If you are going fishing, you need tackle...

Buy the right tackle.

I've covered licenses, fishing creel or fish stringer, rods and reels, lures, live bait and the basics of how and where to fish a small stream. (By far the best days of trout fishing I have ever experienced have been in small streams) So let's get down to the tackle.

I always recommend using light tackle when trout fishing  Light tackle believe it or not is preferred for stream or river trout fishing  (because trout have excellent eyesight) and a lightweight rod. My rod is in the 6 to 8 lb, range and is more than sufficient. (Most poles will have that printed right on the side)  Now, if you have listened along here, you will have already rigged your rod and line BEFORE leaving your house, right?

There is nothing more frustrating than to arrive at your fishing spot and have to rig your line while watching  helplessly as fish jump all around you. Alright, 'nuff said. let's talk about weights.

I use weight with live bait when I maybe want it to drop in a pool or something before the current carries it downstream. If the fish are lazy, they won't bite unless the bait is darned near in front of them, so I want every advantage and that's why I use the weight. I want my bait right in front of the fish.

Depending upon how fast a stream or river is running, I use split shot of varying weights. To do this, I carry a small plastic container of split shot and pick one I think is appropriate (I'm sure you've seen them in the fishing departments) I also carry a small pair of needle nose pliers to crimp those weights on and off my line. I crimp them on the line just hard enough to hold them in place, but not hard enough so that I cannot adjust them for changing water depths as I fish. With the split shot, I am able to control how fast my bait will drift. Less weight more drift, more weight less drift. Make sense? 

When I place the weight on my line, I do so anywhere from a foot and a half to two feet above my hook and that can vary with stream depth. But the average small stream is only 2-3 feet deep at the most anyway so pay attention to where you place them. Now with the weight on the line, I am ready to put my live bait choice on my hook.

If I'm going to be using worms to start, there are some tricks to know about. (I touched on this earlier when I spoke of cutting the worms up). There are two schools of thought on baiting. One is to cut the worms up just enough to cover the entire hook.

The other train of thought,  (my chosen method)  is to slide the worm on the hook by inserting it through the end of the worm and sliding it up the hook until you reach the end of the hook. (I even go maybe even a teeny bit more). 

I then push the hook out of the side of the worm, just enough so that I see the hook. All that's left for me to do, is cut the rest of the worm off about a half inch or so from where the hook is exposed. This then allows my worm to "wiggle" to help attract fish.

Next up. Proper casting techniques.