Beginner guide to put and take

Put and take is the easiest way into sport fishing. Lakes and ponds where rainbow and brown trout have been stocked, so the chance of actually catching fish is high even the first time you stand at the water. You only need simple tackle, a permit and a method. The rest you learn while you fish.

The idea, the permit and simple tackle

Put and take means fish is stocked to be caught. You pay through a permit, and often the right to keep a certain number of fish is included. Always buy the card before you start — online, via the club or in a machine on site. The card also says the water’s rules. More on the idea: what is put and take.

You get surprisingly far with a light–medium spin rod and a 1000–2500 reel, thin line, ready leaders and hook, a bit of powerbait or a couple of small lures, a landing net and pliers, plus something to dispatch the fish with if you keep it. A ready-made spin set is the cheapest start. Want fly from day one? Choosing a fly rod.

Method, first hour and the catch

Bait with powerbait is simplest: the bait floats a bit above the bottom and you wait. Spin is casting small lures and varying the pace. Fly is more of a challenge; a black Woolly Bugger is a good first fly. Read the water before you cast — rises, inlets, drop-offs. Dawn and dusk are usually best, but freshly stocked fish can take at any time. Spring and autumn are the best seasons. If you keep the fish, dispatch it at once. How you gut and cook: cook the catch. Avoid the usual traps: common beginner mistakes. With children: family-friendly waters.