Brule River Fishing

[Chad Holst]

mwal, thanks bud, i appreciate the advice. Cheers.

[BigHitter]

Floats are the same thing as bobbers. The new name with "gravitas" among fly fisherean is Strike Indicator... Steelhead fishermen will suspend spawn sacks, yarn flies, egg sucking leach patterns, stonefly and X-leg flies, crawlers and jigs under a strike indicator. On the west coast, they have good luck with pink marabou jigs and 4 inch pink plastic worms under a strike indicator. You'll need either split shot, or preferably drag sinkers in little mesh bags, to get the flies down to the bottom. The fish will be on the bottom so you need to fish there. Yes, you will get a lot of snags and lose some flies but that is where the fish are. Most fishermen using drag sinkers have a separate line off a swivel for the sinker. That way, if the sinker gets hung up, you can still save the fly.

[Chad Holst]

BigHitter. Thank you for the reply.

To be clear, your saying that they are using a bobber, float, or "stike indicator" (all the same thing, but it different styles) then putting split shot or drags on, then a fly at the end of that? hmmm... different for sure, but why wouldnt it work...

I use bio strike on the small flies we use here in the SE corner of the state. (Root, forestville) but that obviously isnt going to be what we use on the brule...

I have seen this.. Strike indicator for steel head fishing but several sites show something made from yarn...which i wouldnt imagine will work, due to the amount of weight we will be using.

Is there anything wrong with using small slip bobbers. I really could care less what it looks like, i want it to be functional. wouldnt a slip bobber with a small split shot pinched at the line below the bobber work fine? i dont think people are "fly casting" the rig out anyway, right?

[BigHitter]

Yes slip bobbers work fine. As for the sinkers. Use a three way swivel. Your line is tied to one ring, your fly leader to another ring and an 18" piece of line with a sinker attached, to the third ring. When using a strike indicator with a fly rod, you strip the line out and do not cast as usual.

[Chad Holst]

BH,

We are going up on Sept 18th-22nd. We will have a cold beer waiting for you, if you happen to be in that neck of the world. If not, cold beer is always a great excuse to plan a mini vacation...well that and steelheads.

Thanks again for the help.

[Odonata]

Anyone actually been out fishing in the past week? What's coming up besides browns?

[Chad Holst]

Odonata,

I often wonder why no one replies to inquires like yours. Is it because the fish are being tight lipped and no one is catching them or is it because the fishermen are catching them and they are being tight lipped.

27 days till my 1st trip to the Brule, can't wait. hopefully we start getting some reports by then. My trip is all i think about...lol

I am very suprised that there is not more information on the brule and talk about current reports, etc. There are some sites on the net, but very few and very basic.

[Odonata]

Sirlips,

Good questions. Fish are being caught, I have connections with guides and this time of year can be good. Especially after dark. Not sure why the Brule reports are lacking? Probably many variables within that answer.

I am going to fish Monday night, I'll give a report. Hoping for some late night brown action.

[Chad Holst]

O,

Good fortune tonight, catch a monster.

Having fished many nights for walleye and cats i love the idea of night fishing. I was very surprised to hear that people are targeting the night bite for the browns though.

What are they using? Lighted slip bobbers? just setting up in the low current larger pools? Do many people float the southern part of the river at night, to target browns?

We are bringing a canoe, and thought it may be worth taking the canoe down the south run from the bridge to #2 at night. just bring a big spot light i suppose... that part of the river doesnt have much current correct?

Anyway, catch a big'un tonight!

[Poacher's pariah]

Bringing along a spot light will all but guarantee failure with the big browns. These critters are notoriously light shy, even to the point on not biting well under a full moon and clear skies. I'd focus more on wading while tossing hardware or soaking crawlers. ...And be sure to wear lots of bug dope! Nothing is more maddening than fighting off a squadron of those bloodsuckers while trying to devote full attention to your line. Some guys float a canoe up at big lake after dark and fish with, of all things, JITTERBUGS! On a good night you might land 3 or 4 fish, but you must be careful NOT to let your light shine onto the water.

[BigHitter]

I think the lack of reports on the Brule right now has more to do with a lack of people fishing it. Fishing for browns in the dark on a dangerous river with tons of mosquitos isn't my idea of a good time. I do like the idea of fishing the upper river lake with jitterbugs though... Fishing will definitely heat up in a few weeks when the weather cools down.

[Chad Holst]

Poachers pariah, Thanks, would have never known, i appreciate the info.

Jitterbugs will be added to the list of "must haves". FYI, "must haves" are anything you may need, regardless of how probable the need will be.

BigHitter, i hear yah on the mosquito thing, but i'm thinking/hoping we get some good cold nights somewhere between here and the 18th, to kill them little bastards. If not, maybe we could hire some of those mosquitoe killing drones. (you must look this up if you have not heard, no kidding). Curious about the "dangerous river" part. I was under the impression that the upper section that includes the lakes, from the brindge to #2 was very lax water, and the section from #2 to the end was the faster, more aggressive water.

[Poacher's pariah]

sirlips, unless you are very familiar with the river, I strongly discourage you from attempting a night float. There are enough class 1 and class 2 rapids along the upper river to create problems for newbie. The river is generally placid, but unless you know what lies around the next corner, you can get hurt. There are trees that lay head high nearly all the way across the river, and blind corners that lead into logjams, none of which you want to deal with in the dark or when the temps dip. No fish is worth a busted limb or worse.

[Chad Holst]

Ok Poacher, and thanks for the quick reply.

We will stick to floating the upper durring the day and will stay at the holes lower in the river for night fishing.

Any advise on what jitterbugs to use? size/color?

[Raider4ever]

Doing a black Jitterbug would probably be best at night. What about a black Jr. Spro Frog? You can tuck it into some of the more gnarly hangouts. Maybe trim the legs just a wee bit.

PP, I think a black Zara Spook would work too don't you think

[Poacher's pariah]

Raider, Me thinks thou art confused. Why would one think that the noble Brown Trout would share feeding habits with the lowly Large-mouthed sewage trout? Actually, anything that floats seems to attract attention. And the lake is so weedy that you really don't want to get below the surface. Except that they're a bit lighter, and thus more difficult to cast long distances, a superfrog would probably be better than a jitterbug.

[BigHitter]

Switched out the spring yarn flies, imitation egg sacs and other gear in the Brule tackle box for the fall collection of spinners and Flatfish today.

[NACHOordinary]

A couple weeks ago I went to the mouth and people were getting keeper walleyes left and right. I got a couple nice northerns and 2 walleyes that shook my hook at shore. I also went last Tuesday but rain had the water really muddy and I didn't get anything. Also when I was out a couple weeks ago, I stopped at the Amnicon mouth and got a little muskie. Can't wait for the steelhead to come though that's for sure..

[Jarrid Houston]

There's no walleyes in the rivers

[Chad Holst]

After tourny walleye fishing for a few years, back in the day, i have came to realize 2 things: First the waters you are fishing NEVER have walleyes in them, its just a myth that they actually exist. Second, if by some a miracle there is proof that walleyes are in that particular body of water...they surely are not biting.

[mwal]

They do not like wooly buggers in the pools around McNeil's for sure in July and August after rains.

[Poacher's pariah]

Two words for the fishless: "dupont torpedos".

[Chad Holst]

Mwal,

They Dont like Wolly Buggers near McNeils because they dont exist. Infact i doubt there is such a place as this "McNeils". This is how rumors get started and i will have no part in that.

We will be there a full 18 days AFTER august, but thats so close to the bad time, that its not even worth trying. Plus, i hear there is rain in the forcast and i hear the steelhead even HATE running the river when the water flow picks up to say, 200, or so.

P.P.,

If by "dupont" you mean colorful...then i know exactly what your talking about...my family was locked down with the stomach flu all weekend, and we know ALL ABOUT Dupont Torpedos after this weekend. (please feel free to reflect on that for a while...yep...Dupont Torpedos...)

[Poacher's pariah]

Sirlips, your PM box is full. Clear some space and I'll send you some top-secret river info gathered while fishing yesterday.

[gumbidammit]

hey PP I'm from Duluth but currently live in Maplewood. Coming up too fish with my bro on the st Louis. Got any tips to help me catch and release some walleyes? thanks for any help