To take advantage of feeding patterns, the angler must spend some time observing the actions of the fish. Is the trout constantly active or does it wait for a specific set of circumstances? What is the time of day, what weather patterns prevail, and what season is it? These are all factors which affect fishing results. Tactics change for each combination not only each day, but also for each hour. They also change as the angler moves from one section of water to another. The angler, to be consistently successful, must take a few minutes to examine the different circumstances at the new fishing spot.

Reading the Water/Structure

At the beginning of the season, snow can still be found on some east-facing slopes and some lakes to the north are still ice-covered. But the fish are there and present a true challenge. It's cold enough to reduce the feeding activity of brook trout. There will be very little insect activity on the water other than midges and a few early brown stoneflies. The brook trout will have taken shelter in the deep holes where the current can flow over them, or to the side of the stream in the flooded shoreline. In each case, they will not move far to take the bait.

Lakes, ponds, and headwater streams are the best bets in this situation. Check the weather for the two or three weeks before the season opens. If it has been cold, wet, and snowing, look for a small lake with gravel bars and ridges for fish. Records show that early in the season most fish are taken between 11 a.m. and three p.m. by anglers who assess the situation and choose their fishing spot accordingly.

Brook trout become harder to locate in lakes and ponds as the water warms and sunlight intensifies. An angler with a fish depth finder is at a decided advantage. The choice becomes not one of where to fish but rather of how to fish. The best tool for finding fish in a lake, if no fish finder is available, is a temperature probe. This instrument will tell you the depth at which trout will find their optimum water temperature -- 57° F. (14° C) to 65° F. (18° C).

Small trout are active all day and can be found in exposed positions in mid-river. The larger trout have taken the best feeding lanes -- those which bring food and provide a measure of protection. The feeding lane is in reality an instream chute down which food items are delivered to the waiting fish. It is usually to the side of a faster current of water. The trout will select a spot which enables it to take the food with minimum expenditure of energy on its part. This lane may only be four inches wide, but the brook trout only needs to move its fins slightly to take an insect drifting towards it. (Figure 8-4.)

There are many books on the market which talk about fishing the structure if you wish to catch bass or walleye. The emphasis is on knowing and working the reefs, bars, submerged logs, rocks, trees, and anything else which might provide food and shelter for fish. The same instructions apply to stream fishing.

To catch fish, work your lure or fly around the structures which exist naturally in the flow. In still water, like a lake, fish move around the structure as light moves during the day. In moving streams, the fish position themselves according to the flow of the current. The angler must learn to read structure in the current as much as, if not more than, in a lake.

In headwater brooks which may not be as wide as a sidewalk, the usual structure consists of undercut banks with overhanging vegetation, sweepers which are logs or trees lying into the current, and instream rocks.

Small brooks join and become medium-sized streams. It is here in river-system headwaters that brook trout fishing is most popular. Perhaps as wide as a city street, these waters provide a variety of structure for protection and food. Since they are wider, the angler can put his casting skills to work and use a greater variety of lures and bait. (Figure 8-5.)

Read the water! Learn which current can hide a fish. Know how a fish hides behind, under, or alongside structures in the stream. It will lead to success!

Presentations

Let's look at several brook trout fishing situations through the season, keeping in mind the various factors which could affect the fishing results. The suggestions are not all inclusive but they do illustrate how an angler should go about solving a particular situation. Anyway, if we knew all the answers for every situation, fishing would soon lose its appeal!

There are some brook trout addicts who will be waiting beside their favorite fishing hole for the 12 midnight start of the brook trout season. These anglers brave the ice-cold rains of opening day, the frigid runoff ice water, and the soaking feet of beaver dam climbers just for a few trout. That is punishment! Some will be using baits -- minnows and worms; while others will try lures -- small silver or gold Mepps-type spinners with a little worm on the hook; others still will use flies -- a dark nymph or black woolly worm; and a few will experiment with dark-colored jigs bounced over the bottom. They know that the fish will be lethargic. The key tactic, then, involves casting over and over to the same area.

In smaller headwater streams, anglers might prefer to fish with the simplest of worm rigs weighted down if necessary by a splitshot. The difference between using a splitshot or no splitshot was once demonstrated dramatically to me. A fellow angler proceeded upstream ahead of me by about 30 yards. He dropped his worm rig into each likely hole and then moved on upstream. He took the odd brook trout, but the results were very inconsistent. Using identical tackle and rig, my unweighted worm took trout from each hole which he had previously fished. The free-floating worm looked more natural as the current carried it around and through the pools.

Both fly rodder and spin fisher can compete with the lightweight bait fisherman by using a weighted stonefly nymph in these waters. This fishing tactic parallels that of the worm fisherman provided that ultralight tackle is used. While the spin and bait fisherman might like shorter five- or six-foot rods because of the heavy brush common in headwaters, the fly rodder should consider the advantages of the longer rod for dropping the stonefly in a distant hole.

In the spring you should consider two things when locating brook trout in lakes. First, the fish are restricted by water temperatures. They're in deeper sections until shallower water warms up to their ideal temperature. Pay attention to the angle of the sun and prevailing winds to determine how deep or how shallow to fish. Second, the fish are in a particular depth because of food supplies. Seasonal movements are conditioned by insect availability and baitfish schooling around shallower water structures. Small spoons, spinners and live bait rigs all work well. Either troll or cast to shallow water. A nice spring technique involves two anglers trolling in a boat. One trolls along drop-offs to deeper water while the other casts to shoreline shallows.

The same technique will apply to deeper areas when lake trout move there in summer weather. Brook trout become harder to locate and an angler must use search-and-find techniques in the absence of a depth finder. You should start at the mouth of an inflowing creek or stream. Cast a weighted straight-shaft spinner or a sinking minnow bait across the current and vary the speed and depth of retrieve until the fish takes. A companion technique involves slowly trolling around the lake until a pocket of trout is located, then casting or still-fishing with bait or lures.

During the hot summer, it may be necessary to fish in the early morning or late evening to hook fish. The trout have retreated to cooler depths and water depth will govern the fly rodder's tactics. If the depth is more than 20 feet, use a high-speed, high-density shooting head fly line to get to the bottom fast. Use a black leech or black streamer fly retrieved slowly over the bottom. In deeper lakes, the angler could troll a spoon, spinner, small crank bait, or streamer fly over a stony reef or gravel bar which lies in the desired water strata. Drift fishing or backtrolling with live bait rigs will also produce fish. Summer anglers often locate brookies by trolling hardware, and then work the school with precise vertical bait rig presentations.

If you're certain there are fish in a holding area with visible structures, change your tactics. For instance, if we look at an instream situation with a large rock centre and two smaller rocks, one on each side, we have fish-holding water. There is probably a deep pool downstream from the big rock, a strong flow into it between the rocks, and lesser flows on each side of the small rocks. The largest trout will be close in under the large rock, beside the main flow, not in it, but not in the slack water behind, either. An angler should drop his lure or bait into the larger lower pool behind the main rock. The bait fisherman must put his worm or minnow several inches upstream from the beginning of the flow to allow it to sink and be delivered to the holding trout. The spin fisherman must bring the spinner from behind the rock through the side of the current and then above and in front of the rock. The fly rodder, using a streamer fly, will work it like a spinner. In each case, the angler's position should be one that delivers the appropriate cast to the hidden fish.

Two very pleasurable tactics for fishing a river employ the fly rod. One technique involves using a bushy dry fly and the second involves a brace of wet flies cast in tandem. Both can be practiced by an angler with minimal skills in fly casting.

The dry fly, perhaps a size 14 deer hair caddis, on the nine-foot leader, is cast to each ripple and pool as the angler wades stealthily upstream. A simple roll cast will put the dry fly on a piece of pocket water close to some structure. Then the angler will watch the fly drift naturally with the current before it drags. At this point, roll the cast to another spot, a little upstream and across from the first. The dry fly will cover a lot of water and be exposed to many fish.

Dry fly fishing is usually upstream fishing. Wet flies are more easily worked downstream. In three of four hours of dry fly fishing, an angler can cover a lot of water, then turn around and fish downstream with the wets.

Although the bright, colorful wet flies, worked in pairs or triples (one fly on the end and one or more droppers on the leader, five feet above) are effective, I prefer using two dark-colored flies, like the hare's ear and muskrat wet in size 14. Cast quartering across the current, allowing the flies to drift through the pockets. Snub the line and lift the rod as the flies reach holding water. They will appear to be insects emerging from the pools. Thousands of brook trout have been taken by this tactic.

By mid-September, the lakes cool again and the fish are back in the shallows. Mature fish, bent on spawning, will gather to run up the rivers. In many streams the fishing season for brook trout is already over. But there are streams where the season is open all year, such as the streams running into Lake Superior.

The angler using worm rigs should avoid wading the small waters if possible because the vibrations and noise will spook the trout. Tread ,softly to a likely pool and observe. Pick out the deepest undercut section and cast the worm a foot above the ;pot to give the worm time to sink. Follow the worm with the rod tip, keeping the rod just a few inches above the horizon. If you can, teach yourself to strike by pulling the line in a short sharp jerk rather than leaning back on the rod. Too hard a strike on these small brooks will put fish, lure, line and most of the rod into the trees.

Ultralight tackle is most fun in these shallow waters. Fish slowly, .taking advantage of the flexibility of he tackle to work the worm through very likely spot. Many of the methods used in shallow water before :he fall season will work in fall, too.

But whatever the tactic, in whatever situation, keep in mind that .he fishery will only last as long as .he fish. Practice catch-and-release Fishing with barbless hooks.

Angling for a Trophy

It is the dream of most brook trout anglers to go to a river which has trophy-size fish. Canada is favored with several rivers in this category, most of which flow into the Hudson Bay basin. These are north-flowing rivers with no access except by canoe (the hard way) or by plane (the easy way). The main branches of the Severn, Winisk, Sutton, Albany, and many Quebec rivers hold big brook trout with five- to seven-pound fish being quite common.

During most of the season anglers work for these trout at rapids. The higher oxygen content of the water, greater food supply, and deep pools entice the fish to collect there. During spawning in late October, the fish will spread out onto the many gravel bars to build their redds. At the rapids, which might be 450 or 550 yards from shore to shore, the trout hold in pools and pockets of water beside and beneath the faster flow. The water delivers their food supply and provides a measure of protection from predators. The angler can fish the long lower runs from a boat. The most popular fishing method involves the use of brass or gold weighted spinners cast across the fast water and retrieved along the edge of the current. The depth at which the fish hold depends on water temperature, barometric pressure, and available forage. A few casts and retrieves and the angler will know the depth of fish.

Fly fishing for these big brook trout adds a special dimension to the sport. The muddler minnow, a deerhair-bodied fly, was developed to take trophy brook trout on the Nipigon River before dams ended the reign of big fish on that body of water. Muddler-like flies are still effective on the big northern rivers. In fact, there are occasions when these trout fight over the privilege of being hooked on the fly.

A seven-weight system of fly rod and line is a good choice for trophy brook trout. A nine- or ten-foot rod of boron, graphite, or fiberglass will throw sufficient line to get the fly out over the fast water and be strong enough to pull the fish back through the rapids. A WF7F line is best for this kind of fishing. Use a nine-foot leader tapered to a six-and-a-half pound tip. The heavy leader tippet is needed to turn the fly over and land it with some accuracy.

During one trip on the Winisk River, fishing at the Tashka Rapids, we waded carefully along the rock outcroppings, casting a large muddler minnow to the edge of the fast water. The current would carry the fly downriver very quickly. Each successive cast was three feet further until we reached the limit of our casting ability. This way we were able to cover a great deal of potential fishholding water. If the muddler failed to produce, then a large stonefly nymph was used.

A black woolly worm is a good substitute for the stonefly. Use a brown stonefly nymph pattern size 6 to fish beneath fast water. Cast the fly at the small falls which will drive the fly under and follow the drift with your rod. Short-line fishing is best here -- perhaps 25 to 40 feet of line is maximum. It is necessary to keep a tight line between angler and fly in order to feel the fish take.

Too few anglers have much experience in fighting big fish. Most of us catch a fish over four pounds a few times in a lifetime of fishing and then wonder why we lose it. We blame the hook, the line, the leader, the fellow handling the net, and the "stupid" fish. In reality it is our inexperience that is the culprit.

In theory, a spin fisherman or an angler using a baitcasting reel should be able to handle a fish ten times the weight of the stated strength of the line. A six-pound line should hold a 60-pound fish, depending on several factors:

1. The line should be new and of good quality. Monofilament deteriorates over time. Sun, heat, and chemicals are detrimental to the life of the line. Line is cheap when compared to the chance of losing a big fish. Change it each year and carry spares for special trips.

2. Check your knots. They are the weakest section of the line. And know which knots to use in attaching line to lure, line to line, or, in fly fishing, line to backing. Some line manufacturers issue small booklets on tying knots. Ask your tackle dealer.

3. Take care that your reel is working correctly. A large number of big brook trout are lost when the reel which worked on the little fellows quit under the strain of the big fish. A reel should be cleaned and oiled or greased according to the manufacturer's specifications at least once a year and particularly before a big fishing trip. The reel should be filled to capacity with quality line to ensure good drag and to function well.

4. Pass a small piece of tissue paper through your line guides. Monofilament and other lines can wear the metal guides, creating sharp edges which can cut or fray the line. The tissue paper will leave bits on the guide if this is a problem. Replace the guide if necessary.

5. The hook is basic to fishing of any kind. The hook should be sharp. If the point of the hook does not catch when touched to your thumbnail, it requires sharpening. Use a hook hone or a small file. Sharp hooks penetrate quickly and are less likely to bounce off the hard mouths of big fish. Check the lure or fly after a few hours' use or when the hook hits something during a cast.

6. Once the fish is hooked, keep the rod at a 45-degree angle. The rod is like a long spring -- it will absorb the pull and smash of the bulldogging fish. When fly fishing, retrieve loose line onto your reel as fast as possible. Extra line only gets caught on trees, stumps, or roots and allows the fish to work free.

7. Rather than pulling a large brook trout straight in, try to pull it to the side, either to the right or to the left. This throws it off balance, making the fish fight the water instead of using it against you, the angler.

8. If using a geared spinning reel or bait rod, keep reeling to maintain tension on the line. The tension on the gear should allow the fish to run, but not too easily, nor should it be so tight that the line jams and breaks.

9. Do not grab the line when the fish is closing towards you. The fish may decide to run or dive resulting in a cut or burned hand. Bring the fish to the net by keeping the net low in the water and then ease the fish over it. The lift should come from below; void jabbing at the fish as it appears. Sudden movement will cause it to take off again.

10. There is a fine line between trying to horse the fish that is panicky and in flight and drawing the fish towards you under its own power. Horsing will result in lost fish while he latter technique may have the fish swimming directly in to the angler. Many anglers, afraid of losing the fish, try to really tire the fish for easy handling by playing it for an excessive length of time. However, these anglers risk having the fish escape during a long play. It should be noted that long play increases the possibility of damaging the fish in such a way that release may not be possible. Unfortunately, or fortunately, only catching big fish will teach the fine points of landing one.

THE FUTURE: AN EXPENSIVE PROPOSITION?

Brook trout were always abundant at one time. In 1857 Minnesota induced people to settle in Winona by advertising the abundance of speckled trout in the area. But the increased usage of hatchery-bred fish in the past few decades attests to the decline of native populations.

Although proper stocking practices, which include spawning area enhancement, contribute to better fishing, anglers should become involved by supporting research programs. It would be a sad day to see us follow in the footsteps of Scotland where it may cost clubs thousands of dollars annually for a few hundred yards of trout stream. Many areas of North America are now owned and leased by fishing clubs but we're lucky we haven't reached that stage yet. Or have we?

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If you'd like to see the 13 episode Fish ON! TV series in your area, email us with your name and location, and type "Fish ON! TV" in the Subject. With enough support, we will try to get the show placed in your area.	If you'd like to see the 13 part series available on video, email us with your name and location, and type "Fish ON! Video" in the Subject header. With enough support, we'll negotiate all the copyrights and get it done.