Finding Brookie Streams ..

[Swattie87]

Generally speaking yes. But that's based upon where you most often find Brookies...in relatively remote, small, headwater freestone streams. These streams don't have a lot of food in them, hence the Brookies aren't very particular.

If you're fishing Brookies in a fertile limestoner, say Big Spring for example, they can be very selective with what they're eating and when.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Generally that's true, though I've been on wild streams with hatches going on (Lyman Run during the Green Drake hatch), and its amazing. That was browns and brookies though. The browns were definitely keyed into the drakes. I caught plenty of brookies too, but who knows if they would have hit a caddis or something just as hard. I didn't fish anything else once the drakes came out.

99 out of 100 days on a brookie stream though, I find a wulff or elk hair caddis works just fine.

 

[Swattie87]

What Squatch said is true...although most small freestoners don't have prolific hatches like the big famous streams do. If you get caught in one on a Brookie stream, it's almost bad luck as they may key in on that one insect when normally just about anything would take them. It's a pretty rare occurrence though. On small Brookie freestoners, I rarely notice anything hatchin en masse.

 

[stevehalupka]

stagger,

i carry ehc, adams, a few midges (if they are being selective) and stimulators..

stimulators 90% of the time. this pic sums it up. they'll eat anything, including things bigger than their head.

just to show you how big... i caught this (look behind fly, it was coughing something up when i was holding it)

ended up being a dace (I thought a small wild bow, as it was a wild bow stream)

 

[Stagger_Lee]

Good stuff guys .. hoping to get to either Bass pro or Cabelas to test out and get my rod, reel, and set up. Looking forward to 2013!

I think if I can get into stealth mode this can not only be very enjoyable but also a nice confidence booster.

Steve .. nice fish. Have yet to use a stimulator.

 

[troutbert]

Stagger_Lee wrote:

Of all the photos I have seen on this site, some of the brookies are just stunning. There seems to be a beauty and adventures aspect to this.

"beauty and adventures" Well said.

 

[stevehalupka]

when i started fly fishing, i was hooked on small wild streams.. learning to utilize casting lanes and getting good at punching casts to holes where you are on your knees and can only backcast in one small lane will prepare you for other kinds of fishing.. like tricos or spring creeks where stealth is needed.

it just makes you conscious of your casting... you're not just out there throwing loops w. no worry of where you can get tangled in the trees behind you.

 

[Chaz]

My strategy for wild brookies streams in the spring and summer is to fish what I see hatching, and there's always something hatching if you're looking. If that doesn't catch anything then I go to an attractor pattern.
I've hit many brookie streams when there's hatches occurring, and it really is pretty selective fishing. Just this year during the green drake hatch, that's all brookies would take. Except for Lyman Run which gets a lot of angler action, they were pretty remote streams that don't see a lot of anglers at all.

 

[Stagger_Lee]

Chaz ... seems this thread is the 1st I have seen where green drakes are discussed. Do these hatches occur on popular stocked streams? If yes, what time of the year do they?


///I'm gonna have to learn to tie flies at some point

 

[pcray1231]

Drakes do hatch on some popular stocked streams, namely in the NC areas of the state. 1st Fork, Pine, Kettle, upper Allegheny, etc.

Drakes are the panacea of hatches in PA, the hatch by which all others seem to be measured. Massive in size and numbers, it can get ridiculous. Short in duration and heavily fished, though. That can get ridiculous too, for many it's more of a pilgrammage or celebration of mayflies than a prime fishing opportunity.

Last week of May, first week of June is pretty typical for PA, plus or minus a week or two depending on the year. It's mostly a freestone hatch on larger waters, though Penns and Big Fishing Creek are world famous limestoners with heavy hatches. On smaller waters like they're talking, it's often overlooked and not so impressive, but can offer excellent fishing.

In any one location, the hatch will last about a week at most, and peak for only 2 or 3 days. But it generally moves upstream, so at the bottom end, it may start up to a week earlier than at the top. And colder streams start after warmer ones. So if you're on top of it and willing to follow the hatch all over to different areas and different streams, you can probably be on them for a solid 2 weeks or more.

Our spring jam is generally timed to precede the drakes, and thus avoid the drake crowds. But we've had multiple times where we've hit the very early stages.

 

[csoult]

Last year drakes were there

 

[pcray1231]

P.S. In my experience, a drake hatch on small mountain freestoners indeed brings spectacular fishing. Gets the fish active and looking up in feeding lies, they recover faster from a spooking, and you can often locate them via rise forms and thus cast to the right spots.

But even then, they'll hit just about anything you throw out there.

To answer the top dry flies question, for me:

1. Parachute Adams
2. Adams Wulff
3. Humpy
4. Stimulator

Come spring/summer, I'll take you out to a brookie stream or two. Better yet, go to the jam, that's usually the unofficial start of the "brookie season" for me. I spend most of my early springs on larger waters with hatches. Brookie streams are usually pretty cold and don't fish well early season. By May, though, peak timing on big streams fades to morning and evening, and midday fishing on brookie waters starts to really pick up. So you can split up the day. By mid-June, brookies are on all the time.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

I enjoy drakes on Kettle, Pine, Lyman, etc. more than Penn's, but I think that's because the crowds aren't as severe. I've caught them on the Pine several times, that was a bit more crowded than I prefer, but I've also caught them on Kettle and the crowds weren't any worse than any other May evening.

 

[MKern]

My best advise is to....

Spook the first few holes to get a sence forf where the fish like to hide and so you can see the darting fish.
No more than 5 cast or 2 good ones per whole (well most of the time).
Always walk with your fly in your hand and excess line in the other. I personally skip a lot of spots because my fly is on the hook keeper and it's too much of a hassle to undo it.
I also rarely cast; more like toss and encourage the fly to a certain area.

 

[dc410]

Stagger,

Nice job on starting a great thread. There is a lot of great information accumulating here from a group of guys with a bunch of experience. Your going to have a lot of fun over this next season exploring some of these little wild trout waters. Steve, nice pictures of that little brookie barfin' up that dace. Pretty cool stuff!
Looks like the wild trout contingency has the native brookie "go to" dry fly list shaping up very firmly. Good luck, these little fish are just a blast!

 

[Chaz]

What Pt said. When I was fishing last May up in NC the only place I fished that was stocked was Pine Creek. There the green drake hatch rivals that hatch anywhere.
I ws fishing the drakes alone, no one was around and the brookies were pounding the fly. As for when I've seen them anywhere from 3rd week of May to the end of the 1st week of June. A lot depends on where you are.

 

[Stagger_Lee]

Thanks to all for the help in this thread, PM's and emails. Found 2 spots in the poconos yertday AM but was only able to to fish one as I had issues with access, posted land, etc ... think next time I'm going to find/hit some that are in public forests. By 11:30 - ish got a lil frustrated and headed down to the LL.

 

[csoult]

Glad to help.

 

[afishinado]

Stagger_Lee wrote:
Thanks to all for the help in this thread, PM's and emails. Found 2 spots in the poconos yertday AM but was only able to to fish one as I had issues with access, posted land, etc ... think next time I'm going to find/hit some that are in public forests. By 11:30 - ish got a lil frustrated and headed down to the LL.

Good for you Stagger. There are some real nice streams to explore up there.

It's best to do your research with maps, NR listings, etc., and always include a Plan B and C in case the stream is posted, not fishable, or not productive. Streams running through public land are always a good bet to at least assure accessibility.

 

[Stagger_Lee]

Yea Afish .. going to be hit and miss as I get the feel when I explore alone.

Last year, the 1st time I went out by myself not on a creek called the Neshimany, I had a day planned out to hit pickering creek. Spent most of the day driving around Pheonixville, crossing over the creek numerous times. My inexperience led me to not finding (or knowing where to look) any access points, parking, etc .. same thing later on that day when I finally just went to VC but thought the creek was only the small section in VForge park.

Part of the good ole' learning curve!