Trout Fishing Guide

Just like marlin, tarpon, barramundi, bonefish and giant trevally, trout are one of the world’s truly iconic species. Few passions match that of trout anglers for their beloved salmonoids and the great thing is that they are found in temperate to cool waters right around the globe.

On bubbling mountain streams, big, fast flowing rivers and lakes and dams of all sizes, you will find trout addicts from all walks of life, engaged in a one-on-one battle of wits with a fascinating, often frustratingly selective quarry. In many ways trout were made for lure fishing. Watch them for long enough and you will be convinced that not only will they hit a lure because they are hungry, but sometimes just because they are in an aggressive or territorial frame of mind.

In small, fast flowing streams the fish’s survival depends on making snap decisions, where hesitation means a potential meal could be swept away in a flash. This works to the angler’s advantage and a well presented lure swimming past a fish’s holding spot will rarely be refused. An RMG Scorpion 35 is perfect for tiny streams, either cast upstream and brought back down slightly faster than the current, or cast downstream and carefully worked back up past all the nooks and crannies. For slightly bigger water, the RMG Scorpion 52 is extremely versatile and can cover a range of situations. Its extra buoyancy means it can be allowed to float downstream in tight overgrown creeks where casting is impossible, then worked back up past fish that would never otherwise get to see a lure. Chances are, trout in this type of situation will hit lures without their usual notorious wariness.

In bigger streams and rivers where longer casting distance becomes advantageous, the Scorpion 52 produces outstanding results even in relatively fast flow situations. One of the most productive techniques is to cast up and across, just twitching the lure as it floats down before retrieving back and across at whatever speeds the current allows while maintaining the sexy swimming action of the Scorpion. Some of the best performing Scorpion colours for trout include Brown Trout, Crawfish, Rainbow Trout and Natural Wonder.

Slower moving, often deeper rivers are ideal country for the Tilsan Minnow, where the lure’s deep swimming attributes can be used to full advantage. Used in much the same way as the Scorpion 52, the Minnow gets right down there where the bigger fish often lie in wait. Once the lure is down there in slow moving water, try a twitch and pause retrieve when you think the lure is down near where you suspect a fish might be waiting for an ambush opportunity. Best colours include Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout and Golden Sunset.

In hotter climates trout are often found in areas of maximum water oxygenation, under waterfalls and below rapids and the like. In short, anywhere there is white water. In these situations a small gold Twisty lure in 5-20g sizes, or a 5-20g Halco Wobbler can be worked back up through the pockets of quieter water between the areas of torrent.

On big, deep lakes or dams the trout are often down deep themselves and sometimes you can only catch them by getting the lure right down there in the strike zone. A slow troll with a Poltergeist 50 XDD makes this dream a reality, where the lure can find its way down to depths of 8m. Brown Trout, Crawfish, Pink Fluoro and Rainbow Trout are among the most popular colours for this style of fishing. But when dam or lake is no more than 3-4m deep, it’s hard to go past the versatility of the Tilsan Minnow, either slow trolled over weed beds or cast around structure.

No matter where you chase these most charismatic of all freshwater species, there’s a Halco lure to ensure you’re in with a second to none chance.

By Michael Roennfeldt