The truth is, small streams are every bit as interesting and challenging as full-grown rivers. The trout are the same trout you find anywhere, just as spooky and often just as leader-shy. Contrary to a widely held belief, you can't simply walk up to a small creek, toss in a baithook dressed with a chunk of worm, and haul out a trout. Most of the time, caution, patience, and attention are required to fool decent-sized trout in streams and creeks. Brook trout in a tiny pool will dart for cover when someone is approaching the creek a hundred feet away. Creeks in lowlands and swamps often flow through ground built on a network of roots that acts like a telegraph system. Any thump or vibration is instantly transmitted to the water and becomes, to the trout, a signal of approaching danger. Creeks that flow through lovely, wide open meadows, are where it's possible to sneak along in the open, casting flies or bait into pools and undercut banks that are absolutely infested with brook trout.
Places like that, unfortunately, are rare. So do some scouting around before the season opens.The rule of thumb on small streams is that if it's easy to get to, it's not worth getting to. You might catch occasional trout from the deep hole at the culvert next to the road, or in the open stretch in the meadow along the highway, but you can bet if it's easily accessible it's been over-fished. It isn't difficult to find good trout streams. The chances are, if the rivers in a region are known for trout, there are plenty of good tributaries as well. In unfamiliar territory rely on topographical maps and good county maps to search out creeks. During the summer, when warming water often causes large trout to migrate into small, cold tributaries, the fishing is probably better there than on the mainstreams.
It's not enough, usually, to just dunk a worm to catch small-stream trout. Many of the techniques taken for granted on larger waters are just as important on the smaller ones. It is important, for instance, that bait, fly, or lure enter the water naturally. It isn't always easy to accomplish when the pool you are trying to drift a worm through is only 16 inches across, in the space between the branches of a fallen tree. It explains why the first cast is so critical in small waters. The initial drift through a pool or into the dark hole beneath a stump may be the only chance you get to put your bait down in a natural way. As soon as the drift is complete and you reel in, streaking your split-shot, hook, and bait upstream, the game is over with most large, sophisticated trout. They recognize immediately that something is wrong, edge farther back under the bank, and go into a petulant sulk. Approach and presentation are critical.
The same rule hold true whether you're using bait, lures, or artificial flies. There are times when flies can be effective, but most streams flow through places where fly casting is impractical. Many times the best you can hope for is room to "dap" a dry fly on a short line, or perhaps to strip out line and let a streamer or weighted nymph work downstream. But most of the time, on most creeks, the methods that worked when you were a kid still work best: hook, bait, and split-shot. Bait is always a hotly debated subject. Small garden worms or red worms--the livelier the better--are probably the all-time favorite, but nightcrawlers can be deadly.
Trout fishing on small streams can be very enjoyable. The best part (except for the trout ) is no crouds. Good Luck and Good Fishing, Trout King
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