Brook Trout Heaven

Posted By Kent Klewein on April 27, 2010

Great friends Dan Flynn and Louis Cahill recently went native brook trout fishing on one of our headwaters in Georgia. They had a fantastic day and Louis Cahill captured some really cool photos during their day of fishing. There’s nothing like fishing dries to hungry and aggressive brook trout. Check out the photos below by clicking on them for larger views and slide show.

Dan Flynn fishing prime brook trout water - Photo By: Louis Cahill

If you have not gone fly fishing for Southern Appalachian Brook Trout before, we highly recommend it. The brilliant colors and patterns on these guys makes them some of the prettiest fish on the planet. Plus the remote and wild scenery you’ll encounter while fishing for them is sure to make the hike-in well worth your time. Just make sure you release these little guys unharmed since they’re our only true native trout to the area. The pure genetics have been passed down since the ice-age.

Native Brook Trout from North Georgia - Photos by: Louis Cahill

So what flies should you stock your fly box with to have a good chance at landing one of these beauties? By nature, brook trout in their wild habitat, especially during the warmer months, are not too picky when it comes to fly choice. However, there are some patterns that seem to perform a little better than others. Below is a list of my favorite fly patterns for wild brookies.

Fly Patterns for Southern Appalachian Brook Trout

10-16 Orange & Yellow Stimulators – One of my favorite patterns of all time for these guys.

12-18 Tan & Olvie Elk Hair Caddis – Great all around dry fly pattern for Brookies.

12-16 Parachute Adams – Never leave home without these guys if your fishing for wild trout.

12-16 Royal Wulff – They don’t call this fly royal for nothing. It works just about everywhere.

16-20 Blue Winged Olives or Parachute Pheasantail – You may need these if they’re keyed in on a small bug.

8-12 Black & Olive Woolly Buggers – These are trophy fish producers when you encounter deep pools or when the trout don’t want to come to the surface to take your dry fly.