So You Want To Go Fishing
So you want to go fishing for the first time. There are so many questions that a first time angler has that it can be a little frightening. It’s okay to feel a little nervous or embarrassed when starting out, especially if you don’t come from a family of anglers. Often times people have been hesitant to pick up this amazing hobby because there seems like there is so much to know and they will be judged by the much more experienced anglers for being such a novice. My advice, don’t stress, everyone had to start somewhere, everyone was a novice at some point. Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is lying.
My first time fishing was in a pond for panfish. This is where I recommend everyone starts as often there are very few people there and it is an easy way to learn the fundamentals. After you feel comfortable with your ability to get a line in the water and not in the trees, something that happens to everyone, try tackling a trout. Again, the first time I went trout fishing, I’ll admit, I was a little nervous. I had never gone before and didn’t know much about trout or the different gear used to catch them. I got to the stream and saw all these people with their expensive gear and elaborate set ups and felt out of place, but as soon as it hit eight, my line was in the water just like everyone else and I caught a fish. You don’t need to be an expert to go fishing, and if you have questions, ask some one near by who looks like they know what they are doing. More often than not, they will notice your inexperience and volunteer some help or a few tips, just glad that someone else is interested in sharing their passion.
Image from Idaho Fish and Game
Once you get over your initial apprehension, you will need to buy or borrow a few things to get started. The most important thing that you need to go trout fishing is a fishing license. While you can probably get away without buying one, as I have been fishing for quite a few years now and only ever been asked for my license once, it is the responsible thing to do. The Money that you pay for the license goes to buy fish to stock, pay for the fish wardens to patrol to make sure no one is poaching the fish, and help with conservation efforts. All of those things can’t happen without money and you buying a license helps make sure that there are fish for everyone to catch in a sustainable manner. If you can’t afford a license, there are a few days a year when you are permitted to fish without one that you can find on the fish and game website.
The next thing you will need is a rod and reel. I recommend starting off with a spinning rod and not a fly rod simply because it is easier. My first time going I borrowed one. I recommend you do the same to make sure that you actually like trout fishing before investing a serious amount of money into the gear only to find out this isn’t for you and get stuck with $200 of gear sitting in a closet collecting dust. If you do decide to buy one, start out with a cheaper model.They sell decent rods at Wall-Mart for less than $40 and when you decide to upgrade, if you do, now you have one you can lend out to friends that don’t have their own or a back up if your new one breaks. If you feel like buying online, there are Several Great Options. When buying a rod, it is important to think about the environment you will be fishing in. In most of Pennsylvania’s trout streams, the banks can be a little brushy, making a longer rod unwieldily in tight conditions. I’d recommend a rod between 5′ and 5’6″. Any longer and they get caught in the brush on the banks and any shorter won’t be able to throw a lure with much accuracy. You will also need a reel. I’d recommend a 500 or 1000 series. That relates to size and they are on the smaller end. For most streams you don’t need to worry about having a ton of line on your spool because the streams are often less than 50 feet wide, with most being much smaller, all the way down to brooks you can jump across.
Once you have a rod and reel, you need some line to go on the reel. Most small bait and tackle stores will spool the reel for you if you bring it along, which I recommend, at least for the first few times you want to put line on your spool. For most stocked trout, line in 4lb or 6lb monofilament range is ideal. If you are going after natives, I recommend 2lb test with a fluorocarbon leader because those fish are very line shy and will not bite if they see a thicker line floating through the water.
You will also need something to catch the fish with. To start out, I recommend still baits or live baits. These are things like Power Bait (this only works on stocked fish), salmon eggs, or any of the live baits I mentioned in a previous blog. For these baits you will need hooks. Now common sense would say that you need a larger hook for larger fish and that is correct to a certain extent. This is almost completely false for trout. You want the smallest hook you can get away with, usually size 10 or 12 is a good fit, but I have seen guys use sizes all the way down to 18. Also, grab a small bag of split shot, size B or BB. These will help get your hook to the bottom and in the line of sight for the fish.
For your first time out that pretty much all you need. You don’t need a vest as most of that you can just stuff in your pockets. The more you go fishing, the more stuff you will acquire and at the beginning of the year when you do an inventory you will look at this mountain of equipment and lures and become perplexed at how or why you even have some of it. Now that you have all of the essentials, go out and enjoy some time in one of the most pure and relaxing areas available to man kind, the outdoors.