Not all trout anglers use fly rods. That's a simple fact.
I've often hit the water for trout - where legal - with spinning tackle, in part because fighting a big brookie with my ultralight is just as exciting as it is with fly gear, though my casting is considerably better.
You may be in the same boat: unless you've mastered your fly rod, short, ugly casts are the norm.
But you've probably spent decades honing your skill with your spinning rod, and it may give you the edge you've been looking for.
And don't for a second believe that lures are your only options with your spinning rod. While I've pitched in-line spinners to trout with great success, I've also thrown a variety of rigs and flies with my ultralight, and that's opened all kinds of possibilities for techniques and applications that those fish don't see every day.
Has that tickled your interest?
Keep reading!
A number of freshwater rigs can be repurposed for trout fishing, and there are even options that allow you to cast flies on spinning tackle.
Let's break down your best options.
Popular for everything from catfish to crappie, the Slip Float Rig has earned its reputation as a go-to option for a variety of species.
Very easy to assemble, this rig enables excellent casting while still buoying your hook at a known, and adjustable, depth.
When you're working quiet pools and slowly circling eddies, a suspended hook baited with salmon eggs, PowerBait, "mice tails," or even a streamer fly can be surprisingly productive.
Some trout anglers still use standard red and white bobbers, but let me tell you, the first time you run a slip float, you’ll know why this is the better choice!
Because a slip float is free to move along your line, restrained only by a moveable float stop, you can reel your line in and cast normally, allowing greater distance and accuracy than you've ever achieved with a clumsy red and white bobber.
Ideal for lakes, ponds, and sluggish streams, the Slip Float Rig has no rivals where current won’t be an issue.
To assemble a Slip Float Rig, follow these steps:
In faster water, a Slip Float Rig will be pulled along with the current, and while that can be effective in the right circumstances, I usually prefer to have my rig stay put.
That’s when I turn to an easy-to-assemble Bottom Rig.
Ideal for faster streams and rivers, the Bottom Rig is perfect with floating baits like those offered by Berkeley. It's also nothing short of murder with streamers, floating nymphs, "mice tails," and other buoyant bait options.
And by dint of its streamlined components, it’s pretty hard to get hung up on sharp rocks and other debris, making it a solid choice where that’s an issue.
To assemble a Bottom Rig, follow these steps:
I first discovered casting bubbles on the trout streams and rivers of Europe, and they’ve revolutionized how I fish for trout.
By filling them with varying amounts of water, you weight your line enough to enable you to cast flies with a spinning rod, radically tipping the odds in your favor.
Some anglers like to run the float at the end of their line, placing flies behind it.
Others attach the casting bubble to the end of their line, tie on some 4# mono or fly tippet, and place the fly at the end.
I’ve seen both styles work wonders, but running the float behind the flies seems to be the superior option.
To assemble a Casting Bubble Rig, follow these steps:
While we typically associate fly tackle with trout angling, spinning tackle has earned a place on the streams and lakes in which these beautiful fish thrive.
And for most anglers, a good light or ultralight rod armed with one of these rigs enables longer, more accurate casting, as well as more control in a fight than is possible with fly tackle.
We hope that this article has encouraged you to try a new trout rig, and we’d love to hear from you if it has.
Please leave a comment below.
