Hunting for Brookies

[wade22]

All right, last wish for this summer's excellent fishing season is for me to get into some brook trout. I've caught a ton of browns this summer but want to hook into that native MN trout only probem is I can't find the buggers. Does anyone have any tips? I don't need any specific areas (that would be nice but I understand not giving away certain areas over the airwaves) but I'm clueless as to how to prospect for brookies. I fished a small stream outside of Cannon Falls one afternoon after I ran into an old duffer all geared up who claimed there used to be brookies in that stream in the old days. Several hours and no bites later I reminded myself that times change. I feel like I have fished a large amount of very productive SE streams and have yet to see one brookie this summer...any suggestions/tips/advice that can help me out? Thanks a ton in advance and good luck finishing the season strong.
---wade22

[mark p]

The SE Mn trout stream map not only shows the trout streams, but lists the miles of trout water and rates the streams and also lists which trout species reside in them. Can pick them up at DNR office in Rochester (probably others too). I believe you can also order them from the office in St Paul. The DNR web site would probably tell you how to do that.

Pick 1 or more that have brook trout in them and good luck.

[Jim W]

Nepstad Creek!

If you walk these waters you Must practice Catch and release!

If you can't catch a brookie there, something is definitely wrong!

There, can't get much beter info than that! HAve fun and make sure you report back since we here at FM continue to provide info. Rarely do we ever hear back after we give up the goods!!!

Jim W

[wade22]

Thanks Jim. You're right, it doesn't get better than that. I'll make sure to drop a report once I get back. I'm stoked about going up north this weekend, me the lady and the wee one are going to spend three days out on Rainy River fishing for walters with some of her friends-she's from the area and her old man is a fishing guide on Rainy Lake so I hope to fight a few healthy 'eyes and maybe some snakes. After that, it's all trout until Sept. 30th. With any luck, I'll post a couple pictures of some healthy Coulee Country brookies. Really appreciate the tip; I'll be sure to release everything I catch.

[Renneberg]

Try Crow Springs. The MNDNR and TU have been doing a lot of work up there in hopes of improving the number and size of Brook Trout in there. The stream is 100% catch and release and very easy to fly fish and access.

Good luck!

I hope we hear a report from you.

------------------
"Study to be quiet"

[Jim W]

wade,

a couple things I had forgotten to mention in regards to your post.

You probably know this, but fishing upstream and making long casts would increase your brookie catch.
They are shy, but when not spooked, very aggressive!

For some reason I have most success with spinners 1/8 oz. black, purple or white roostr tails.

However, last time on the aforementioned I landed a 11-12 incher on #9 floating rap.
Go figure! You'll run into the occasiona brown as well!

Jim W

[rushing]

I have always caught small brookies untill reciently. I think the biggest was a a 14.5 in from a lake up north but I caught a 16.5 in brookie the other day fishing a stream in Wabasha CO. The name of the creek escapes me...lol. Half the fun to fishing SE MN is finding new water. BTW I flyfish and most of the brookies were caught in the faster currents on drys and more browns in the slower deeper water on tiny nymphs and some times beadheads. I have made the 1.5hr trip to this stream 4 times since last Friday and I'll be there tomorrow! Trout season is too short.

Tight Lines
Rob

[Jim W]

WOW, a 16.5 inch brook trout from a SE MN stream is MAMMOTH!!!! Not impossible but huge!

NIce fish! SHould I ask about pictures?

I'd be tempted to mount a fish of that stature or replicate!

Nothing more naturally beautiful than a brookie!

Jim W

[rushing]

This stream is something special. My friend kept teling me about it and I didn't beleive him. And no I didn't have my camera...I didn't have alot of stuff. It was the first trip to SE MN of the year and I even pulled out of the driveway without my reel. I have spent the summer chasing Flatheads instead of trout so I had to scramble to find all my gear. This is a crystal clear pool that is loaded with fish,its like sight fishing in an aquarium. All its gonna take is one talented poacher to fish it out. So I'm tryng to enjoy it while it lasts. Maybe I should'nt have said 16.5in because I'm not positive because of the barbless regs and a size 22 hares ear nymph, I lost him at the net. He was 1.5-2.5ins bigger than the opening to the net which is 14in. It was the biggest brookie I have seen down in SE Mn and I have seen some nice ones (14-15ins) caught down there. I have never even seen a brown bigger than 19in down there and have been fishing in SE MN for years. I got an 18in last year and I had one on about that size this year but the fish knew I had 7x tippet and he went right for the one piece of cover in the whole pool and leisurely broke me off. I WAS supposed to be out fishing this morning but thanks to the Vikes and Capt. Morgan I was in no shape to harass any trout.

Hopefully I will have some pics to share before the end of the season.

Check out my really old un-updated HSOforum in my profile. I made it a few float tubes and many fish ago. Its my goal this winter it to make a new one.

Tight Lines
Rob

[Jim W]

Good trout talk guys!!! Keep it coming!!!!

Jim W

[rushing]

Wade22 It sounds like you are doing everything right. I've been fishing super clear water so i had to go with the smaller flies and lighter tippet. Since the water is so clear I can watch the fish swim right up to a fly and refuse it on a bright day beadheads didn't work but I was fishing in the rain earlier this week and beadheads were what they wanted. You just have to ajust to the water conditions. Especially with brookies and most flyfishing I have found is that its your presentation, Correct drift, correct depth, and correct leader/tippet size is always more important than fly type. There is always exceptions but if you can get a nymph down to where they are feeding with a drag free drift you are gonna score and then if that doesn't work then try different flies. You should see my fly patch on my vest at the end of the day, packed full! I'm always trying different flies, but I make sure I have the correct depth and drift first. Sometimes just different sizes with the same fly makes all the difference. None of this is new and I'm sure you already know all this but this is just my opinion.

I have never tried winter fishing but I wanted to last year. It was nice out last winter. I'm down for alittle stream meet this winter though. At least to try it once.

Tight Lines!

Rob

[This message has been edited by rushing (edited 08-29-2003).]

[wade22]

Hey Rob,
Sounds like the type of fish I would have replicated or mounted for the wall! Especially a SouthEast Minnesota brookie. What a catch. I flyfish too and have had really good luck catching browns with #16 beadhead hare's ear and bh pheasant tails with a 6x tippet and about a 12' leader. Should I change my approach for brookies? You mentioned dry flies what type are most productive for you? Should I step up my tippet to 7x for brookies?
Last Saturday I went to a Wisc. river with an old friend and camped out. Talk about stress relief. I picked off a pair of healthy browns that fought like gangbusters on the surface with the beadhead nymphs. So much fun when you see a 16" trout strike hard on topwater. I felt pretty tough, until I missed by what I estimate as a 6 lb. trout Sunday morning. I was gabbing to my buddy and thought I hung up an ant and beetle on a bankside rock or something and didn't set the hook too hard. A HUGE brown swam out from under the limestone cutbank after he shook me off in about three seconds and idled lazily on the sand while our jaws dropped. He honestly looked something like 25"-28". Cast back to him about a dozen times but nothing doing. That's how the big ones get big. Only one shot!
Please let me know if you do anything special/different for brookies. The trout season is WAY too short. I'm thinking about doing some winter camping and fishing in the Driftless this January. Stream meet? Hot toddies and frozen feet sounds whalin' to me. Thanks for your report!

[wade22]

Thanks Rob. I'll pick up some 7x tippet this week and some more flashbacks. Have a bucketfull of beadheads but something tells me the brookies are gonna be picky about little flies.
When beadheads don't work for nymphing what do you do? I've tried a 6"-8" dropper with some twist-on weight but always lose the weight during casts...do you use small split shot? Do you place the weight above or behind the nymphs? I use beadheads all the time for brownies but probably need to change it up a bit. Thanks again for all your help Rob!

[rushing]

OK This is what I do. Do you tie flies? If you do tie some small 18-22 as heavy as you can without ruining the shape of the nymph which can be difficult with such small flies. Then use a dropper rig with either a beadhead(tungsten is heaviest) as the dropper or as the main fly and then the other with the smaller nymph. I often use two beadheads, one as a dropper and one as the main fly in deep water. Sometimes use weight putty but have had limited success, it messes with the action of the nymph. I use usually about a 9ft leader and some strike indicator putty. Tippet size depends on the water clarity and nymph i'm fishing. As always different current speeds and depths require adjustments. If you tie your own flies you know exactly what you got and how heavy. I often tie special flies for specific pools or runs. I don't ever worry about making true copies just something that is close to the same size and shape. There are so many pieces in the puzzle called flyfishing! I hope this helps to put some fish on the end of your line.

Tight Lines!
Rob

There should be a flyfishing section!

[wade22]

I'll give it a shot. Mixing up beadheads with flashbacks has given me limited success - don't think the nymphs get down deep enough unless I've got all tungsten beadheads on the end of a line but then again, haven't tried dressing a #20-22 nymph that full either. I'll try it out and see what happens, never considered tying certain flies for certain pools but you just gave me some ideas....thanks a ton Rob! A flyfishing forum would rock, there's so much to it -- even when you get 99% of the technical stuff right that 1% error rate can sometimes gum up the whole operation!

[Jim W]

Guys I put the word in. I think it is time for a fly-fishing forum as well!!!

Either of you make it down to Nepstad Creek yet?

Jim W

[wade22]

You rock Jim. No sooner had I read your post did I check out the new flyfishing forum. Whalin. Now I can gripe about not catching fish on an entirely new level! (and brag about the few that I manage to hook)
Haven't been to Nepstad yet this Sept. but prospects look good for Sunday. I have a canoe trip in 'sconnie planned for Sat. morning but will try to get down to SE by Sunday morning. My summer-end fishing tour continues. I suppose the water's still low...the Rainy River up north was REALLY down. When do SE streams get too low to fish?
Thanks again for the new forum! The best site for local fishing bar none.

[rushing]

You da man Jim! I wish I would have found FM.com alot sooner so I could have gone to trout day. I will be there next year and I'm interest in helping out too.

I haven't fished Nepstad this year. I have been spending all my time on a certain stream. Its loaded with fish and I have only seen a few other people there but thats because we fish during day on week days. I'm still hoping to get down to the South branch at least once this month. Since you did such and awesome job with getting the flyfishing forum going how about getting a extra month of C&R trout season for us trout bums! LOL

Rob

[This message has been edited by rushing (edited 09-03-2003).]

[rushing]

Wade - I don't think they really ever get too low. Most all the streams down there are spring fed so they keep a fairly decent flow for much of the year but there are times when the flow is low but if you just move upstream you can sometimes find alittle better flow and if that doesn't work you can always find another creek. There is no shortage of those in SE MN

Tight Lines!
Rob