Targeting large trout

I primarily have fished for salmon, and it has only been this past season that I spent any time for brookies.

The river I fish has a large native trout population, however, it seems that most I caught were in the 8" to 10" range with one about 15". I know from others that there are fish in the 24" range caught and released each year. (the section we fish is C&R only).

My question, is there a way to specifically target large fish. My own theory would be to offer a larger fly to entice the larger fish, but I'm not sure this is the right approach.

Do any of you fish specifically for large fish in the idea of taking less fish of a better size?

MFF,

Are those sea run Brooks ??

If so, they must be real similar to the ones on my home waters.

If they hold in the same pools as the salmon, but just a wee bit back in the eddies, instead of in the current with the salmon, try your dries in #6 and #8 Bombers and Brown Birds.

Dead drift a few, nothing, ... skate one back towards you. I learned this one by accident when roll casting dries and getting jumped, not on the drift, but DURING the roll.

"Generally" use bigger flies. Try flat faced muddlers popped on the surface or dead drifted.

Lastly, the ones holding in pools are often less likely to take than those cruising in the seams.

Best of luck.

------------------
Christopher Chin
Jonquiere Quebec
[url=http://www3.sympatico.ca/chris_chin/:9c75c]http://www3.sympatico.ca/chris_chin/[/url:9c75c]


[This message has been edited by fcch (edited 11 April 2005).]

Thanks Christopher,

Yea they are sea run trout. They would probably be with the salmon, if there were any salmon left. The river used to be a fantastic salmon river, but the Bay of Fundy salmon have been almost exterminated. Some think it is because of the salmon farming in the bay.

Anyway, the trout fishing is still great. I will give your suggestions a try this year. Season opens here on Friday. I will be out with the rest of the lunatics... we are getting 2 feet of snow today.

Look for the prime lies in the pool, it must contain 3 things, 1) a good supply of food, 2) protection from preditors, 3)protection from fast current. After you find these prime lies you will find the biggest trout in the best lies.

you mention that this is c & r only. bear in mind that most, if not all, of these fish have been caught before, most probably several times. fish get smart. they learn really quickly how to differentiate between real and imitation.

my favorite stream is wild trout c & r only. i use only smaller flies, #18 and smaller, and i am always sure to get a good drift, the proper colors, and accurate imitations of the flies they are feeding on. when i first started fishing this stream, 8-10" was about all i could fool. since ive been "working" this stream regularly, and my techniques in both tying and presenting have improved, my average trout size has doubled.

c&r regulated waters hold smart fish. you may not think they are "spooky", because they are sooo used to seeing people on the shore that they may not swim away as readily. but watch them closely during your drifts. if they dont even bother to look at your fly, it is the wrong fly. if they look, but turn down quickly, its probably a bad drift. if they look closely and turn away at the last minute, its probably a size or color problem.

this is how i learned to fish my favorite c&r stream. yours may be different...

Ray,

If these are the same critters as up here, they don't hold in prime lies. They will be holding a ways downstream (or up) from the spawning beds. They stack up there to wait out the summer.

They act in some ways just like an Atlantic. Monstrous things, they are curious and will inspect a fly, sometimes moving 10-20 feet from station to come look over a fly, leaf, ant ... that's drifting by.

As they move up into the fresh water to spawn (the adults anyway), they don't eat for most of the summer. Seems that the hens do late in the summer just before spawning, ... maybe starting to lose out in the energy balance.

They hole up in slower current to rest and laze about. Those holding in seams "appear" to be showing "feeding lie" behaviour and that's the "easiest" way to spot and connect to "takers".

Tyflier,

You are absolutely right too.

Nuance, ... when the adults first arrive, they are pretty shy, just having come from a VERY hostile environnement (the sea). Delicate presentations, stealth and VERY early mornings or the order of the day.

As the season progresses, especially on the "famous" pools, they have SEEN EVERYTHING. I change tactics to:

• stimulators (skittered or skated) or [/*:m:fde88]
• long dead drifts of "new" flies or[/*:m:fde88]
• bombing[/*:m:fde88]

A couple "adaptations" on Salmon fishing are posted in the article on Drift 'n drag @ [url=http://www.njflyfishing.com/vBulletin/showthread.php?t=3047:fde88]http://www.njflyfishing.com/vBulletin/showthread.php?t=3047[/url:fde88]
(I'll cross post this article to FAOL if you like)

One of the most fun with these sea run brooks is that it helps dispell the "myth" that brook trout are "easy" prey for a FF'er. Going after these monsters is a challenge.

I love this sport.

p.s.: I imagine that you're going after these ??
http://www3.sympatico.ca/chris_chin/index_files/ab.jpg
Andr? Bernier 2002 - Ste-Marguerite River

------------------
Christopher Chin
Jonquiere Quebec
[url=http://www3.sympatico.ca/chris_chin/:fde88]http://www3.sympatico.ca/chris_chin/[/url:fde88]


[This message has been edited by fcch (edited 13 April 2005).]

[This message has been edited by fcch (edited 13 April 2005).]