In spring, when heavy rains and snowmelt cause streams to run high and muddy, fly fishing is tough. But you can still catch trout by spinfishing with small plugs, spinners and spoons. If the water is exceptionally muddy, live bait may be the only answer. When the streams subside and the water clears, trout feed heavily on insects and fly fishing yields good results.

But despite the obvious arguments for versatility, most trout-fishing literature promotes specialization. In fact, some fly-fishing books now deal with only one aspect of the sport, like nymphing. These narrow-scope books have their place, but are of little value to the angler who wants to become a well-rounded trout fisherman.

Regardless of whether your interests lie more in fly fishing or spinning, this book will show you how to catch stream trout under a wide range of conditions. We start by helping you understand trout behavior. You'll learn how trout detect danger, find food, select cover, and react to changes in weather.

Then, we'll give you a concise course on selecting stream-fishing equipment, including fly rods, lines and leaders, spinning and baitcasting tackle, and even drift boats. We'll show you how to stock your fishing vest and how to choose a good pair of waders.

The fly-fishing section starts with complete instructions for rigging your tackle properly, something that too many fly fishermen don't do. Every important fly-fishing tactic is presented using a no-nonsense approach. The basic fly casting techniques are demonstrated with clear photos that make each step easy to understand, even for a beginner. You'll learn the most productive ways to fish dry flies, wet flies, nymphs, streamers and special-purpose flies.

The spinning and baitcasting section details everything from the basic casting, trolling and drift-fishing techniques, to new methods such as jigging, to time-proven tactics like feelining with live bait. And if you're not into fly casting, we'll show you how to use flies with spinning tackle. After you learn all the best ways to catch trout, we'll give you instructions on the right way to release them so you can do your part to insure quality fishing in years to come.

A section on special situations will help you catch trout under conditions that cause big problems for many stream-trout anglers. You'll learn the tricks that help experts catch lots of trout in high water or low water, in heavy cover, at night, and even in winter. We'll also reveal the secrets of catching trophy trout.

Completing the book is a roundup of the top North American trout streams. We'll give you our top picks on regional maps, along with pertinent information on the type of stream, species present and the exact reach that offers the best fishing.

This book is much different from other trout-fishing books you've read. It doesn't try to convert you to a particular style of fishing, it lacks the elitist overtones so apparent in many books, and it won't confuse you with reams of meaningless details. What is will do is help you catch a lot more trout.