This may sound like a simple proposition, but what you may not realize is that there are some simple things that can be done to increase your catch rate dramatically.

 More than twenty years ago, I had the pleasure of knowing the best trout fisherman that I had ever seen. To this day, I still haven't met another trout fisherman that was as skilled as this man. As a trout angler this man was legendary in the area that I grew up and his son and I we're friends. Therefore, I got to know him. He consistently caught trophy trout (many of which were rainbow's) in streams that got a ton of fishing pressure. It was a pleasure to get to know and learn from him and I'm going to pass along a couple of his tips for catching rainbow trout in this article.

The first thing that has to happen is that light line and gear should be employed. My mentor believed, as I do, that ultra light gear should be used when fishing for trout in rivers and streams. He also believed in light line. He always used four pound test monofilament, which is what I use to this day. Six pound test is passable, but four pound is ideal. The lighter the line and gear, the less apt the trout are to detect it, which is obviously important.

The second, and probably most important thing to remember is to use a natural presentation when presenting a live worm as bait. This is why My fishing mentor developed gang hooks. What are gang hooks? Gang hooks are simply a pair of small hooks ties in tandem that enable a live worm to be presented in an outstretched and natural manner. Gang hooks are attached to your line using a small barrel swivel, to prevent line twist. If you want to catch a rainbow trout (or any trout) with a live worm, this is what to do.

First, locate a small to medium sized river or stream that contains rainbow trout. Once a nice area is identified, rig up like this: Grab the end of your line and tie on a small barrel swivel (size 10 or 12). Now, tie on a set of pre-tied gang hooks. Now, above the swivel add a couple of split shot sinkers for weight. You need enough to bounce your offering off of the bottom as it flows with the current, so the amount and size of split shot depends on the water depth and current flow. Now add a worm to the gang hooks and you're good to go. If you're using large night crawlers, simply pinch them in half. This is the rig. It's very simply, yet very effective. This is the exact rig that my mentor used to catch most of his trophy trout.

Now the goal is to cast this rig out, close your bail, and let this offering flow naturally with the current as it bounces off the bottom. When the offering is directly below you, the drift is over and it's time to reel in and re-cast. It's important to remember that when using this technique, getting snagged is inevitable. Because your offering is bouncing on the bottom, it will get snagged from time to time. This is why you need to adjust your split shot for the depth and current flow. As my mentor used to say, "If you're not getting snagged, you're not fishing in the right place." Getting snagged is simply part of the technique.

The bottom line is that I've been using this technique since it was taught to me by my mentor and have been catching trout ever since. If you want to catch a rainbow trout with a worm, this is the way to do it. How do I know? Because I've been doing it for more than twenty years, all thanks to the simple yet effective gang hook.