Every trout fisherman is inclined to go with what works, but nothing works forever. Sooner or later, "old reliable" morphs into "the same old," and we either change the way we do things or resign ourselves to more frequent fishless days. Often, the realization that we are stuck in a rut comes in the early part of the trout season, when we must conquer harsh weather conditions and cope with wader-clad hordes before we can reasonably hope to feel a pleasant weight at the end of the line.

Competition with the elements, the fish and fellow sportsmen makes springtime the right time for anglers who are set in their ways to give themselves a tactical tune-up.

Here are some suggestions from an old-timer who has had a few fishing attitude adjustments himself. Let's start by stretching our legs.

THE PATH LESS TAKEN
When the catching is tough, the quickest way to turn your luck around is to go in a different direction from that taken by other anglers. That means hiking a good distance from popular angler parking areas and then plowing through brush as necessary to cast from the side of the stream that does not have a well-worn path along its bank.

Fishing from the opposite side will give you a fresh perspective and brand-new casting angles. You'll be able to make natural presentations to trout feeding lanes and hiding places the average angler is too lazy to check out.

I've used this simple but seldom-tried tactic on countless small streams and got my deepest satisfaction from it one day on one of the East's most famous rivers. A large brown trout was rising to March Brown duns on the far side of a strong current tongue that caused my dry fly to drag unnaturally, cast after cast. I decided to wade across a knee-deep riffle to the other bank. Creeping into position just 30 feet above the surface-feeder, I dropped a slack line and the smooth current treated my imitation to a drag-free ride down the chow line. The 21-incher took the Comparadun pattern immediately, and I thanked it by letting it go at the end of the ensuing fight.

One of the two fishermen who had watched my impulsive excursion had a profound observation afterward.

"You know, I've often thought of wading to the other side when the fish were rising in that spot," he said, "but you're the first guy I've seen who actually did it." (Continued)

FIND THE COMFORT ZONE
After enduring a long, troutless winter, many anglers eagerly rise before dawn on the season's opening day. On heavily crowded waters, such punctuality may be necessary in order to secure elbowroom on the stream bank, but springtime fishing is apt to be much better in the afternoon than it is at first light. Sleep late, if you like, and don't be afraid to stop for brunch on your way to the water, either.

Most anglers realize trout are cold-blooded creatures that are more or less vigorous and hungry as water temperatures rise and fall, but many in our fraternity don't understand how easy it is to predict when trout are most likely to be strapping on the feedbag.