The October long weekend is a favourite time for every trout angler.

I have been fishing a stream on the same property since I was a small kid but over the past few years the trout have been pretty quiet because of the lack of water.

This year I think it is going to be a lot better. So far we have had nice, steady rain which usually brings out the trout.

My wife, Kim, accompanied me on my most recent trout fishing trip. She hasn't had much experience chasing trout so it was a new adventure for her.

I gave her a closed-face spincasting reel, which is a great trout reel for beginners to more experienced anglers. These reels make it easy to cast light lures without getting too many tangles.

Her lure of choice was a No 2 Celta sporting red spots on the blade, an all-time trout favourite. She chose it purely because it looked pretty and was inexpensive!

Whatever the reason, this lure proved a success, provoking several hits and her first trout hook-up. It was only a baby, about 15cm, but was still fun.

Because trout can be very acrobatic, jumping out of the water and flicking around, it sometimes makes them hard to keep hooked up to. The little fish cleared the water several times, which made it even more fun.

I coached Kim the whole time, making sure she kept pressure on the line at all times.

I was using a Rapala Countdown Minnow in rainbow trout colour, which imitates a baby trout. They cast like a rocket, which helps you get under structure like blackberries, and they don't twist your line – a real bonus.

I had a pretty successful day, catching four nice pan-size trout on my Wilson 1kg to 3kg Live fibre rod and threadline reel.

I like the ‘eggbeater’ for its easy line control when casting, especially when spooled with 4lb Super Braid with two metres of Vanish fluorocarbon leader. The nice thin diameter of the 4lb braid enables longer casts, is less visible to fish and is curable around snags.

You need to have a little stretch in the leader because trout are so fast and hit hard. If you don't have a bit of stretch you will rip the hook straight out of the fish’s mouth.

In the past on this property we used to use only Celtas but one weekend I went out with my dad Barry and mate Ian Levingston.

We decided to use three different lures. I chose the rainbow trout Rapala, Ian a No2 Celta and dad a Rapala in-line spinner with a wooden body.

Ian got one hit and a nice fish, Dad landed six fish and had many hits and I landed 14 and lost a few. This just shows that it pays to experiment with different lures.

The author and wife, Kim, with their first trout of the season.