Talisman gives a stubborn fellow trouble at first (6)
I believe the answer is:
amulet
'talisman' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'a stubborn fellow trouble at first' is the wordplay.
'stubborn fellow' becomes 'mule' (I am not sure about this - if you are sure you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'at first' suggests taking the first letters.
The initial letter of 'trouble' is 't'.
'a'+'mule'+'t'='AMULET'
'gives' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for amulet that I've seen before include "Jewel to protect from witchcraft" , "lucky defender" , "Charm warding off evil" , "Ornament worn as a charm against evil" , "Protective jewellery" .)