m&M: - Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

sjy ^ something about the flash of a metal spoon or
ha ner , ^ at ear ^ v season trout find hard to resist. Per-
0 . lts because they are not yet accustomed to feeding
See lnSects ' or perhaps it's because shiny lures are easily
te
eve n in high and discolored water. Whatever the
^° n > they do catch trout.
° too many years ago practically all trout spinners
faj 6 fl> ! r ° d lures - Probabl y the best were little 4/0 Coloba.
s Pinners or similar spinners hung on split rings. For
or
s «ing the Indiana spinner hung on a wire shaft was
wit
h a worm impaled on the hook. In swift current
^illov are -•!!° W ' ea ^ D ' a de was favored. These flyrod spinners
the great trout talc ers. Their only drawback is that
Pref ° ast Poorly- For this reason, the smallest sizes are
tho-. rred- "em
Be sure to use a tiny barrel swivel ahead of
to
Prevent line or leader twist.
\'
Ve • spinning rods and reels are common spinning
fishj m t ' le sma " er sizes have become popular for trout
a ]jtt.i S ^ ana - they are terrific. The very tiny ones are
Hsecl 6 eavier than those made for flyrod fishing, and are
qUa wit h ultralight tackle. The heavier lures, up to one-
Kf0 er ounce, are perfect for standard spinning gear.
W6j i them consist of a spinner mounted ahead of a
° e 'V ki Doa ^ v - A few are spoons, available in every con-
Q e weight from flyrod size to quarter ounce.
Cas( , °t the most effective ways to fish these lures is to
b.tjn . ein upstream and retrieve them with the current,
e
ts ^ them close to midstream rocks, into deep pock-
"trou a „ P a ssing them through every spot that looks
tn0u Spinners such as the Colorado that are not
V Q on a s^t are allowed to tumble with the cur-
' Grieving them just fast enough to keep slack out
*%'«
Spoons and Spinners
of the line. Spinners on shafts and spoons must be
brought in a little faster to bring out their action. In
discolored water fish them as close to the bottom as you
can without getting snagged.
If that doesn't work, cast the lure across the stream and
let it swing downstream, playing out line or taking it in
to regulate its depth and to maneuver it around rocks
and into pockets. When it stops its swing directly below
you let it play in the current awhile, then retrieve it
slowly.
Don't overlook pockets of still water beneath overhanging
banks or under sunken logs along the shoreline. These
are great hangouts for trout in high or discolored water.
DON'T FALL IN
Nobody enjoys a dunking except the fellow standing
on the bank, and it can be dangerous, too.
Felt soles on your boots are a wonderful help in wading—they
grip so much better than rubber soles. Boots
and wading shoes can be bought equipped with felt
soles. If you've already got rubber soled boots they can
be fitted with felt in two ways—one, by cementing on
felt soles from a kit that is sold for the purpose, or by
strapping on felt-soled sandals. Chain sandals are also
available, and these grip well, too.
A wading staff is a great help in wading swift water.
Put a screweye in the end of a waist-high staff and attach
it to your belt with a strong cord. When crossing
fast water use it as a third leg on your downstream side.
When fishing let it hang by the string. Above all, don't
take chances.