My Biggest Wild Brook Trout... So Far

Before my grandfather left CT I wanted to show him some of the state's terrific brook trout fishing. So I took him to one of my favorite watersheds looking for some of the big wild char that live in its streams. I knew that the water was going to be low, but in this area they never seem to get to what I would consider to be too low. But the water does get low and clear enough to make fishing tricky.

I would not have guessed at the start of the day that it would be one of my best days of brook trout fishing in my life.

I started out with a few nice brookies on a beadheaded Picket Pin. The fish were very picky as far as dry flies go, I couldn't even get one to come up for an ant. But I was expecting that a few fish might be more willing to come up as the evening progressed.

As evening approached we realized we did not have much time left so we decided to try one last spot above the highway. When we got down to the stream I noticed a brand new beaver dam, and some rise rings from a good fish just at the corner. I ginked up my stimulator and got into position. I made a short cast to the bush hanging over the pool, then a long cast past and under it. I gave the fly a twitch and up came a brookie, and right away it was clear that it was a very good one. After a short battle it was at hand, my biggest ever wild brookie, 13.5 inches long. That was one of my big goals this year, and I'm so glad I got it done! Even better I got to do it with my grandfather. It was just the perfect end to the perfect day.