That Tough Time of Year

The transition between winter and fall, even though it usually lasts only a couple weeks, is what I call the tough time of year from brookie fishing. It is easier to find them and get them to eat flies on a cold day in January than it is during this transitional time. That is due in big part to the changing water temperatures and the slowing metabolism of the fish, as well as the fact that the fish have just finished spawning. It can be hard to find where in the stream the larger brook trout will be, and it is rarely where you think they should be. Hell, this time of year I've found them sitting in stagnant water on the edges of the stream where redfin pickerel usually live. That being said, because this snow and ice could make the act of fishing more frustrating within the next two months, I take every opportunity to get out on the water.

The other day I fished one of my local wild trout streams, one of those that harbors both browns and brookies, as well as tigers, though they are as rare as 12 inch browns are in this system (There might be only one or two of each). I caught three smaller brookies, two on the ausable ugly and one on a Kebari style fly.