It's almost 2023, name your favorite brookie setup

[JeremyW]

So I'm relatively new to brookie fishing, now being back in VA... I got a "mid-priced" Douglas upstream 3wt 7'3" rod for fishing for brook trout. Just wondering what other people use and why they like it.

I'd say this is a medium action rod, I use it with a brookie galvan reel, and a Cortland 444 Classic Sylk Floating Fly Line.

 

[troutbert]

I use a 7 1/2 ft 4 wt rod and that works pretty well. It's a Redington and is medium action.

I'm yearning for maybe an 8 ft 4 wt.

Or maybe an Orvis Far n Fine, 7 ft, 9 inch 5 wt. I've cast those several times, and they are really versatile. You can fish small streams with them, but they have enough punch to cast far on medium sized streams.

The rod that I've cast and liked the best is my friend's Loomis Trilogy 7 1/2 ft 4 wt, from the 1980s, I think. It casts smoothly on short casts, but is also a real rocket on longer casts.

I've also cast some St. Croix rods that were very nice, and not terribly high priced.

I have no interest in a fly rod that is shorter than 7 1/2 ft long, or lighter than a 4 wt, or softer action. I've cast such rods and they don't have enough punch. I want a rod that is capable of making long casts and throwing big bulky flies.

Many people say on brookie streams you don't need to make long casts. I haven't found that to be true. Maybe I'm fishing different types of streams than they are. Most of the brookie streams I fish are 15 feet wide or wider. Only rarely are they less than 10 feet wide. And these streams often open out into large pools. It's very helpful to be able to make long casts in these places.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

You really do not need any special "brookie" set up. Your standard 9'5wt is not going to hinder you on a small brushy stream. In fact, it may give you some extra reach in very tight spots. Short, extra light wt rods are "fun" for a time, but they're a novelty ultimately.

 

[pcray1231]

I use a 7'6" old Cortland rod (medium fast graphite). 4/5 wt and I throw a 7 wt line on it in thicker stuff, 5 wt line on those more open ones with longer casting.

Like troutbert, I want a little punch. Its not long casting in the sense that you're casting 60 feet away. But long for the conditions, which are tight. You need to be able to roll cast, bow and arrow, and do some like snap casts where you kind of hang line in the air without throwing it behind you, then snap forward. You need tight loops to get under branches and the like. You need stealth in the sense that they cant see YOU, which means as long as a cast as you can get away with. But you are using big bushy flies, not midges and stuff. Size 12 or 14's are most common but I'll use 10's some if I'm hooking too many dinks. Bushy stuff like wulffs and humpies and stimmies. And they aint drag or line shy. The heavier line just loads it at close distance easier. Fly rods are weighted assuming 30 ft of fly line off the tip. If you are typically throwing 5-20 feet of fly line like I am on most brookie streams (then another 7 or so feet of leader), thats not overlining, thats getting closer to the weight the rod was designed to cast.

I have an 8 foot St. Croix Imperial for the tweener sized streams. Larger than your average brookie stream but not yet big "open up your stroke" water.

 

[sarce]

Many people say on brookie streams you don't need to make long casts. I haven't found that to be true. Maybe I'm fishing different types of streams than they are. Most of the brookie streams I fish are 15 feet wide or wider. Only rarely are they less than 10 feet wide. And these streams often open out into large pools. It's very helpful to be able to make long casts in these places.

I wish I had brook trout streams more than 15 ft wide around here. But I know what you mean about the long pools and I agree with you and sasquatch.

The other thing is I don't have a setup exclusively for brookies - I just use the same rod as I do for small stream browns and waters up to about 40 ft wide. For a while it was an 8'6" 4wt but that broke and now I'm using a 9' 5wt. I don't notice much of a difference in what is most effective. The 4 wt was more fun but it was a higher quality build than the 5 - not more fun because it was lighter weight. But that is all personal preference.

 

[McSneek]

I like a really limber piece of streamside willow or similar softwood around 8’ in length, about 10’ of butcher’s twine and a bent safety pin. Small piece of red wool yarn on the safety pin and you are good to go.

 

[caddisflyer]

I like a really limber piece of streamside willow or similar softwood around 8’ in length, about 10’ of butcher’s twine and a bent safety pin. Small piece of red wool yarn on the safety pin and you are good to go.

I do not doubt that this set up could catch Brook Trout. Would make an interesting fishing video for youtube.
I am thinking you guys are on the right track with rods that have some punch to cast through a tunnel of trees for a longer distance. For me, a shorter rod that has some power would be the ultimate. I recall hearing of someone making 5 ft flyrods that had that type of makeup. It was a guy years ago over around Carlisle?
Any rods under about 6.5 ft that I have tried do not work well. My current rod for very small streams is a 6 ft 3 inch in 3wt and it is decent. I got it at Bass Pro. I do not like long rods when fishing in brushy areas but everyone has a different approach.

 

[pcray1231]

Yeah, there's a tradeoff in length and effectiveness. I've always said use as long a rod as you can get away with. On these streams you do a lot of walking, often through thicker stuff, and a long rod is cumbersome to walk with. It can also be unwieldy if there is a lot of rhodo. But once you've walked to the water, and if you have room to swing it, a longer rod is always more effective. So it's a trade off.

I don't think I'd go under 7 ft anywhere. But 7-8 ft is the sweet spot for smaller waters.

It's dang hard to find a 7'6" in like a 5 wt anymore. Even a 4 wt. That's ashame. All the rod manufacturers think if you want a short rod it's gotta be a 2 or 3 wt. It's why I haven't upgraded my brookie rod in forever. If I break it or something I'm screwed.

 

[caddisflyer]

I've been tempted to take an older cheap rod in a heavier weight and cut it down and make a rod somehow. Seems like there has to be that sweet spot that would work in a short, powerful rod.
A lot of streams are like a tunnel and there really is not room to swing a long rod overhead.

 

[caddisflyer]

Someone mentioned the Far and Fine which fits the bill for a shorter 5 wt, and you can likely still find the cheaper version of that rod in an Orvis Green Mountain.

 

[Fly-Swatter]

I've been using my old Sage LL 8"1" 5 WT for....35 years (wow!). I have it paired with an Orvis Battenkill LA I bought a few decades ago. This is a mid-flex rod that can shoot line very well. It will handle pretty much any brookie-specific fly/flies. It's not meant for heavy streamers or nymphs, but I don't use those for brookies.

 

[JeremyW]

I'm sure that a 9' 5wt "can work", I have a 3,4,5 in different lengths, and I can say in tight areas where a short cast in tight brush is needed the 7'3" is easier for me than a Sage Core R8 9' 5wt. I fish mostly dries, with an occasional dropper.

I say easier meaning less likely to get caught up in brush.

I'd say my favorite overall rod is my Hardy Ultralite 8' 6" 4wt for dries, but that rod is faster and I have to be much more gentle on a hookset as to not launch a small brookie across the river. It is has a nice smooth progressive flex to it.

I don't find myself actually using a 5wt now that I'm back east, as the wind isn't typically as persistent as out west, and I don't fish on a boat much. If I'm not on dries, I'm on the 10' 6" Sage ESN euro rig... I so rarely fish streamers, but I know they are effective for sure.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Yeah, there's a tradeoff in length and effectiveness. I've always said use as long a rod as you can get away with. On these streams you do a lot of walking, often through thicker stuff, and a long rod is cumbersome to walk with. It can also be unwieldy if there is a lot of rhodo. But once you've walked to the water, and if you have room to swing it, a longer rod is always more effective. So it's a trade off.

I don't think I'd go under 7 ft anywhere. But 7-8 ft is the sweet spot for smaller waters.

It's dang hard to find a 7'6" in like a 5 wt anymore. Even a 4 wt. That's ashame. All the rod manufacturers think if you want a short rod it's gotta be a 2 or 3 wt. It's why I haven't upgraded my brookie rod in forever. If I break it or something I'm screwed.

You may not be willing to go this route...but the Cabelas CGR has a 7'6" 5wt, and it fishes very well. It's sort of my all around work horse. I line it w/ 5wt wf and it casts quite nicely.

 

[redietz]

I'll fish anything for brookies from a 5' 2" Ed Shenk special glass four weight, through a a 10' carbon rod, although I mostly use split cane rods in the 7' to 7 1/2' range.

I'll also note that what we think of as brook trout streams are exactly the same types of stream for which the Japanese invented tenkara, fishing for chars that are very closely related to brook trout (iwana). Long is not really a disadvantage (especially when you can collapse the rod for bushwacking.)

 

[silverfox]

7' 4" 3wt glass rod w/ Ross Colorado for me. Galvan reels are incredible. I've switched all my larger reels to Galvan Torques. The drag is absolutely incredible. Not necessary for brookies obviously.

Over the years I've tried all kinds of rod length/weight combos brookie fishing from 6' 0wt to 8'-5wt. I've even taken a 11' 2 wt euro rod which is interesting but not efficient. The sweet spot for me on the vast majority of streams I fish is 7' (and change) 3wt.

I've said it before but I think it bears repeating. The Redington CT 7'-6" 2wt or 3wt is an incredibly durable and fun rod. That was my go-to brookie rod for a long time.

The other rod I like to use since it was the first rod I ever bought is a South Bend 290 bamboo with a Pfleuger medalist. It's a fun dry-dropper rod.

 

[Clams]

Redington Butter Stick 7'6" 4wt. With a Battenkill II reel.

 

[JeremyW]

7' 4" 3wt glass rod w/ Ross Colorado for me. Galvan reels are incredible. I've switched all my larger reels to Galvan Torques. The drag is absolutely incredible. Not necessary for brookies obviously.

Over the years I've tried all kinds of rod length/weight combos brookie fishing from 6' 0wt to 8'-5wt. I've even taken a 11' 2 wt euro rod which is interesting but not efficient. The sweet spot for me on the vast majority of streams I fish is 7' (and change) 3wt.

I've said it before but I think it bears repeating. The Redington CT 7'-6" 2wt or 3wt is an incredibly durable and fun rod. That was my go-to brookie rod for a long time.

The other rod I like to use since it was the first rod I ever bought is a South Bend 290 bamboo with a Pfleuger medalist. It's a fun dry-dropper rod.

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Yeah, there brookie galvan drag is more "static" set with an allen key, but like you say, it's more to keep the line tight walking through the woods than drag against a brook trout.

 

[Swattie87]

You may not be willing to go this route...but the Cabelas CGR has a 7'6" 5wt, and it fishes very well. It's sort of my all around work horse. I line it w/ 5wt wf and it casts quite nicely.

Pat likes broomsticks. I think he has a St. Croix Imperial even. Stiffest rod I’ve ever casted!

 

[Swattie87]

I currently have 3 “Small Stream” rods. They’re all graphite, med/fast action wise which is my preferred action for my casting.

LLBean Streamlight Ultra - 6’11 4wt. Have no clue why they made it 6’11, but I usually just round it up to an even 7’ when discussing it. This one’s my favorite, but, it’s a 2 piece, and comes with all the 2 piece PITA stuff. I use it when I don’t have a huge hike in and I know I’m gonna be throwing nothing but dries all day. Kinda a one trick pony, but my favorite rod period action wise. It’s very light for a 4 weight.

Redington CT - 7’6 3wt. This one gets used the most probably. It’s a beater at this point…cork heavily soiled, finish half stripped off from careless DEET application. 4 piece, I use it on all my backpacking or remote hike in trips. Though a line size lighter, it actually throws dry/droppers better than the LLBean, and is a bit more versatile in that regard. If I’m planning to fish dries, but think I may need to add a dropper, I fish with this one instead of the Bean.

Orvis Clearwater - 7’9 5wt. Bought this used. I’m guessing it was a model available in the early to mid 2000’s or so, as it’s not in the current Orvis lineup and hasn’t been for a while. (As mentioned, “short” 5 weights have all but disappeared from graphite rod lineups.) This is a really nice rod. Has a heavy taper to it, and has some impressive power. Much more so than the Bean or Redington. I use it during high water with streamers and in the Winter a lot with nymph rigs. On “bigger” small streams, where casts longer than 20’ or so are more common, it also gets the start then. As much as I like the Bean, if you made me part with two, and keep one, from a versatility standpoint, I’d keep this one.

For all of them the reel is an Okuma Sierra. I have two, one spooled with 4wt line and one with 5wt.

 

[wildtrout2]

I use a 7' 3wt St. Croix Imperial with a Lamson Liquid reel (never had the spool come apart ) for my small freestone fishing, which is all I do.