Your Top 6 Brook Trout Flies?

[CinnamonJoe]

Are the streams in that area all slow moving, low gradient streams, or are there some with more gradient and velocity?

That's a good question.

Based on my research, and very short time spent up that way on a few streams years ago, its a mix. They appear to be what we would call 'Freestone' in PA, at 1st glance, but most have significant sand bottoms, some have more subterranean spring influence than others, many in the forest are stained with tannins. I think they will be similar what I encountered in the UP of MI last year. Pure limestoners, that the Driftless area southwest of there is re-nowned for, they are 'not quite'.

Joe

 

[dudemanspecial]

Cigarette Butt

Got a receipe?

 

[SBecker]

Got a receipe?

I don't think the brand matters. I used to find they enjoyed the brown filters over the white.

I always found them to hold onto a menthol longer as well.

 

[FisherOfMen]

That's a good question.

Based on my research, and very short time spent up that way on a few streams years ago, its a mix. They appear to be what we would call 'Freestone' in PA, at 1st glance, but most have significant sand bottoms, some have more subterranean spring influence than others, many in the forest are stained with tannins. I think they will be similar what I encountered in the UP of MI last year. Pure limestoners, that the Driftless area southwest of there is re-nowned for, they are 'not quite'.

Joe

If you are in the forests with tannic water, I suggest trying the classics.

Royal Wulff wet or dry
Royal Coachman wet or dry
Brook Trout fin
etc.....

I have nothing but anecdotal evidence but I find the brook trouts natural color combination in tannic water seems to work very well. At least in the tannic water of NEPA.

 

[hooker-of-men]

1. Hair wing caddis (all purpose)
2. Foam beetle for summer when they want the “plop”
3. Walt’s worm as generic dropper
4. Heavy micro jig streamer for deep pools
5. Stonefly nymph with legs

Honorable mention: small mouse pattern. Rare use case for brookie fishing, but doesn’t get much more fun that that.

How small? I like this idea. (Though my brook trout waters are mostly short plunge pool situations, so I didn't list a streamer because I mostly don't even try.)

 

[McSneek]

Strand of red wool off my buffalo plaid shirt. Gemmies can’t resist it.

 

[CinnamonJoe]

If you are in the forests with tannic water, I suggest trying the classics.

Royal Wulff wet or dry
Royal Coachman wet or dry
Brook Trout fin
etc.....

I have nothing but anecdotal evidence but I find the brook trouts natural color combination in tannic water seems to work very well. At least in the tannic water of NEPA.

That was my experience last Fall in the UP of MI as well, in tannic, woodland waters.

Joe

 

[CinnamonJoe]

I don't think the brand matters. I used to find they enjoyed the brown filters over the white.

I always found them to hold onto a menthol longer as well.

Cheroots?

Joe

 

[purplewoolly]

Cheroots?

View attachment 1641253807

Joe

EHC 14 tan
Yellow Humpy
Royal Wulff
Adams
Bhead PT
Light tan soft hackle w/ tinsel rib

 

[sarce]

1. Foam ant
2. Golden stonefly nymph
3. Yellow stimulator
4. Woolly bugger
5. Green weenie
6. Whatever small dry fly you prefer

 

[td566]

Tan Elk Hair Caddis
Parachute Adams
Royal Wulff
Parachute black ant
Bead head Prince
Bead head hares ear
I start with a size 14, rarely switch to a 12 or 16 but still carry them

 

[jifigz]

So no one else besides me is placing a pink San Juan in their top brookie flies? Yinz' fellers are missing out.

 

[Ogdonia Ollie]

So no one else besides me is placing a pink San Juan in their top brookie flies? Yinz' fellers are missing out.

Hey, I did---actually the Dusty Weidner tye-there have been days when I never changed flies after starting with a Mutated Goofus Bug and a pink worm dropper

 

[Bamboozle]

Cigarette Butt

Got a receipe?

I don't think the brand matters. I used to find they enjoyed the brown filters over the white.

I always found them to hold onto a menthol longer as well.

I do:

 

[CinnamonJoe]

I do:

View attachment 1641253814

I mean?

Some larvae, caterpillar profile similarity...

Joe

 

[Bamboozle]

Marlboro similarity....

 

[CinnamonJoe]

So no one else besides me is placing a pink San Juan in their top brookie flies? Yinz' fellers are missing out.

For whatever reason, it just never occured to me to try it on a Brookie stream-which for me is usually late Spring/Early Summer/Fall. Right or wrong, mentally, I think of the San Juan as a early-season, high-water thing to mimic the angle worms being washed into the water just ahead of green-up in the Spring; though I know the fly had its origins actually out west.

I will devote 1 hour on the water to try it on my trip in a few weeks.

Joe

 

[JG63]

Yes to all of the above 🙄 - my additions probably wouldn’t be met with approval from late season fish, but the Light Cahill and Quill Gordon have produced many Springtime fish for me - and the Sawyer classics of Pheasant Tail and Killer Bug have caught multiple species of Trout everywhere I’ve used them -

PS: the enclosed pictures are done on more modern shaped hooks - I’m in the process of reverting to smaller gape/finer wire/straighter shank Mustad models instead of the modern scud bend variety

 

[DO_inthewoods]

Lots of good classic dry flies especially for tumbling water.

I'll add:
Purple haze parachute 14-16
Wire body wet fly (gold or copper) 12-14
Soft hackle prince/PT 10-14
Yellow and grey ghosts in 10 6xl

Ive found you don't need nearly as much weight as usual and they crazy for things acting like emergers

 

[jifigz]

For whatever reason, it just never occured to me to try it on a Brookie stream-which for me is usually late Spring/Early Summer/Fall. Right or wrong, mentally, I think of the San Juan as a early-season, high-water thing to mimic the angle worms being washed into the water just ahead of green-up in the Spring; though I know the fly had its origins actually out west.

I will devote 1 hour on the water to try it on my trip in a few weeks.

Joe

It just landed some brookies for me today on a Tioga County stream.