"Anglers need to remember that after a little while, browns will disperse into whatever available habitat they can find," said Axon.

"They won't stay in just the spot where we release them, and they will move up and downstream, searching for good food supplies and aquatic insects, which should be hatching in early summer. Use lures that imitate insects or something in a crawfish pattern that will look like natural prey.

"You may find more activity on top at times, but most of the time browns tend to stay closer to the bottom, so getting your lure down there might be the most effective tactic," said the biologist.

The East Fork of Indian Creek is one of a handful of Kentucky streams where a delayed harvest management approach is being employed for trout fishing. From October through March, all trout fishing must be catch-and-release, which helps to maintain a population of fish able to grow for a while before becoming susceptible to the creel.

To further protect a portion of the population, during the no-harvest period, only artificial flies and lures are permitted. Using artificial baits vs. organic or live bait reduces the mortality on fish that must be released.

Trammel Fork is marked with signs and is fairly easy to find just south of Scottsville. Take state Route (SR) 2160 south about seven miles to Concord Church Road, turn right and you should run right across the creek. You can also stay on SR 2160, go another mile or so, turn right on the first gravel road that also crosses the creek.

Remember that some property along the creek is private land, and the law requires anglers to have the landowner's permission before fishing on private land.

Trammel Fork receives a release of 400 browns to supplement the 1,600 rainbows it gets annually. It is wide in many spots, with a series of fast and slow water interchanges. The stream offers a variety of fishing in the bank cover, as well as wading through riffles and pools.

Wading is possible and in most places the canopy cover is high enough that long casts with long rods shouldn't be too much trouble. Expect clear water conditions most of the time, unless a significant rain has occurred.

Laurel Creek is in some of the steepest, most difficult, gorge-like territory, according to Axon. You will probably want to travel light and pay particular attention to proper footwear. Laurel gets a 500-fish booster brown trout shot each year, in addition to about 1,000 rainbows.

Close by, using a county map book or a Kentucky Atlas & Gazetteer, you can also locate Big Caney Creek. It runs on the north side of SR 32 in Elliott County and eventually becomes a tributary of Grayson Lake. It likewise gets stocked with 500 browns, and should present some better quality fishing opportunities.

As with most stream fishing, you simply have to get into the territory and spend some time learning the stream and finding the most "potentially good-looking" water. It takes time and effort, but you likely won't have to do much sharing if you're willing to do the on-foot research. Most anglers aren't going to hike and climb and exert themselves to try this kind of fishing experience.

The high cliffs and rugged terrain is one reason why access is limited to boats that launch in the Kentucky and travel up the Dix to the dam. The cold water coming from the bottom of the lake through the dam maintains a suitable environment for trout, and the singular access helps increase the chances of some larger trout being able to remain in the population. Growth has been found to be good, and fishing by casting or drifting artificials only out of a boat or while wading is workable here.

While the Dix River is occasionally subject to a washout when the Kentucky River floods, the KDFWR has altered its stocking time to try to avoid the spring high-water period. Axon says that trout that get flooded out into the Kentucky aren't usually able to find their way back, but from midsummer on, what trout that are released generally stay in the tailwater. When the following spring rainfall is normal or light, it gives these browns even more time to grow to the 15-inch minimum size limit. The Dix River from the dam downstream to the Kentucky River also carries a lower three-fish daily limit on browns, and can be fished with artificial lures only; so leave the worms and cheese at home on this trip.

There are a few other streams stocked with brown trout as part of the put-grow-take program. Most are located in the Daniel Boone National Forest. All of Kentucky's trout streams are listed in the 2004 Kentucky Trout Waters brochure, and usually any changes in regulations are highlighted in that brochure, as well as in the Sport Fishing & Boating Guide. You'll note in these publications that brown trout fishing opportunities also occur on the Ft. Campbell and Ft. Knox military reservations. You may want to pick up a post hunting/fishing permit on these lands and try their trout fishing streams.

While Axon believes most of the brown trout fishing opportunities have been fleshed out over the last few years, he does note that laws to help maintain quality brown trout fishing (and rainbow) continue to be fine-tuned.

One major change being considered in the Cumberland River below Wolf Creek Dam is to require all anglers to have a trout permit while fishing this tailwater and any feeder tributary up to the first riffle. According to Axon, the majority of anglers who fish in the tailwater will go after trout at sometime during the year, and need the permit to keep trout anyway. Likewise, a permit may be required for fishing Hatchery Creek below the national fish hatchery facility, regardless of whether trout are kept or released.

If the change is adopted, it would likely take effect in March 2005, so stay tuned.

Kentucky's trout fishing program has been greatly enhanced by the inclusion of brown trout in streams and tailwaters wherever possible. If you're looking for a new experience, investigate these streams as some of the better spots to try. You may find some surprisingly good fishing you never realized existed.