Although I had used spinners for steelhead and salmon fishing for years, I had never used them regularly for mountain trout fishing until I met Eric Momyer and Marla Allison at Ebbetts Pass Sporting Goods in Arnold. After they advised me to bring along 1/4 to 1/8 ounce black/ gold spinners on a trip to the North Fork of the Stanislaus River, I was amazed what casting spinners can do for an otherwise mediocre trip. Here are some examples:

On a day last summer when bait was producing tough action on the Middle Fork of the Cosumnes River, I landed one rainbow after another. I kept my limit and amazed what casting spinners can do for an otherwise mediocre trip. Here are some examples:

On a day last summer when bait was producing tough action on the Middle Fork of the Cosumnes River, I landed one rainbow after another. I kept my limit and released numerous others while tossing 1/8 ounce black and gold Panther Martin spinners. On a white water trip on the

South Fork of the American River with Sheldon Bright, we caught and released around 20 native rainbows using Panther Martins when nothing else worked.

After having fun fly fishing on the wild trout section of West Fork of the Carson with guide Mark Wiza, I decided to fish by myself in the open regulation water. After catching nothing on bait, I started casting Panther Martins in a deep hole and experienced incredible fishing.

This list of great days I have had since trying this simple lure, the spinner, could go on and on. I have hooked rainbows, browns and cutthroats while using these spinners in Sierra streams. Why are the Panther Martins so effective?

One reason is because the double reverse concave-convex blade attaches directly "through the shaft," without a swivel. This unique design maximizes water flow over the blade to produce a blade rotation that genuinely imitates living creatures that fish feed on, according to the manufacturer. Also, the constant 40-degree angle of blade is always in a balanced position, making it easy to cast with perfect motion- even on upstream casts. "The Panther Martins have a real good blade design that really entice the fish to bait," said Erik Momyer of Ebbetts Pass Sporting Goods. "Also, these lures apparently imitate aquatic insects moving through the water."

Momyer said you want to match your lure to the water color, light conditions and stream size. In clear water and during periods of bright sun, use yellow and silver lures. In low light conditions in the morning and evening or on cloudy days, fish with black and gold or black and red patterns.

The size of spinners should be geared towards the size of the stream and flows. Carry spinners in sizes 1/32, 1/16, 1 8 and 1/4 ounce with you. Use the heavier spinners for higher flows and larger streams and the lighter spinners in lower flows and smaller streams.

Although I prefer the Panther Martins, the popular Rooster Tails, Mepps, Blue Fox and other spinners will all produce lots of fish. Both Momyer and I have found the best action when working the heads and tails of pools, often in the white water, rather than in the long flats or slow-moving pools of streams. Other productive spots include downed trees, stumps, large boulders and undercut banks that provide cover for trout.

The retrieve is based roughly on the type of water and depth you fish. In larger streams, I like to cast slightly upstream as I would for steelhead or salmon, and let the spinner drift with the current in quicker water. Once the spinner reaches the tail of the pool or riffle, I begin retrieving it slowly. Many times the fish will hit it right near the shore around rocks and boulders.

In smaller streams and in low water conditions with relatively little current, I like to cast the spinner and reel it in slowly, just enough so that the blades vibrate and spin.

Parallel casting down stream and reeling it slowly in eddies near boulders and other cover can also be very effective, according to Momyer. The larger fish, particularly browns, will often hang near shore around rocks, stumps and fallen trees.

Fan casting - starting with a long cast and progressively working it closer to shore - allows you to cover a lot of water with the spinner. The key to successful spinner fishing is to fish a lot of productive water effectively - and the use of polarized glasses greatly aids you in seeing concentrations of fish for you to target.

When you plan on catching and releasing, make sure you crimp the barbs on your hooks to facilitate an easy, quick release. Also, make sure that your hooks and lures are in conformance with the regulations in the stream that you're fishing.