Friday, July 4, 2014

muggy, thunderstorms, and brook trout

Hi folks, I have bee dodging thunderstorms the last couple of days while small stream fishing for brook trout with clients.  It has been awful muggy and hot out there with thunderstorms each afternoon.  Brook levels are low and below the seasonal average.  Been pretty dry.  The only game for trout fishing right now are small brooks.  All of the big rivers are too warm and the fish should be left alone.  I have found water temperatures on low sixties on the brooks I have been guiding.  Yesterday the water temperature was 63 degrees which is pretty warm for this particular stream.  Been working up stream in clear water with a #10 parachute hopper pattern.  Seems to be brook trout in every spot you cast.  Brook trout are not giant, but awful greedy and willing to eat dry flies.  Nice dead drifts with little slack fly line is the key to getting strikes and hooking trout in these small brooks.  Our small streams are our best trout fishing options for native brook trout and wild rainbows and browns.  Our big rivers have a mix of wild fish and stocked fish.   Not a big fan of stocked trout.  Going smallmouth fishing this morning.  Looks like a cool down for the next few days which will make fishing a bit more pleasant.  Happy 4th of July. Remember to clean your gear and keep the non-native species at home.  Have fun, Willy