25 years later!

[DoolinDalton]

As the title says....I went trout fishing on Monday...to Scaling Dam reservoir in North Yorkshire.  Last time I went there was possibly 25 years ago!  I was certainly surprised how the methods have changed...and how the owners (Northumbrian water?) have allowed it to.  It used to be worm or fly only....so on Monday, I rolled up with a bucket of worms.  My mate, who's a regular there, sets his rig up with, what looked to me to be alien life forms!  Needless to say, he caught 4 trout whilst my son and I caught precisely zilch!  Later, he actually set my trace up with the same as him, namely a 'jelly' worm, a white (polystyrene?)  flying saucer shaped bead and the piece de resistance, some' power bait', a luminous putty like substance which needed to be moulded onto the bead, I think. Didn't make any difference to my 'bag'...still zero!   Anyway, my questions are....what are the modern bait and tackle items that I'd need for a successful day at trout fishing?   What's the best size hook to use and is there a better method for ledgering  which keeps the bait off the bottom?  Does any angler still use worms? Or have the worms all gone futuristic and turned vegan?  One thing (two actually) that I did catch, which completely amazed me....was some signal crayfish.  Next time I go there, I'm planning on taking a net trap to get a few for the pot.  The bloke fishing next to me reckons he caught 200 of the blighters last year....reckons they taste amazing!  All advice greatly appreciated and many thanks in anticipation.   Tight lines, guys and gals.    

[strimmer_13]

Last time I went I caught zilch as well tho who I went with was pulling them out left right and center. He was using loads of gear I'd never seen, to the point I almost thought it was a carp set up. Pop ups/polystyrene beads apparently is to stop the bait sitting in the weed and bring it higher up in the water where a trout might hunt via sight instead of smell. Power bait was banned, they reckoned there is was as deadly as jam to sea trout. 

In the end I switched to fly, had a few takes but still left with nothing caught. 

As for cray fish, a member here sent me a photo of this lot 

Personally I don't eat fish, but never heard anybody complain about the taste 

[enfieldspares]

Boobys on sinking line at least a Wet IV if you can. Effectively ledgering a floating bait but without the bother of a drilled bullet. Or a floating line using a weighted fly fished "on the bung" using a bouyant fly as a float in effect...float fishing by another name for all intents and purposes. Not for me. But yes some, many in fact, do one or the other.

Edited June 24, 2020 by enfieldspares

[Walker570]

NOTHING beats the heart stopping sight and sound of a trout sucking in a dry mayfly.   Skipping a muddler over a good wave also gets the heart pumping as a bow wave appears behind it and self control is required not to snatch it away from the predator.

[hawkfanz]

favoured method on trout lakes ive fished,but only bait allowed was worm,standard leger rig but with 2 polystyrens balls above the hook with worm on,it floats up from the bootom so dont get lost in mud n weeds,failing that gold head viva with grhe or bibio on dropper withfloatin line.

[Mr. Merkel]

I am not a trout fisherman but when I do I fish dry fly on rivers and thats not very often, but I do use worms I use them alot for tench & bream, popped up for tench and hair rigged for bream.

There is a lot of stuff worth watching on youtube but I try to keep things simple.

Tim

[yates]

I have only fished Scaling Dam once a couple of years ago. I had a few hours in the morning on the fly and blanked. I fished the far side and the next time I go I will be taking waders as apparently on the far bank the water is very shallow until 40/50 yards out. The locals say that Dawson’s Olive is a killer fly on this reservoir. On the same day as I fished a couple of blokes were catching loads of trout on the spinning rod in front of the lodge