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[silicagel]

Hi, I'm an amateur fisherman.

I'd love to learn to catch trout, any trout, consistently and effectively.  Unfortunately I know little about fishing except I was told that spinning is the way to begin.

Yesterday I checked out some local rivers and found that the water was high and the current was fairly strong because of this, and I couldn't cast without the current sucking up my lure no matter I tried.

Any suggestions on trout angling in streams this time of year?

[Long_Cast]

Right now, river fishing for trout with lures can be tough for beginners. The water in the rivers and streams are fast and high. You should try worms or powerbait instead of lures. Lake fishing is more ideal for beginner fisherman because you don't have to worry about strong currents.

[Oliver]

There used to be some info here 

[Rieber]

First buy a steelhead tag then head out to the vedder in a month and a half with the standard pink worm set up. For your first year just use 6" pink worms set up under a float just high enough so you're not dredging the bottom and eventually you will get a steelhead this year. Just use the worm and watch other fishermen and where they cast. Cast to that type of water/seam and you'll get them. Don't let anyone else try and kid you. After you get some confidence, then start trying other baits. Worms are the easiest to use and catch them on - for the newbie.

[DragonSpeed]

Hardest part about the worm, is threading it on

[DragonSpeed]

you can buy them pre tied.

I can also buy fish pre-filleted...

[Rodney]

Welcome aboard Silicagel, don't forget the personal profile thread. What can I say, I am nosy.

You have several options:

1. Try float fishing in local lakes. This time of the year, fishing will generally be slower than the warmer months, but there are still a few fish milling about. Local lakes are stocked several times per year with rainbow trout at catchable size (30cm) for anglers to enjoy. Daily quota is four fish. Please take a look at this article for a general setup of a floating rig with the spinning gear. Try Sasamat Lake in Port Moody, Rice Lake in North Vancouver, Mill Lake in Abbotsford, Deer Lake in Burnaby.

2. Some of the local sloughs, Fraser tributary mouths should have a few cutthroat trout, dolly varden/bull trout milling about by now. These migratory fish follow the spawning salmon so they can feed on the eggs and salmon carcasses. You can simply tie a small spoon/spinner onto the end of your line, cast and spin. You can also bottom fish with a worm on the hook. Both ways are effective. Please note, in this fishery all wild trout and char need to be released. Wild trout and char still retain their adipose fin while hatchery trout and char have a healed scar where their adipose fin is absent. My recommendation is not to keep any trout and char this time of the year. The tasting quality is poor once the fish starts feeding on the salmon carcasses. I also recommend carrying a small catch and release mesh net that costs around $40 to ensure your released catches will have a higher survival rate. Some articles that you maybe interested:

Appreciating Winter Bull Trout

3. You may also be interested in float fishing for small trout and mountain whitefish in some of the bigger local rivers such as Stave River and Vedder River. There should be a few of these swimming around while everyone else is targeting steelhead during the winter months. A small float attached a few feet above your hook with a couple of split shots pinched just above the hook is fine. Attach enough weight so only a small coloured tip of the float is exposed from the surface when it drifts in the water. You can use worm, fake single eggs on the hook. Hook size, go with a size 4 or 6.

For identification purpose

Bull trout

Cutthroat trout

Mountain whitefish

You can find more info on the species by visiting the fish profiles section[/url].