Favorite Brook Trout Nymphs

[Foxgap239]

Hey guys. I use a limited (very limited like 1) number of attractor nymphs for my brook trout excursions but I want to build up a box specifically for brookies. What are your favorite brookie nymphs?

I primarily use a pink SJ with a bead and it does well but on days when that doesn't work, I really have no attractor backups.

Thanks.

 

[bigjohn58]

This year I caught almost ALL my brookies on just a simple tan san juan worm tied on a #12 caddis curve hook. So simple to tie. Maybe just change up your colors.

 

[Tigereye]

Agree on color factor. I like Hot Spot Hares Ear. Bright Green and Fl. Orange seem to be favorites on Luzerne/Carbon/Skuke Co. streams. YMMV

 

[MKern]

I like to tie my brookie nymphs on a 2x fine dry fly hook for better hook penetration.

No tails
Two different colors of dubbing
Wire rib
Gold bead.

My idea is that the contrasting colors give a visual and entice strikes. The bead is flash and weight. the rib is for durability. And missing a tail prevents the tail fibers from keeping the hook from going in the fish's mouth.

It basically looks like a florescent caddis.

Its simple so that it it gets hung up in a tree or on roots I won't care if it breaks off.

 

[tztrout]

14 or 16 Rainbow Warrior- they love that flash!

 

[Foxgap239]

Yep, Rainbow Warriors now on the tying docket!

 

[just_jon]

Nymphing for brookies!! Heresy.

 

[Swattie87]

I don't have too many nymphs in my Brookie box. My idea of a nymph for Brookies is generally a very small Bugger. Something like an inch long total on maybe a size 14 or 16 hook. Beyond that I have a few SJW and GW's, and a few rubberleg Prince's and the like...though I really never use them.

I also have a few smaller (size 16ish) Bird of Prey Caddis nymphs in there that I once in a while tie off a dry.

 

[Dave_W]

I agree with MKern that contrasting colors work well for brookies (we're talking here about wild fish in mountain streams).

I like a soft-hackle wet fly with an orange or chartruese bead typically a size 14 or so. Brookies are impressed by color and movement.

 

[RLeep2]

I have a couple hundred Pink Squirrels in 12-16 (yet another of the "hot spot" type nymphs) left over from my years fishing Wisconsin. While generally useless (IMO anyway..) on PA freestone wild browns, they work well on wild Brook Trout. They (fished in tandem with a green weenie) also hammered the bejeepers out of brookies in New Hampshire this past Summer.

 

[Prospector]

Foxgap, You are on the right track gathering some good attractor patterns for wild fish and the advice above is very good. In addition carry about 6 natural nymph patterns, maybe 3 pheasant tail and 3 March brown (whatever is common in the area you fish). It doesn’t happen much but there is one stream I fish that gets enough pressure that naturals work better than attractors. But this is really rare.

 

[Volksnurse]

Someone once told me to use a pink SJW as a dropper off a Stimi or EHC. Still works like a charm. Thanks George!

 

[PennKev]

Swattie87 wrote:
I don't have too many nymphs in my Brookie box. My idea of a nymph for Brookies is generally a very small Bugger. Something like an inch long total on maybe a size 14 or 16 hook. Beyond that I have a few SJW and GW's, and a few rubberleg Prince's and the like...though I really never use them.

I also have a few smaller (size 16ish) Bird of Prey Caddis nymphs in there that I once in a while tie off a dry.

I think if you throw in a few GRHE's that's pretty much all you'd ever need.

 

[edhank]

pink lively legz pheasant tail nymph

 

[jifigz]

There are definitely a few patterns that get the majority of my brookie fishing done. Those would include San Juan worms (in bright pink and a more natural color, but usually fish bright pink) buggers in various colors, caddis larva, green weenies, and basic pheasant tails with a thread tied hotspot. Of those patterns I'd say that bright pink SJW and buggers catch the lion's share of my brookies. There have definitely been days where the caddis larva and other more natural patterns far out fished the others.