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If you want to figure out what bait is best used for catching a crafty trout, it's best to fully understand their feeding habits first. For instance, it's hard to imagine that trout are just swimming haphazardly across the river just waiting for a blob of cheddar cheese to appear in front of them. Sure, go ahead and laugh, but that's exactly how some people think a hungry trout will feed.

Actually, it couldn't be further from the truth. Trout instinctively learn the most logical place to expect to find their next meal. They are more than happy to tread water in one particular spot in the river and wait for the food to come to them.

Normally that spot is in a deep, quiet pool just out of reach of the the river's swift current. A pool perhaps where they can wait patiently for that swift current to sweep food right past them. When they see that food, just a flick of the tail and the trout leaves his spot in the quiet eddy and latches onto the tasty treat. Invariably, that treat is native to the swift river water and it's called a "helgremite."

The helgremite, or Dobson Fly Larvae, is a water nymph that normally finds a home under large rocks in the fastest flowing river water. Sometimes they are dislodged from under that rock by the swift current and are swept down-river toward the trout who await in ambush for just that very possibility. Thus, the helgemite is one of the trout's favorite foods, and to me, is the best bait one can use to catch a trout.

It's just a matter of being up to speed on the art of catching helgemites before you can catch a trout.

First you need a piece of mesh screening. All you have to do is attach it to the frame of a fish net. I used to use a needle and threat to stitch the mesh to the frame. You can also make a helgremite net by attaching the mesh to a square wooded frame. Both methods work equally well.

The trick is to go just downstream from a big rock in shallow, fast-moving water and put the net into the water just before you lift the rock up. One person can do it, but it's best if someone can hold the net as a second person lifts the rock. If there are helgremites under the rock, the current will sweep them away as soon as you lift the rock. If you have your net in the right place the current will carry them right into your net. Quickly lift the net out of the water and you may be rewarded by seeing 3 or 4 helgremites trying to scamper off the netting and back into the water. Grab them quickly and put them in your waiting bait container. A plastic container with a few inches of water in it will do perfectly. By putting them back into the water you will be keeping them alive and fresh until you put them on your hook.

You bait your hook by running the hook through the helgremite from the bottom and in a back to front direction so the point of the hook emerges just below the head of the helgremite. This gives it a natural appearance.

Always cast upstream and let the current carry the helgremite downstream toward a slow moving "fishing hole" or eddy. That's where the fish will be waiting. They will be waiting just outside of the swift moving current. When they see your helgremite coming, it looks natural to them as it is floating downstream in the current. Most of the time they will latch on to it right away throwing caution to the wind because it looks like it belongs. From there it's up to you to bring the fish in.

I don't think there is a better or more natural bait that one could possibly use when it comes tempting a hungry trout.

Learn more about this author, Ray Fauteux.
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