Other than along the higher profiled and recently stocked streams, such as the Otselic River, the opening day of trout season (April 1) doesn’t have the impact it once did. Blame it on the early spring weather – which is usually quite cool – or the stream conditions or the fact stream trout anglers in general are aging, so you probably won’t see all that many anglers on our area streams that day.

It’s not as though the trout aren’t there for the taking – especially the brook trout – but perhaps because the maturing legions of experienced stream anglers know that the fishing conditions will be far better a week or two later. I can’t argue with that approach. Why put up with what can be uncomfortable weather to fish for trout that will be more willing to strike/bite later on, when the weather’s more comfortable?

While moving the trout opener to an earlier date (for years it opened on the second Saturday in April) resulted in giving winter-weary anglers a head start on their open-water fishing, the DEC created a problem with its trout stocking programs. Stream and weather temperatures in late March are seldom favorable to stocking activities or acceptable stocked trout survival rates. As such, the DEC now waits until weather and stream conditions are more favorable before stocking trout in most waters, including many of our area streams and especially ponds and lakes. Hatchery-reared trout are far too valuable to waste by dumping them into streams that are too high and too cold for good survival rates, so this angler totally agrees with that policy.

Since hatchery-reared trout are basically planted as “put-and-catch” fish, there will always be anglers who will demand the trout be released prior to opening day, but that’s their prerogative as fishing license-buyers. However, in the years that I’ve helped to stock trout I’ve noticed that the same anglers who adopt that stance seldom, if ever, are willing to help with the actual stocking of the fish they say should be available to them. Those interested in helping to stock can contact Trout Unlimited’s Gary Sweet at (607) 647-5598 or lsweet@clarityconnect.com.

Now, if you’re so inclined to fish the trout opener next week, the rules for success remain the same for nearly every April 1opening day throughout the years …fish slow and in the deepest pools. Because the waters are still very cold, trout tend to be lethargic and seldom will chase a bait or lure very far. Worms and salted minnows tend to be the natural baits of choice this early in the season. Small spinners and spoons, nymph and streamer flies. fished deep and slow dominate the fakes.