Brook Trout Flies
Figuring out hatches can take some time. Experience on a river is really the only way you’re going to “figure it out”. Having the inside scoop on that…
Read the ArticleFly Rods: Fishing the tributaries of the Albany river, a 5 weight or a 6 weight fly rod is recommended. If you choose to fish the main stem Albany, consider a 7 weight switch or a 7 weight spey as it is bigger water.
Reels: Mid arbor reels are recommended for brook trout. Some of our fish get quite large and have been known to take anglers into their backing – solid, smooth drags are a must for these aggressively large trout.
Line: 5 and 6 weight, weight forward floating lines are recommended for targeting brook trout at Miminiska. It may also be beneficial to bring extra spools equipped with an intermediate sinking line and a spool with a full sinking line. Some pools are quite deep and if brookies aren’t taking dries, you may need to get down to their feeding zone. Conversely, consider tippets in the intermediate sinking and full sinking style, that is if you don’t want to bring extra spools along.
Leader: 4X and 5X tippet are recommended as leader material for brook trout. Our tributaries are mostly clear with a slight tannic tinge of red in some. Also consider bringing along some 100% Fluorocarbon in the 4-6 lb test range as tippet.
Flies: Northern brook trout are voracious feeders, often at all levels of the water column. Dry flies such as elk hair caddis, blue winged olive, mayflies are a great bet when hatches are going off. More aggressive dry flies such as grasshoppers, golden stone flies and even mice can often be smashed by aggressive brook trout. Sub surface flies such as streamers, egg sucking leeches, muddler minnows, Clouser minnows and wooly buggers all in a variety of colors and sizes can fool brooktrout as well. If, on the odd occasion, the fish are negative, a variety of nymphs, stoneflies, and even beads can be fished under an indicator to take brookies.
Fly Rods: Back country lakes, some which have never seen an angler are home to the apex predators in the system – Northern Pike. Rods recommended for pike are 8 weight rods for streamers and smaller flies and 10 weight rods for big undulated flies and surface poppers.
Reels: Large arbor reels are recommended for our northern pike. They are known for speedy runs at the end of your cast that could take you into your backing. Effective and reliable drag systems are a must.
Line: 8 and 10 weight, weight forward floating lines are recommended when targeting northern pike. Extra spools are also a good idea when targeting northern pike. Consider bringing in intermediate sinking lines as well as full sinking lines – conversely, if you don’t want to bring extra spools consider tippets in intermediate and sinking.
Leader: Bite wire is recommended when targeting northerns. 30 lb minimum knotable material is best, but you can also use 40 lb.
Flies: Pike are violent creatures often laying in wait for their next meal. Sub surface flies such as walleye pattern and perch streamers in a variety of sizes are a great bet as are streamers in fire tiger or white and chartreuse or white and red. Surface flies such as baby ducks, poppers and really, anything that will move water will fool wily pike to eat.
Figuring out hatches can take some time. Experience on a river is really the only way you’re going to “figure it out”. Having the inside scoop on that…
Read the Article