Lures - and streamers are included under this heading - are designed primarily to imitate baitfish. They can also act as attractors, when their bright flashy appearance and movement is what makes them so successful. Lures are primarily associated with autumn fishing, when the fish have turned to fry feeding to fatten up for the winter. Lures are also used extensively in salmon fishing and sea fishing to act as both an attractor and an imitator. Lures can be designed to be fished at all depths, from the Muddler Minnow fished on the surface as part of a dry fly team to the huge tubes and tandems fished for salmon, lake trout and browns lurking in the deeps.

Subtlety is not a strong suit when fishing a lure as a baitfish imitation. You wouldn't hang around if you were being chased by something that wanted you for dinner! So the idea is to find an area where the trout are feeding on fry and pull your lure through the melee. Look for fry jumping or the swirls as the trout crash through the shoal just below the surface. This is most likely to be in a shallow area such as a bay or an area where the fry might seek shelter, like a jetty - but don't fish next to the boat jetty if it is in use!

These are essentially strips of rabbit fur tied along the shank of a long shanked hook. The fur undulates invitingly as it is pulled through the water. One potential drawback of this lure is that a portion of the strip of fur protrudes beyond the bend of the hook. This has a tendency to wrap itself around the bend of the hook during casting. This can be very frustrating because the fault will not be noticed until you have pulled the pure back – and no fish is going to be interested in a lump of fur with no wiggle factor! The answer to this problem is to put just a tiny drop of superglue on the skin of the protruding strip, avoiding contact with the fur. This will dry and stiffen the skin, thereby overcoming its tendency to twist during casting.