Trout

Congregated on the bottom of trout streams throughout the Midwest are a special variety of aquatic invertebrates called

The brook trout reaches its ultimate potential in the cold waters of northern Canada, where orange-paunched fish of 4 and 5 pounds wallop huge streamers and large dry flies with a vengeance. I've experienced this type of fishing a number of times, and it's a blast. My most memorable trip was a five-day float trip in canoes down the Sutton River through Polar Bear Provincial Park in Ontario.

The drift looked perfect. I had cast a No. 12 Pheasant Tail bead-head nymph into the head of a small, dark pool on southern Missouri’s Barren Fork Creek, one of six cold water wild trout streams in the Missouri Ozarks.

The White River of Arkansas is a world class trout fishery. Trout anglers from around the world come to fish the cold waters which flow from the base of Bull Shoals Dam. Four species of trout may be caught here, but brown trout garner much of the attention because they grow to behemoth proportions.

Brook trout are a truly magnificent species of fish. If you're ever lucky enough to get a chance to fish for brookies and catch a few, you will witness a dazzling display of colors that rival Picasso's best works. Brook trout are gunmetal gray, layered with brilliant shades of red, yellow and orange, topped off with cream spots and white tipped fins.

Most articles about fly fishing focus on the fishing experience, the fish, what flies to use and what tactics work. That's fine but I've spent the better part of this afternoon preparing for a day on my favorite river tomorrow. That got me thinking that it's high time we discussed the items needed to support an angler's efforts during a full day's outing.

An eager anticipation set a positive mood as Tom and I sat on my truck's tailgate, pulling on our

You don’t have to use fly rods and match the hatch to catch trout.