Fishing for Large Brook Trout

[dudemanspecial]

I want to do this so bad. I would go to Labrador over any other trip , including Alaska, in a heartbeat. It is crazy expensive though. I should start putting a little money aside here and there so I can do it once my kids are out of the house.

One of my fears is the thought of not being able to do these types of things when I actually have time and money to do them.

 

[Prospector]

I've never really wanted to go to Canada "Brookie Chasing." The Southern Tier of New York has drawn my attention as of late. This YouTube video certainly caught my attention:

As I understand it the Southern Tier begins just north of the NY/PA border.

That stream wasn’t very crowded for what was lurking beneath the surface.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

DEC Fish Hatcheries

Big Brook Trout.

DEC Fish Hatcheries

Got your interest?

https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/ischuacreek.pdf

Spring 2024 Trout Stocking for Cattaraugus County

The following listing reflects the anticipated number of yearling and older trout to be stocked into listed Cattaraugus County waters during spring 2024.

www.dec.ny.gov

Spring 2024 Trout Stocking for Cattaraugus County

The following listing reflects the anticipated number of yearling and older trout to be stocked into listed Cattaraugus County waters during spring 2024.

www.dec.ny.gov

Just a teaser more to follow. GG

 

[troutbert]

I watched a YouTube video of brook trout fishing on Prince Edward Island. The guy said he'd only been flyfishing 3 years and had never fished there before. Some local guys (guides?) were showing him around.

When they got to the stream he said it's just loaded with brook trout, you can just see them swimming around. And they start catching nice sized brookies. They're fishing right on top of them, casting from the bank, fishing from the side. The trail along the stream is very wide and heavily worn. There's a fire circle along the stream.

I suspect that they're hatchery trout.

 

[caddisflyer]

I watched a YouTube video of brook trout fishing on Prince Edward Island. The guy said he'd only been flyfishing 3 years and had never fished there before. Some local guys (guides?) were showing him around.

When they got to the stream he said it's just loaded with brook trout, you can just see them swimming around. And they start catching nice sized brookies. They're fishing right on top of them, casting from the bank, fishing from the side. The trail along the stream is very wide and heavily worn. There's a fire circle along the stream.

I suspect that they're hatchery trout.

I looked up PEI online and they have a lot of Brook Trout hatceries adding fish in different stages of development ,from fry to adults.
I think a lot of the bigger Brook Trout people catch in PA and elsewhere are hatchery fish. Same with the big Tiger Trout showing up in places. There's a reason the remaining native Brook Trout places are remote and guarded secrets. Very few and far between. And don't handle fishing pressure well.

 

[GANGGREEN]

Large brookies have almost been part of my dream. I always intended to take a "retirement trip" to Newfoundland, Labrador, etc. etc. for giant brookies and when I actually got around to retiring the trip didn't happen (probably money, but perhaps life and family just got in the way). I don't want to fish the really giant, fast rivers out of a boat, I want to wade and cast flies to really large fish. I don't wish to pay exorbitant fees to a lodge and I'm coming around to the idea of maybe just going to Maine or somewhere for "nice brookies", say 15-16 inchers. They're still some of the most beautiful fish around.

I spent 3 weeks in Cape Breton Island (Nova Scotia) many years ago and that's another place I wouldn't mind returning to for Brookies. I didn't have the opportunity to fish for them on that trip because I was working 7 days a week and 14 hour days while there and just didn't have the energy at the end of the day to even consider it.

 

[wildtrout2]

I think a lot of the bigger Brook Trout people catch in PA and elsewhere are hatchery fish. Same with the big Tiger Trout showing up in places. There's a reason the remaining native Brook Trout places are remote and guarded secrets. Very few and far between. And don't handle fishing pressure well.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[Prospector]

DEC Fish Hatcheries

Big Brook Trout.

DEC Fish Hatcheries

Got your interest?

https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/fish_marine_pdf/ischuacreek.pdf

Spring 2024 Trout Stocking for Cattaraugus County

The following listing reflects the anticipated number of yearling and older trout to be stocked into listed Cattaraugus County waters during spring 2024.

www.dec.ny.gov

Spring 2024 Trout Stocking for Cattaraugus County

The following listing reflects the anticipated number of yearling and older trout to be stocked into listed Cattaraugus County waters during spring 2024.

www.dec.ny.gov

Just a teaser more to follow. GG

Interesting. I have some familiarity with this area. I hunted turkey and deer nearby in the late 1980s. Only fished once and I didn’t catch anything. No one else fishing for trout. I was still green back then. As I moved my NY hunting trips closer to home I would drive across the PA line and fish in McKean Co where I had more success than in NY.

 

[Wetfly01]

Prospector,

To your questions. I also fish for brook trout in northern PA about 10 to 15 times a year. Wish I could do it a little more often. My son and I have had some awesome trips together in Potter County chasing brook trout.

In 2022 I finally got to fulfill a bucket list trip to Labrador for big brook trout (5 to 8 lbs.) and big pike. This trip was put together by Rick Nyles of Sky Blue Outfitters, who I guide for here in PA. This trip was absolutely first class. The trip was at Igloo Lake Lodge in Labrador. We did some trolling on the lake and casted to the shorelines for brook trout and pike. The trolling was different but effective. We also fished a river out of the lake which was all wading. Streamers and dry flies were the game on the river. Watching some of the guys hooking those big brook trout on dries was mind blowing.

Me personally I accomplished catching a dozen or so big brook trout, definitely the largest I think I'll ever catch. But when I found out they had big pike in the lake and in the river the trout flies were put away and the big flies were brought out. Big pike were also on my bucket list. The pike averaged around the mid to high 30 inch range, as far as pounds no clue. Alls, I know is I landed a lot of pike in my days there. Both fish weren't very picky on fly selections. We were all using different sizes and colors of flies, and everyone had some nice catches. My go to fly was a yellow and gold Murdich minnow about 5 inches long. The brook trout and pike loved that fly. All fish were released and unharmed.

As I said this trip was first class. From the float plane ride into the lodge to all of the accommodations at the lodge. All the guides were great, and they knew their stuff. O'yea and the food that the cooks prepared breakfast, lunch and supper at the lodge was incredible. Yes, this bucket list trip was a little pricey, but as that saying goes "You get what you pay for". And I can honestly tell you this trip was worth every penny.

So, with all that said Igloo Lake Lodge has a website (igloolake.com) and they will be at the Edison Fly Fishing Show in New Jersey this weekend. Check them out.

 

[krayfish2]

I'm obsessed with brook trout

Well, there's the understatement of the year

 

[silverfox]

Well, there's the understatement of the year

You're obsessed with trolling. What's your point?

The OP posted a question and there were 29 positive posts on that topic, and then you have to come in and run your mouth like a 12 year old. Congratulations. Do you feel better now?

 

[sarce]

I watched a YouTube video of brook trout fishing on Prince Edward Island. The guy said he'd only been flyfishing 3 years and had never fished there before. Some local guys (guides?) were showing him around.

When they got to the stream he said it's just loaded with brook trout, you can just see them swimming around. And they start catching nice sized brookies. They're fishing right on top of them, casting from the bank, fishing from the side. The trail along the stream is very wide and heavily worn. There's a fire circle along the stream.

I suspect that they're hatchery trout.

This one was called out in the caption as sea-run.
Instagram link

 

[gulfgreyhound]

I've caught more and bigger brook trout in New York,PERIOD. There were spots that were meadow streams that guys dumbed on to that were loaded and untouched trout in the 14 15 inc range. That hatchery I mentioned had a pool of stockers in it that were in that range and were stocked locally. In fact the creek that it sits on is a great spot to fish around. You never know what escapes.
I believe that that was Ishua Creek the guy in the film was fishing. Again a flat land farm stream? For what ever reason those habitats will hold and sustain brook trout.
For the price of an out of state license you can't beat it. Yes, I know sacrilege to Pa.
I agree really big trout require a change of venue, but I still think it's hard to go wrong in New York. It's a rather precarious limb to crawl out on, considering all the chain saws below. GG

 

[krayfish2]

You're obsessed with trolling. What's your point?

The OP posted a question and there were 29 positive posts on that topic, and then you have to come in and run your mouth like a 12 year old. Congratulations. Do you feel better now?

So..... we're both passionate about something. 😁. Why you so mad?

 

[JeffK]

Central NYS has some unheralded trout fishing. It doesn't have the press of the Catskills or Adirondacks and most locals would rather catch a mess of yellow perch for a fish fry than a few trout. But there are opportunities for big trout especially in flat, swampy areas that are hard to get to and fish. There are a number of limestone escarpments across NYS and the glaciers eroded them and "limed" the soils to about the PA border. However, bring your stuff because you wouldn't find any fly shops most places.

 

[Zipper]

For a less expensive trip for big brook trout, don't forget the Nipigon River in Ontario.

 

[krayfish2]

 

[JerryC]

I haven't fished that much for brookies in PA. Most of my brookie fishing has been done in Vermont and I've caught some in the 10-12 inch range. As far as big brook trout, I was watching the New Fly Fisher a few years ago and the host announced he was at a lodge on Lady Evelyn Lake in NE Ontario and he would be fishing for pike and big brook trout. They hiked into one of the many smaller lakes that are around the big lake and proceeded to catch several brookies in the 5 to 6 pound range from the shore. I've been going to a lodge on that lake, not the one in the show, for close to 40 years and flyfishing for 30 years of them and I had no idea that I could have used the boat the lodge provides to get to a trail to one of those lakes and hike in. By the time I saw the program, I wasn't in any shape to hike up hill for mile or so while fighting off mosquitoes and black flies.

 

[Prospector]

…… For the price of an out of state license you can't beat it…..

That works for me since I’ve had a NY fishing license for 31 of the last 36 years. I didn’t always use it since it was bundled with the hunting license I bought in some of those years.

Personally I did miss the boat on some things that weren’t far off the path I chose. In hindsight I primarily took care of the my hunting itch from 1987 to 2006. From 2006 to 2022 I was more focused on fly fishing. I never stopped doing either but one vs the other was given priority during certain periods.

GG, you have given me some good tips over the years and all you want in return is to know if the fish are still there. Hopefully I can confirm this one too.

 

[Acristickid]

Ive caught bigger stocked and wild brooks but this 18 inch brook trout is my biggest native. Maine May 2022 caught on a big stonefly (fly is over and inch long for comparison).