Not a trout, strictly speaking, but certainly my best charr of the year. Big Spring. Black and yellow marabou streamer based on the Pennsylvania smallmouth buck tail streamer.
Also not a trout, but my favorite of the year. It’s likely wild, but may have been stocked as a young of year. My crew caught many young wild landlocked Atlantics. This was the only good one I caught, and it fought just like the old timers talk about. Red San Juan worm 18 inches behind a grasshopper. Connecticut River about half a mile below first Connecticut Lake, New Hampshire.
An actual trout! And a Maryland monster at that! Grasshopper pattern. A rare day of dry fly fishing for me. Big Hunting Creek, lower canyon area. Essentially the same size as most of the wild true trout I got this year 8-10 inches. That brookie at the top of the page is actually bigger than any brown trout I got this year.
I promise to try harder in 2025.
Quick warning: big hunting is big only compared to little hunting, which is narrow enough to pee across in many places. Both are fine wild trout streams, and worth the drive if you are less than 90 minutes away. Any farther and you will be better served looking for wild browns closer to home.
Finally hit the board with a wild brown over 16in with this one. Broke my one euro rod casting an indicator into the wind on the west branch delaware. Few other smaller fish for both my friend and I on the day but got to see the mountians with a fresh coat of snow on the way there. Would have gotten another picture but just as i handed my phone to my friend to take it, the wriggles started and i just let it go. Measured out at just over 18in.