1. To test the sharpness of your hook, gently place the point of the hook against your thumb’s fingernail. Then, gently scrape it down the length of your fingernail. Do not put additional pressure beyond what is required to keep the point in contact with your fingernail. If the point leaves a mark, it is sharp enough. Otherwise, replace or sharpen it.
2. When your fly/lure is caught in (or on the other side of) deep water, reel your line in until the fishing rod’s tip is touching the lure or hook. Then, use the rod tip to back the hook out.
3. When using a spinning or spincast reel and the lure gets caught, pull tightly on the line, and then quickly flip the bail or hit the button to “slingshot” the lure backwards.
4. When you make an errant cast in water where you were not aiming, do not give up on it, but “Play your lay” as they say in golf. Sometimes a trout, especially a brown trout, who is hiding off to the side, or under a rock, etc. will be atracted to the lure. I must admit that I have cast to the "wrong" location and then be surprised by a hit. Then there is "plop and drop" for the really bad cast that happen to go over a branch. Let's admit it, we have all done that, but a trout will sometime even strike your lure as it is coming out of the water as the line is being retrieved or dangled above the water. Believe it or not some trout want to commit suicide.
5. Take care of your line! If it is fly line, be sure to keep it clean. A properly cleaned line will reduce the amount of friction in the guides, decrease tangling, and improve floatation of the line on the water. And, best to all, it will preserve your line for a longer life. If you are using monofiliment, replace the line every year or more often as necessary; and be sure to test the knot often.
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