Bank-Fishing in April .sx Most of the major reservoirs open for fishing on April 1 or Good Friday , whichever is the earlier .sx When I'm standing in icy-cold water , hands purple with cold , blustery showers spattering my specs , on an all-too-typical Opening Day , I reckon the epithet 'April Fool' is well merited , but it only needs that magic pull from the first trout of the season and any discomfort is immediately forgotten as excitement takes over and the adrenalin flows !sx If we are to make the best of the April fishing , we must be prepared to accept whatever the weather throws at us - after all , we can't throw it back !sx If your reservoir is situated so that westerly , south-westerly , or southerly winds give suitable wind directions for fishing the banks , you are indeed lucky .sx Luckier still if those winds prevail during April , bringing mild cloudy conditions .sx All too often , the reverse is the case and raw north-easterlies create conditions where even newly introduced stockies are reluctant to take .sx British weather being what it is , however , I've known several Opening Days when the sun beat down and jackets were discarded in air temperatures warmer than those of the following June .sx Even after one of the comparatively mild winters we've been experiencing during recent years , one thing is fairly certain - the main body of water will still be very cold .sx The big reservoirs take many weeks for the water to reach a comfortable temperature .sx It is only the shallower water round the banks which warms up more quickly and brings the trout into a situation where they become more active and need to feed more positively .sx The bank-fisher should therefore score over the boat-angler during this month because these more productive spots are not usually available to the boat-fisher .sx These band shallows are out of bounds for boats , because reservoir rules usually prohibit them approaching within 50 metres of the bank , so anchoring-up near the bank is 'out' .sx Drifting boat methods are restricted to deep-sunk lures behind the boat , if allowed by the rules , or Highspeed HiD line over the front , with a very slow drift speed ; loch-style fishing with floating line , covering as it does the upper layers , is usually unproductive .sx Bank-fishers have the opportunity of enjoying the best of the action , fishing the most likely locations round the reservoir , places where fish are easily reached and where they are most likely to be feeding .sx Use your thermometer , and measure the temperature accurately .sx It's of little use just to dip your hand in the water .sx Look for readings above 45 degree F ( 7 degree C ) if possible , at which trout will move quite well .sx You'll be amazed at the difference between one shore and another .sx It is essential to remember that trout are cold-blooded creatures in the exact sense of the word , with their body temperature equalling that of the surrounding water .sx Body temperature controls metabolism and activity .sx In temperatures below 45 degree F ( 7 degree C ) the trout will be quite lethargic .sx Within certain limits , the warmer the water , the more active are the fish and the more likely they are to feed .sx Discussing this point with Michael Leney , a trout farmer of very long experience , he told me that 55 degree F ( 13 degree C ) is the optimum water temperature for trout .sx In stewponds , doubtless spurred on by competition from the other trout , they can take pellets in water which is only just above freezing , but conversion of the food into body weight is virtually nil at such temperatures .sx This is perhaps the equivalent of shoaling stockie rainbows taking lures on a cold opening day ?sx If recent and current weather conditions dictate that you fish into the wind , it isn't always the chore some think it is .sx Long-casting is rarely needed ; often the trout are only a few yards out , beyond any band of coloured water which has been stirred up by the waves .sx Don't bother to fish really 'dirty' water , even though it may be the warmest in the reservoir ; you can't expect trout to tolerate it , and even if they do , visibility is so poor it is doubtful if they can see your offerings .sx Fishing into the wind , remember to cut the rod-tip down through the wind to give the line that extra impetus , and keep the leader length to a minimum , with no more than two flies .sx A longer leader will just be blown back , and the flies won't fish properly until you have taken up the slack .sx Whether it's allowed or not , don't wade shores into which a strong wind is blowing .sx Owing to the cloudy water , you often cannot see the bottom , and could easily step into a deep hole .sx A heavy wave can slop over the top of your waders , a mishap I try to avoid .sx By the way , if your waders do get wet inside , when you get home pack them with screwed-up newspaper , which will absorb much of the moisture overnight ; after removing this , finish the drying process with prolonged use of a hair-dryer .sx If your reservoir isn't stocked with triploids or female rainbows , and you want to avoid our-of-condition 'black' trout , steer clear of shallows with a hard stony bottom .sx Such places are often populated with male rainbows not worth catching .sx Similarly , stay away from any spots where feeder streams or drainage trickles enter the reservoir .sx Another 'no-go' area , though for a different reason , is anywhere which dried out completely during the previous season ; all weed and insect-life will have been killed off and when the reservoir is refilled the barren bottom will not sustain any food items or offer shelter to hold trout there .sx The fish will tend to be found where last season's marginal weed remains , often 40 or 50 yards out , and at that distance they are out of range to even the expert shooting-head exponent .sx After a dry summer , and low water-levels , this means you should concentrate on the deeper parts where the bed slopes more sharply , and the weed is likely to be within reach .sx If there's a side - wind , so much the better .sx If the water is no more than 8 feet deep , I like to use a floating line and long ( say 20-foot ) leader with a leaded point fly to get down quickly .sx Deeper than that , use a WF sinking line , the sinking rate of which is determined by the slope of the bed .sx A gradually shelving bank , giving water 10-12 feet deep at 25 yards out , could be tackled with a slow-sinker ( sinking at around 2 inches per second ) ; a fast-sinker would need too fast a retrieve to avoid snagging the bottom , and in cold water a very slow retrieve is essential .sx Trout won't chase after anything moving fast .sx Even lures should be moved slowly , so select those with mobile materials such as marabou .sx Steeply-shelving bottoms or deep-water drop-offs require a fast - sinker ( sink-rate about 3 inches per second ) ; very deep water needs a very fast-sinking shooting-head , because you must cast a very long way to compensate for the greater depth to which the line must sink .sx Choice of shooting-head backing is then important ; braided monofil backing is unsuitable because it is slightly buoyant and slows down the sinking rate of the set-up .sx I prefer 30-lb-test Stren monofil in the fluorescent yellow colour ; this is thick enough to handle nicely and limp enough to resist tangles , provided you stretch it thoroughly before every fishing session .sx Join the monofil to the head with a needle knot finished with a few coats of Vycoat to facilitate passage through the rod-rings .sx A brightly-coloured shooting-head backing enables you to use the portion between rod-tip and water surface as a take-indicator , in the same way as the coarse-fisherman uses a swing-tip when ledgering .sx Any deviation from its normal angle can mean that a trout has taken the fly - you don't need to wait for the pull before tightening .sx This visible indication of a take is equally important when fishing a floating line ; when I'm figure-of-eight nymphing , there are many times when a slight lift of the line at the rod-tip tells me that a trout has my fly .sx Waiting for the pull might result in just a missed 'tweak' .sx Usually I do rely on a pull to indicate a take , however , and simply lift into it firmly ; you will rarely hear a swish as I strike , because I don't strike with terrific force like some people do .sx Lure-fishing at depth , using one lure only , requires a strong leader - point , say 8-10lb , and the leader need not be longer than 9 feet if a sinking line is used .sx The less-expert caster will find that a knotless-taper leader turns over well .sx If you prefer to fish nymphs or wet flies with a sinking line , you could increase the length to 15 feet , decrease the strength to 5 or 6lb , and have 4-inch droppers spaced at 4-foot intervals .sx Fishing into the wind , use no more than 10 feet of leader and no more than two flies .sx With any type of sinking line , one warning applies to all .sx Do not attempt to back-cast until there are only a few feet of line remaining in the water .sx Trying to lift a longer length of sunk line could result in a broken rod , and at best makes life difficult .sx In any case , fish often follow the flies up from the depths and take as the fly is about to leave the water , so it pays not to lift off too soon .sx Hang the flies at the surface for a few seconds - yes , trout will take a static fly !sx If there is no take , roll-cast the line into the air , back-cast , and then false-cast to work outside the rod-tip the amount of line you need for the next cast ; if using a shooting-head of WF line , this must only be a couple of feet longer than the head itself and the rest must be shot .sx Even if there is no sign of surface activity and no hatch of insects , I like to start with nymphs if the wind isn't too strong .sx In winds of 10 knots or more I fish a lure at this time of the year .sx Any one method is rarely the complete answer , so although my preference is always towards the imitative approach I'm not against lures .sx Those who stick stubbornly to one method miss out sooner or later .sx Be prepared to alter your technique according to conditions .sx Having chosen your specific location on the bank , and the method to be used , don't wade in straight away .sx Start fishing off the bank itself .sx Usually the water is very clear in April , with no development of suspended unicellular algae to give colour , so your approach to the water should be cautious in order not to scare any trout which may be close in .sx Cover the water with short casts at first , each cast at a different angle so that you fish a fan-shaped area .sx Lengthen the distance gradually until you are fishing at almost the full extent of your casting ability .sx Give your flies or lure time to sink to the appropriate depth before commencing the retrieve .sx Count off the seconds until the fly touches bottom or connects with weed on the retrieve , and knock off two or three seconds next time ; you will then know that you are fishing just off the bottom , where the trout probably are .sx Takes in cold water can be really quite gentle , often feeling almost as though you have hooked a bit of weed , so you must be sure that every slight stoppage is a fish and not weed .sx In any case , a fly festooned with weed or bits of bottom debris is most unlikely to be taken .sx You may get takes as the fly is falling though the water ( 'on the drop' is the term used) .sx If this happens , note the number of seconds' wait at which it occurred , and next time start the retrieve at that moment because the indication is that this is the depth at which the trout are moving .sx