By Gita M. Smith
Photo: Wyatt Robinson uses two hands to grab hold of his 15-inch rainbow trout.
From one side of America to the other, you can find rainbow trout in cold streams and lakes. If you want a fish that will give you a fight when it is hooked, but also tastes yummy on your plate, go after “rainbows.”
Rainbow trout - sometimes called redband trout because of the red-pink streak down their side - are related to salmon. But unlike salmon, they can spend their entire life in fresh water. Here’s how to recognize a rainbow trout: They have small black spots along their back, dorsal fin and caudal fin. They also have a pink streak that runs from the gill cover to the caudal fin. The color of a rainbow's back varies from blue or green to a yellow-green or brown, and they average from 12 to 18 inches in length. But some rainbows found in the Great Lakes have even measured up to 32 inches.
If you catch a trout in a large lake or in salt water, and if it is silvery all over, chances are you have caught a steelhead trout. This trout migrates between fresh and salt water.
Photo: Chance Robinson caught this rainbow the first time he ever went fishing.
Chance and Wyatt Robinson, who live on a farm in Sandy Valley, Nev., caught rainbows the first time they ever went fishing. They were visiting family in Reno, and they stopped at Virginia Lake, which is in a park in Reno. This lake has been stocked with trout so that kids can enjoy fishing in the park.
Both boys caught 15-inch trout, and their Mom was happy to cook the fish for dinner that night. (The boys also love to go rabbit and deer hunting with their parents.)
If you want to go after rainbow trout, remember: The water has to be fresh and cold, so it’s no use looking for trout in warm ponds. In lakes, the adult trout feed close to the bottom on insects, mollusks, crustaceans, fish eggs, minnows, and other small fishes. So you need to lower your line close to the bottom where the trout are looking for food.
May, June, July and August are the best months to fish for rainbows from a boat, as they have moved away from the banks and are in deeper water.
But bank fishing is best for catching rainbows in the spring. Cast small lures that look like minnows or use live bait such as small shad, alewives or night crawlers.
Many people like to go after trout in streams and fast moving water by wading into the water and fishing with a fly rod. The trick with fly fishing is to see what insects are hatching around the stream that day. Then you use an artificial lure that looks like the live insects, and you float your lure on the top of the water. The trout sees something that looks tasty, and it rises to the surface to snap up your lure. As soon as it bites, you set the hook and reel it in.
For more pictures of kids fishing for trout, go to:
http://www.hawkinsflyfishing.com/gallery/kids.php