6 April 9 , 2021 VOL . 40 • ISS . 7
W hy spinners ? You must cover far more water to find trout , especially larger ones when bites are far between . You need a technique that is effective as well as being one that covers the water thoroughly at a fairly fast pace . Spinners , especially Rooster Tails , feature flash , and that “ pop ” is the ticket . There ’ s a thing called “ attraction radius ”, the flash the rotating blade gives off . Let ’ s say , in very clear water , the blade ’ s flash can be seen by trout 6 feet away , where a small fly even though most of the time is more effective in getting numbers of bites can only be seen 2 feet . Do a bit of math and you can see how the fly needs to be presented many more times along a stretch of holding water to be spotted by trout that the flash of a blade . Work this calculation out a bit and time spent on each run is cut by more than half , which means far more water is combed in a day , therefore far higher odds of finding numbers of trout . The number one reason ? The grabs from aggressive
Spinners : The Answer for River and Stream Trout
trout on Rooster Tails are breath-robbing , eyepopping , rod-creaking strikes !! Which size / colors / finishes of Rooster Tail spinners are the best ? There are a dozen or so trout spinners out there commercially available , some high quality and some just cheap garbage . Your spinner choices must fall into a few categories to be game changers . First , they gotta be readily available , second , they must be available in proper colors and blade finishes to cover almost any situation and third , they must be the correct weight to fish effectively . I choose the Rooster Tail by Yakima Bait , as it fits snugly in each category . The Rooster Tail spinner just looks trouty , its hackle tail gives it a profile and action no other trout spinner features .. One of the main reasons I choose the Rooster Tail is its weight paired with blade size . The three sizes that get 95 % of use in my vest are the 1 / 6th , 1 / 8th and 1 / 16th ounce models . Almost without exception , positioning is everything . Remember , a spinner creates a lot of lift and resistance due to the revolving blade . Your job is to negate the “ push ” by allowing the spinner to travel downriver with the current . Position yourself directly across and slightly downriver from your target water . Cast slightly beyond the spot you would expect a trout to lie . On most trout rivers , unlike steelhead they may forego laying out in middle of a riffle and hug the bank . That ’ s where the food comes from , either insects or small forage fish like sculpin … and where the biggest
trout in the crick live . Larger trout have a different diet than smaller ones , I ’ m not sure what the spinner simulates but I imagine it could be a small fish or the like and a large caloric shot . A typical presentation all day long is cast the spinner as close to the bank / downed trees / boulders as you possibly can . Accuracy is a premium when spinner fishing for trout in rivers . Narrow edges in current right tight to the bank are your A1 target spots . The edge seams are the top producers . Chances are that pattern stays constant in your trout streams as well . When your Rooster Tail enters the water , allow it to free fall for a second or two before swiftly gathering all slack and allowing the blade to begin to spin . Most trout , especially the hungry aggressive ones , with slash at the lure on the drop while the blade is merely wiggling . Be ready for this , it is a common grab and now is when your hook sharpening skills will be tested . Keep your rod tip low , at around 9 o ’ clock and pointed somewhat at your lure , all the ready to set a hook . As the spinner sinks , a slow reel to keep the lure moving smartly along just above the bottom and moving at or ever so slightly slower than current speed . Follow the Rooster Tail ’ s down current movement with the rod tip . After the lure goes past your position , the blade spin increases to create lift and the lure nears your side , watch to make sure there are no chasers
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PRO-GUIDE V-16
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