Put and Take Sverige
Reading the water
The most important technique needs no tackle: read the water and find where the fish stand before you start casting. The right bait in the wrong place gets no takes. A few minutes of looking when you arrive often saves an hour of blind casting.
Where the fish stand
Rainbow trout go where there is food, oxygen and a tolerable temperature. Watch for banks and drop-offs, inlets and springs, structure such as rocks, reeds, jetties and fallen trees, and the windward side where the surface is aired and food gathers.
In heat the fish go deeper and cooler. On a cool morning they may hunt high. See bite times.
Signs to look for
Rings and rises, backs breaking, birds hunting. Polarised glasses cut the glare so you see fish and structure under the surface.
When the surface is dead
No activity usually means the fish are deeper, not gone. Search depths — count the bait down — and walk the bank. Start at inlets, edges and the windward side.
How you read a stream, a large lake and a small tarn differs a little, see water types. The principle is the same: find the fish first. More under technique.
FAQ
Where do rainbow trout usually stand?
Along banks and drop-offs, at inlets with fresh water, around structure, and on the windward side. In heat they go deeper.
How do I see where the fish are?
Rises, rings, breaking fish, hunting birds. Polarised glasses help you see under the surface.
What if I see no activity?
Assume they are deeper. Search depths and move along the water. Start at inlets, edges and the windward side.