How to increase your success rate

There are lots of articles in magazines about how to catch trout. Which flies you should use, which type of water you should fish, which techniques are the best. But do you have a plan after you hook your quarry?

Before you make your first cast you should assess your situation and formulate a game plan on how to land that trout on the end of your line. This process only takes a few seconds and will give you the upper hand when in battle. The wild trout we have in our area are notoriously strong and become air born at a moment's notice. They are fighting for their lives (or so they think). Before you make that first cast in an area a quick survey will give you an advantage in the heat of the battle. Here are a few things to think about.

1. If you were that trout, where would you head for safety?
2. Are there any obstacles such as boulders, tree's or snags that you want to avoid?
3. Is there some slower moving water that you can work the fish into that will give you the advantage?

In the heat of battle you never know how it will go? Trout generally want to use the currents to their advantage. Working them into slower water gives you the advantage. You will be able to control their head more easily and bend them to your will, so to speak. There are many more factors to consider such as tippet strength, using a dropper or additional flies that may want to catch unwanted obstacles as well. You will never be 100% successful or what fun would fishing be? The trout are going to win sometimes, that's the game. But I am confident in telling you that if you have a plan on how the battle should go that you will have a higher successful rate in putting trout in the net.