Have the opportunity to spend a couple weeks near several native and possibly a stocked stream or two in Forest and Warren Counties during late May.
Hoping to wet a line here and there, but gear space is very limited. Taking along a 4 wt. rod and would like to limit fly selection to maybe a dozen total, consisting of four each in three varieties of smaller sizes.
First thoughts are that my short list should be hares ear/pheasant tail weighted nymphs, some black/olive wooly buggers and undecided on green weenies, muddlers or San Juan worms.
For those of you that hit small streams often, any favorites or suggestions?
Native brookies are opportunists - they have to be. They for the most part don't live in very fertile streams and generally hit anything that remotely resembles food.
Have fun with dry flies, especially what they call attractor flies. Royal Wulff, bi-visibles, ant and beetles, it really doesn't matter. Make sure you include my favorite brookie dry fly, the Stimulator, with a yellow or orange body. I tie my own flies, and I eliminate the palmer hackle on my Stimulator pattern, found that it doesn't add anything as a brookie pattern. The original Stimulator pattern was developed out west for the "Salmon Fly" hatch (a large stone fly). Be cautious with your approach and present it well, and they will take it. Don't forget to close the barbs on your hooks - they are very fragile. Hope this helps.
Very true, dry attractors are very fun on these streams. Also, san juans, muddlers, and green weenies will kill on these streams if presented well also. Natives are definitely very opportunistic. Not hard to get them to hit, much harder IMO to fool them a second time.
Stimulators are great. My favorite is a size 14 with a yellow body. Especially when the water is up after a rain.
Parachute Adams is a well known and really great all around freestone stream pattern. But I like it tied with a brownish (Hares ear dubbing) body better than the traditional gray. So I guess you could call it a Parachute Hares Ear dry. Sizes 12 and 14.
Also, a Parachute Yellow Adams. Yellow body, hackle: mixed grizzly and light ginger.
The great thing about parachute dries is that they fish well whether the water is low and slow, or high, fast, choppy water.
Parachute Adams is a well known and really great all around freestone stream pattern. But I like it tied with a brownish (Hares ear dubbing) body better than the traditional gray. So I guess you could call it a Parachute Hares Ear dry. Sizes 12 and 14.
The great thing about parachute dries is that they fish well whether the water is low and slow, or high, fast, choppy water.
I find anything that is buggy, bulky and will float even after being in a few fishes mouths is the best fly to use. I've experimented with a ton of different combinations and my go-to for about the last 8-10 years has been pretty much an adams wulff with dun colored hackle and polypropylene (same stuff most indicators are made out of) for the wings and tail. Normally sizes 12-16. When I'm fishing a wild stream it is normally the first and only thing that I tie on.
most PA native brooktrout streams in late spring and summer are pretty shallow, I find that fish will sit in REALLY shallow water as well, remember most of the time they are 6" long. They dont need tons of water to hide. Because of this I like using a big, Impossible to sink, Easy to see, Easy to tie, Dry fly. I like the foam beatles, parachute adams, HI VIZ anything, etc. Just go with something that doesnt get water logged easy, on a good day of brookie fishing you can have upwards of 200 hits and a fly that gets wet and sinks after a few fish really takes the fun out of it IMO having to constantly retie or blow it dry, there usually is no room for false casting to dry it.
I also dont usually use drops off of my dry fly when fishing the small streams, sure you might get down into some of the deeper plunge pools and draw up a bigger fish, but chances are that same fish will go airborn for a dry if hes going to eat !
I like elk hair caddis, but they don't seem to be picky. I prefer dries for brookies because of how willing they are to hit anything that floats.
Good luck and have fun.
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