An angler is a man who spends rainy days sitting around on the muddy banks of rivers doing nothing because his wife won’t let him do it at home. Marital bliss must be alive and well because last week I talked to anglers at half a dozen different lakes and ponds. Most of them were doing nothing.

One guy had tied a hook directly to the end of the main line and had a worm on it. He couldn’t figure out why he couldn’t cast farther than the end of his rod. A father and son were sitting in a truck watching their poles. When they reeled in, I saw split shot crimped on main lines, big snap swivels and short, heavy snelled leaders on big worm hooks.

They were rigged up OK for catfish. The problem was they were fishing for trout.

When they went home they probably said, “The fishing was good; it was the catching that was bad.”

I saw two retirees fishing with fly rods for stocker trout in a kids-only pond. They were using huge Spin-N-Glos with nightcrawlers, baits that might have worked for chinook salmon. But the closest salmon was a 100 miles away.

Call me old fashioned, but I think people, when they go fishing for trout, should know how to rig up for trout. It’s important to the people who love us.

Zenna Schaffer put it this way: “Give a man a fish and he has food for a day; teach him how to fish and you can get rid of him for the entire weekend.”

If it is important to catch a fish when you go fishing, here are three easy ways to catch trout and lots of them.

Paste baits/jar baits

Use a paste bait when fish are closer to the bottom, particularly when the water is cold in the early season. Slide a bullet sinker onto the main line and then tie on a barrel swivel. Tie on a 30-inch 4- to 6-pound test leader terminated at a No. 12-16 treble hook. Pinch a bit of the paste bait, roll it in a ball and cover the hook with the dough.

Cast out, let the bait sink to the bottom, then leave it. Set the rod down and watch it. When the line starts to move, pick up the rod and reel in.

This rig catches fish and it kills them. So don’t plan on fishing for sport or catch-and-release. Use this method when fishing for a dinner.

Bobber, worm/bobber and egg

The bobber and worm rig is just as effective as ever. It’s a great way for a kid to learn the basics of the sport. Rig up this way when fish are active and higher in the water column, 2- to 4-feet below the surface.

Tie a swivel to the main line. Tie on a leader about 24-inches long. Tie on a No. 8-12 bait holder hook if fishing with a worm. Use a No. 12 hook if fishing with salmon eggs. When using nightcrawlers, cut the worm into pieces instead of using the whole worm. Pinch on a bobber above the swivel. Pinch a couple of small split shot on the leader.

Cast out, set the rod down and watch the bobber. When the bobber starts to move, let it bounce a couple of times then set the hook.

Both of the above rigs work in dirty water when fish have to search for their food by scent. Use a fly and float when the water is clear.

Fly and bubble

One of the most effective rigs for catching hatchery trout in clear water is a spinning rod rigged with 6-pound test mainline and a float and fly combo. Slide a clear plastic bubble over the main line. Tie on a swivel. Tie on a 48-inch, 4-pound test leader and finish with a No. 10 Red Tag Woolly Worm. At the lake, fill the plastic bubble with water, which provides the weight necessary for long casts. If the fly doesn’t sink fast enough, put on a small split shot.

Cast and reel it back S-L-O-W. Keep moving around the pond until fish are located. This is a good method for catch and release.

Fishing is not all that hard, but using the wrong baits and fishing in the wrong spots will definitely lower an angler’s success rate. Make it easy for the fish to find your bait or fly. Fish where fish are located.

Still need help? Stop at a sporting goods store. Take your rod and tackle box inside. They’re going to sell you something, but get a tackle expert to rig the rod the right way. They’ll do it if you ask nicely. Pay attention so you can do it next time. Then go fishing. Your loved ones want you to.

— Gary Lewis is the host of Frontier Unlimited TV and author of John Nosler — Going Ballistic, Fishing Mount Hood Country, Hunting Oregon and other titles. Contact Gary at www.GaryLewisOutdoors.com