Troutnut.com Fly Fishing for Trout Home
User Password
or register.

Troutnut Forum > Fly Fishing Discussion > brookie vs. brownie

IEatimagoOctober 27th, 2007, 4:52 pm
Spring Mills, PA

Posts: 99
i have a question about these two species,
do brown trout strike flies with more aggression than brook trout?
or keep the fly in their mouth longer?
for some reason i was having a really hard time setting the hook for some brookies, they would spit the fly almost as soon as they hit it, but the same fly when hit by a brown would give me no trouble and this happened several times?
or was it coincidence?


These advertisements will disappear if you register.
Replies:
WestOctober 27th, 2007, 10:24 pm
Bayfield, Wisconsin

Posts: 34
I would say that brookies are definitely the spunkier of the two species, or so it seems to me. My friend AftonAngler describes them well when he calls them "little ninjas." I laughed when he said that, but it's true. They're like energetic little pike smolts when they're in the mood, albeit a little prettier.

Although I have had 7" brookies give me more trouble than browns twice their size, so their normally feisty attitude can't always be taken for granted when it comes to decieving them.

As far as the hookset goes, I've had days where I hook maybe 1/6 of the brook trout that strike my fly (or even less). I would suggest slowing up on the little ninjas, letting them get a good mouthful of your fly. I guess you'll just have to experiment!
West
MartinlfOctober 27th, 2007, 11:47 pm
Palmyra PA

Posts: 905
It probably depends on many variables. Sometimes smaller fish will spit a hook much faster than a bigger fish. Are the brookies smaller than the browns you are used to catching? Also, small fish may have trouble with big bushy flies. Even so, I prefer bigger flies with brookies, since on lightly pressured waters they may try hard to swallow a smaller fly and get it hooked in the gills.
Louis

Is it not an art to deceive a trout with an artificial fly? A trout! that is more sharp-sighted than any hawk . . . and more watchful and timorous than your high-mettled merlin is bold!

--Izaak Walton The Compleat Angler
IEatimagoOctober 28th, 2007, 12:01 am
Spring Mills, PA

Posts: 99
yes the brooks would be bait for the browns i'm used to ,
i was using a #19 caddis this particular day that got me frustrated.



thanks for your input and advise.
DanoOctober 28th, 2007, 8:20 am
Vanderbilt, Michigan

Posts: 102
Jasen,

As Louis suggests their are many variables. However, I wouldn't characterise Browns being more "aggresive" on their takes than Brookies, I think "decisive" would be the better word.

Sounds to me what you were experiencing is what most would call "short striking"...Brookies and Rainbows generally make slashing type strikes. In other words, they start to turn away from the fly a split second before the take. And that's why the majority of your hooked Brookies and 'Bows will be at the corner of the jaw.

In effect, a short strike is a fish rejecting the offering at the last possible moment. I suspect that the wings of your caddis flies were (are) tied too long which caused the short strikes by the Brookies. Brookies are much easier to catch than Browns (they'll go after damn near anything) and that's why I make the above deduction. It could be that your timing was off that day as well. Concentration is key, when you see the flash of the sides, strike! This is not a "hard" strike just a simple raising of the rod tip. Because the fish is going "away" from the offering, it hooks itself. With practice, it become almost instinctive. FWIW.

Dano


Eventually, all things merge into one...and a river runs through it.
Most Recent Posts
Re: key of mayllies larvae
In the Mayfly Genus Ephemerella by Konchu
Re: WI contingent
In General Discussion by Freepow
Re: Out from Montana, Neversink???
In General Discussion by Troutnut
Re: Fly rods
In General Discussion by Martinlf
Re: You Guys Hate Me Yet :) More pics
In the Identify This! Board by Taxon
Re: Leaders?
In General Discussion by LittleJ
Re: Wisconsin trout pics
In the Photography Board by Smallstream
Re: Aqua Glo glow in the dark dressing for flies
In General Discussion by Vermonter
Re: Added more Heptagenia culacantha info
In the Mayfly Species Heptagenia culacantha by Taxon
Wild Browns
In the Photography Board by BGrnFlyfish
Re: Help unsticking my fly rod
In General Discussion by Shawnny3
Re: Battenkill Bugs
In the Identify This! Board by DayTripper
Re: re - a couple bugs........
In the Photography Board by GONZO
Re: A Couple Bugs I Ran Into Yesterday
In the Identify This! Board by GONZO
Re: Cool Find Yesterday
In General Discussion by DayTripper