Simplicity rules in snag-ridden waters. No. 8 to 12 hooks and a selection of split-shot sinkers are easy to carry and inexpensive to replace. Small garden worms are a standby bait, but just about any organism such as insects, worms, minnows, grubs, or crustaceans found in or along the river works well on a hook. Where snags are less prevalent, jazz up live bait with an in-line spinner tied three or four inches up from the hook. Even a night crawler presented on a harness is an effective and inexpensive enticement.
Artificial lures enter when there is more room to cast and retrieve.
Bucktail jigs are great for plumbing deep runs and pools. Spinners like No. 0 to No. 3 Mepps, Blue Fox, Double Loon, E.G.B., and Panther Martin are deadly run clean or tipped with live bait. Trout plying fast water strike aggressively at minnow baits pulled across or against the current. Hot brookie colours include combinations of gold, silver, red, black, and blue. Occasionally, white or green are preferred.