Apr 7, 2018 4 min read

Usually, I think of April as the month of trout and turkey preparation. It’s the month when we get the tangled fishing gear out of its hiding place, work on it and tuck it all back neatly in its proper container. Oh, there are reels that need new line wound into place and old tangled line thrown away.

However, I will remember this March and early April as the months of the mud. While humankind has always been attracted to water, along with the water comes the mud. We have been blessed with an adequate supply of rain and mud and those local waters, which were in beautiful condition flowing clear and cool, are now the color of coffee. As I write this, local streams, ponds and lakes are catch basins for the loads of mud they are transporting. Of course, there is time yet for them to rid themselves of the topsoil and other flotsam and debris but it looks like an upcoming opening day with high waters that are at best discolored.

Spinning can be a waste of time, and so I plan to visit Joe Smith and my favorite bait shop in Eighty Four so I can fish with nothing more than live bait. When working a stream, there will be an occasional chunk of Power Bait floating in front of you. It has fallen from the hook of an upstream angler. Whoever thought of using wallpaper cleaner that has been flavored came up with a winner, and probably made a fortune. It works under certain conditions. Find the color of the day and you probably will catch trout.

Then there are those who insist on using maggots and mealworms. Impaled with a size 10 or 12 hook, I prefer the maggot, though many will disagree and swear by the mealworm. Then there are other gourmet meals for the trout to feast on. Residents of the stream can make excellent bait. Such a resident is the Hellgrammite. It is a nasty little insect-worm-like critter that hides under rocks in the riffles. Be wary when handling this critter for it has pinchers. Speaking of pinchers, the smaller crayfish make good bait, especially those who have outgrown their protective shells and are growing a new one that is the soft shell.

When not working an artificial lure through the stream, you will find me with a No. 8 hook on the end of my line, and up about 8 inches will be a small split shot. On the hook will be nothing more than the old faithful a nightcrawler. I cannot think of a more successful bait than that lowly nightcrawler. I call it lowly because many anglers look down their noses at anyone who would fish with this bait from their childish days. It’s like using a bobber. When we were all kids, we used bobbers. Despite the fact that today’s bobber is a float or a strike indicator it’s still a bobber.

As I age, I find myself doing less and less walking in or along a stream. I will walk so far, then sometimes sit down on whatever is available. I will spin a bit and if nothing wants that piece of metal and fluff, I will cut it off and attach a hook and shot, put on a worm and cast it out. Last year, I had a nice time admiring a catbird who was watching my fishing endeavors. I have adjusted to my limitations. At least I am not in the house twiddling my thumbs. Hopefully, the mud dries up, the sun pops out and we all catch trout.

George Block writes a weekly outdoors column for the Observer-Reporter.