Quietly wading in and back-trolling flies is an effective way to target trout in tough-to-access water, like tail-outs. Photo by Scott Haugen.

Now is the time for anglers to hit the water in search of rainbows.

Here's a look at some of the most effective tactics when it comes to targeting river-run trout.

SIDE-DRIFTING
If you're drifting through long sections of water in a boat, side-drifting is very effective. It can also be applied in smaller streams, or where short drifts can be made through small sections of holding water.

In side-drifting, the oarsman holds the boat slightly slower than the flow of the natural current, and the angler casts upstream at roughly a 45-degree angle. Use the same tackle as you would drift-fishing. Let your terminal gear travel downstream with the natural flow of the river. It'll move downstream about the same speed as the boat, maybe a bit faster. Use just enough weight to occasionally tick the bottom, but you don't want it dragging and hanging up. A split shot sinker allows you to easily add and remove weight.

Side-drifting is a great way to cover water and search for fish. Due to water temperature and food funnels this time of year, once you find one rainbow, you can bet others will be near.

BACK-TROLLING BAIT
Along with side-drifting, back-trolling bait is one of the most effective ways to catch rainbows from a boat.

Back-trolling is a very controlled presentation that's often overlooked when it comes to trout. There are many settings where back-trolling pays off. Here are a few:

• Fast flowing riffles
• Current seams
• Deep, fast water that separates a riffle from a hole.

Once the target water is identified, be sure the boat is under control. Do not allow it to move downstream too quickly, or this approach won't work. The boat should move downstream at approximately half the flow rate of the river. In some fast water situations, the boat may be anchored in one spot to let the presentation work from that point.

Back-trolling bait is simple. Luhr Jensen makes a series of small divers that work great for this. You can also use plugs as divers. Remove the hooks. Tie the mainline to a Duo-Lock swivel and snap it to the eye on the top of the Hot Shot's bill. Tie a 30-inch leader to the eye the hooks were on. Add a Size 6 worm hook or egg hook, bait, and run the line out 30-40 feet.

I like Hot Shots as divers. They work great for taking the bait down and their flashy color attracts fish. Silver is a favorite color. Worms, single eggs, even salad shrimp, can be threaded on to the hook as bait.

BACK-TROLLING FLIES
Another technique that works well this time of year is back-trolling flies. Tail-outs, especially shallow, clear, fast-moving ones, can be tough to fish, yet trout routinely hold in them. You could swing baits and hardware by these fish with some success, but avoiding hang-ups and controlling the speed can be a challenge. This is where a fly may be the best option.

For bank-anglers, wade into the target water. Take care not to spook the fish. You can often work your way across a large portion of a riffle, picking up fish as you go. If you're not a seasoned fly angler, don't worry; simply hop in a boat and back-troll the flies downstream.

Because there will be shallow water covering this approach, a floating line is all that's needed. Four to 6 feet of leader is ideal, tipped with one or two flies. A Muddler Minnow is tough to beat when it comes to trout. Tied to a 12-inch dropper midway up the leader, a bead-head pattern serves as an additional attractor and helps keep the trailing fly down towards the bottom. Use a two-fly setup. It's not uncommon to get strikes on both patterns.