or they may require a strenuous
hike to access. But once you find them, you’ll enjoy
some hot trout action.

All I could see was a flash of silver and pink as the nine-inch rainbow flew past my ear. Friend wife sported a rueful smile as she reeled in her small weighted spinner, now, sadly, troutless.

We were rainbow trout fishing at the mouth of Chamberlain Creek, a tributary to Idaho’s Salmon River, angling for wild trout. Barbara had cast directly upstream and was retrieving the spinner slightly faster than the current flow. Just fast enough to keep the blade turning. This is a great technique in moving water when rainbow trout fishing.

Her “flying” fish resulted from a combination of factors. First, she no doubt set the hook a bit hard on a fish that was moving in her direction. Second, she had an assist from the strong current lifting the fish towards her. Third, and perhaps most important, the rainbow trout hit with abandon. With not a lot of rainbow trout fishing in the ara, likely this was the first artificial bait it had ever seen. Whatever the fish though the spinner was, he wasn’t about to let it escape.

Next thing he knew, he was airborne!

It’s hard to believe there’s anywhere in the lower 48 states where trout grow old and die without ever seeing a fisherman. After all, in these days of inexpensive travel and rapid communication, no place stays secret very long - particularly a trout fishing secret.

But it doesn’t have to be secret. Sometimes accessibility keeps a fishing hole private. That’s been the case with wilderness rivers, such as the Salmon (the infamous “River of No Return), and the many creeks and streams flowing into it. They all offer good rainbow trout fishing. But they are hard to reach, so the fishing remains relatively unexplored.

Big white water rivers, like the Salmon, are accessible only by raft or drift boat. But throughout the United States there are wilderness streams, large and small, that provide similar rainbow trout fishing experiences. You may have to boat them. Or they may require a strenuous hike through mountainous terrain. But once you find them, you’ll enjoy some of the hottest trout action there is. Wilderness fish tend to hit readily, and fight hard. Getting to them is the true trout fishing secret.

Lack of accessibility doesn’t always mean remote. Here's a prime example of a trout fishing secret. Kentucky’s Beaver Creek flows through the middle of a Wilderness Area that entails a 600 foot change in elevation. Because mechanical vehicles are not allowed, it was stocked by the forest service using backpack tanks and mules, and these hold-over fish are as wild as if they’d been born in the stream. Not many fisherman are willing to make the trek down to the water. The result: A wilderness stream only an hour or less from the Bluegrass State’s major metropolitan areas.

Once you’ve ferreted out a wilderness trout stream (savvy anglers tend to keep quiet about these hot spots, so you may have to do a lot of exploring) equipment choices are easy. Ultralite spinning is the way to go.

A basic ultralite rod, in the four to five foot range, and a reel loaded with two to four pound line will serve all your rainbow trout fishing needs. Use a premium line that will withstand abrasion, because you’ll be dragging it across rocks and snags a whole bunch. At all costs, stay away from the cheap bulk-spool lines. What you save in cash you’ll pay for in lost tackle and broken-off fish.

Don’t forget there are no tackle shops on wilderness streams, so you should consider emergency supplies. A spare tip top for your rod, along with a tube of super glue, can save a trip. The same goes for an extra bail spring for your reel. It’s often a good idea to carry an extra reel spool filled with a different weight line than your prime choice as well.

Lure choices are easy. Henry Ford once said you could buy a Model T in any color, so long as it was black. For wilderness trout streams, you can use any lure so long as it’s a spinner.

Sounds overly simplified, I know. But, in fact, a selection of small spinners, some weighted some not, is all you’ll ever need. They are effective. They take up little space. And they don’t weigh a whole lot. Trust me, long about the first time you hike five miles into a wilderness stream, you’ll appreciate the weight and bulk factors.

Begin by setting up at least two small utility boxes, each containing a selection of spinners in several sizes. Also include a tube of small split shot, and anything needed for emergency repairs, in each box. Some extra hooks won’t hurt, either.

Why two boxes?

This lets you broaden your selection of spinners and provides a back-up should you lose a box. It’s amazing how easy it is to lose one. You lay it down on a rock while changing baits, and walk away from it. Or it slips out of your hand into some white water. Whatever. The second box saves the trip.

When loading those boxes think redundancy, and have at least two of each spinner. To paraphrase Ted Trueblood, never go out with just one of anything. Sure as shootin’, if you have just one, that’s what the fish will hit. And you’re sure to lose it and ruin an otherwise perfect day.

I’m also a big believer in fishing vests. Shorty and mesh models don’t really weigh much, and are the most convenient way to carry your tackle. In addition to the spinner boxes you can pin-on accessories like a line clipper and hemostat, and fill the pockets with other gear you may want, like a stream thermometer, hook hone, insect repellent, and sun block.

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