Practice

Successfully fishing Southeastern Minnesota trout streams requires expert casting. The first reason for this is that the streams are lined with brush and low-hanging branches that dangle just above the surface of the water. Those who can't cast well spend more time with their hooks snagged on the brush than they do fishing. My brother John and I spent hours practicing in the backyard with a 1 oz sinker tied to the end of our fishing line, casting at an ice cream bucket. Eventually, though very young, we truly became expert casters. 

The second reason that casting is so important is that the fish like to lie in the shade under those overhangs or beneath fallen logs. A perfect cast produced a lot of exciting fishing, where a poor cast simply 'spooked' the hole and left you empty. When I moved to Montana, I was invited by two young guys to go trout fishing on one of their favorite streams. They each put a worm on a hook and cast their bobber into a deep hole. 

I told them that I was going to walk the stream casting for fish.They very smugly told me that I was wasting my time. When I returned at our agreed upon time four hours later, they had one nice fish. I had my limit, and they never took me fishing again. Practice matters. Skill matters. The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:26, "I do not run aimlessly. I do not fight like a boxer beating the air." 

A limit of rainbow and brown trout.