A rain barrel (a water butt in the UK) is a large barrel used in the collection and storeage of rain water runoff. Rain barrels are typically installed below the downspout of eaves troughs from rooftops via rain gutters. Rain barrels are devices for collecting and maintaining harvested rain.

Rain barrels are used to collect soft rain water for home use, reduce water use, and helph is developing a self-sustainable household.

Why Use a Rain Barrel?

Using rain barrels to collect rain water for your gardening needs is a great way to save money on your hydro bill, and a great way to help out the environment in a postive, nourishing way for your garden. The water that comes out of your tap when you turn it on usually comes from underground aquifers, or ground water. When it rains, the water trickles down through the earth and recharges these aquifers, which are also the source of spring fed streams, rivers, ponds and lakes. In the city, most of the earth that rain water once trickle through is now covered by either asphalt and homes. With limited areas for the rainwater to trickle into the groundwater supply, most rain water runs through municipal sewer systems and empties into the nearest river or lake. The resulting effect is that aquifers are beginning to dry up, leaving many streams a mere trickle of what they once were.

When you install a rain barrel to collect rain water, the effect is at least two fold.

1. Plants Love Rain Water

Collecting this water by placing a rain barrel below the downspout on your house allows you to deliver the water back into the earth by using it to water your garden. Plants thrive when watered with rain water….after all, plants have relied on rain for hundreds of thousands of years to live and grow. The soft water is easily absorbed by roots allowing plants to take the water in quickly.

2. Your Water Bill Will Shrink

Have a look at your water bill and you’ll quickly see how much water your household is actually using. By capturing rain water, there is the possibility of cutting your monthly water bill by 50% or more depending on how much water is used for other tasks.

Other Uses for your Rain Barrel

Consider using your rain water for washing your vehicles, lawn furniture, etc. As an added bonus, use a green, eco-friendly soap or detergent and wash these items on your lawn where possible and water your lawn with the runoff as well!!

Click Here: For more great articles with hints and tips for living a green life

In fishing these streams, you?ll find that casting is virtuallyimpossible?.so DON?T do it!! I can?t stress that enough?Do Not Cast like you would fishing larger rivers. Instead, there are a couple of tricks you can master to make fishing these streams a success.

Initially, I like to place myself upstream of potential lies, rather than downstream of them. Use extra caution when manoeuvring through the stream to prevent muddying up the areas downstream of where you are. Move slowly and deliberately. Next, strip out some line, and gradually send your fly downstream, peeling more line out as the fly drifts downstream with the current. Twitching the fly, as well as raising and lowering your rod tip will give the fly some extra motion as it drifts. Guide the fly down current seams, through pocket water, along undercut banks, and most importantly?..straight into log jams! That?s right?.with a little practice and patience, you?ll be able to drift your offering straight into a log jam without hanging up every time. Sure, you?ll go through your fair share of flies in practicing this technique, but you will develop the necessary skills to perform the manoeuvre without losing a fly and spooking the hole every time.

Another simple method is dappling. Dappling is similar to High Stick Nymphing, except you have the option of tossing a dry fly around using this method. To begin, position yourself in the stream facing either upstream or down, depending on where you?d like to place your fly. The trick is to have just enough line out to deal with the pocket or riffle you want to tackle. Gently raise your rod, and place the fly ever so gently where you?d like the drift to begin. If using a nymph, twitch the fly around a little as you allow it to settle in a pocket where you think a trout is waiting for a meal. Gently raise and lower your rod while adding the twitching action to mimic a struggling nymph. If using a dry, allow the fly to settle on the surface, and gently twitch and bounce the fly in an attempt to tantalize what lies below the waters surface.

The equipment you want to use on these tiny streams is far different from what you?d likely use on larger rivers. Sure, you could take your 10 foot 7 wt in there, but you?ll likely find more frustration that fish! I like to take along my 8 foot 4wt for these missions. Partly because of the uniquesituation that these streams present, where light tackle is far better, and partly because a ?trophy? fish in these areas will likely be no larger than 16? and rarely over a pound or so. Light tackle makes fighting these tiny gems more enjoyable, as opposed to using a heavier 6 or 7 wt and simply lifting the fish straight out of the water once hooked. I tend to stick with 6x or 7x as my tippet, coupled with a heavier leader in the 6 to 8 pound range. Leaders do not need to be overly long at all. A 5 or 6 foot leader with 1 or 2 feet of tippet material added on should be sufficient for these types of streams.

Productive flies for small stream fishing are plentiful, and you will likely find a couple that suit you just fine after you?ve had a chance to play around out there a little bit. Some of my flies of choice, and some that you should consider starting out with are listed below:

?Nymphs
o Bead Head Hares Ear
o Pheasant Tail
o March Brown
o Small Stonefly
?Dries
o Wulff Patterns
o Elk Hair Caddis
o Any high floating, high-vis hair wing patterns
?Micro Streamers
o Wooley buggers (tied on a size 10 nymph hook)
o Clouser Minnows (tied on a size 10 nymph hook)
o Zonkers (tied on a size 10 nymph hook)

So, there you have it. Small Stream fly fishing techniques simplified. Get out, and get practicing . One last note??fish every inch of any particular lie before moving on. Be sure you have covered every singe inch of water!

For more great fly fishing articles, please visit: www.flyfishontario.ca