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It seems that any time I plan a weekend of fishing the weather guy calls for rain. I think these weather people have days off in the middle of the week, don’t they.

I know that the weather in early spring can be a bit unpredictable but we can’t stop fishing just because it gets messy. I have even fished in a snow storm when it should have been only raining. You just never know here in New Brunswick.

Instead of heading for Grassy Lake we could have headed for a brook instead. I think that would have helped with fighting the wind as the brooks we fish for trout are usually surrounded by trees, giving the trout some protection as well as me the fisher Mann.

Kerry had come down from Fredericton the night before so we could get an early start Saturday morning. It looked like maybe the weather guy was wrong, again. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky as we leaving.

We had packed everything the night before, well everything except our rain gear. Not sure what happened there.

We were well on our way when the clouds started rolling in, dark heavy looking clouds and that’s when I remembered exactly where my rain gear was. We decided to wait at Sussex New Brunswick for a store to open so we could get a couple of panchos for the day.

To make a long story short we had a great day of fishing even though we only got a couple of hours in before it was so windy we couldn’t use our fly Rods and went back to the car to switch to spinning Rods.

Normally on a day like this we would have gone home or sat in the vehicle hoping it would get better but this day the fish were biting on every cast. I am sure I could have cast into the bush and a brook trout would have found it.

The wind had torn my pancho, literally to ribbons, and eventually the wind ripped it right off and it was gone with the wind. I was soaked through and through and shivering like I was on a vibrator but I wasn’t about to quit fishing, not a chance.

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Brook trout are plentiful in New Brunswick and for the most part pretty easy to catch. Well the small brookies are easy to catch. If you want to catch the smarter brook trout you have to be a little stealthy.

The smarter the brook trout the longer it lives and the longer it lives the bigger it gets and the smarter it gets. So as a trout fisher you need to have your wits about you at all times.

I like to fly fish for trout but some of the places I go you just can’t get a cast in using a fly rod so that’s when I turn to my trusty spinning rod for a great day on the water.

One big thought to keep in mind when you’re brook trout fishing in New Brunswick or anywhere is…

If you can see the fish, most likely the fish can see you.

Keep a low profile when stocking those easily spooked fish.

I had a professor in college who would take me trout fishing near Sussex New Brunswick. When the water was low he would pretty much crawl to the spots that still held big trout so as not so cast a shadow on the water.

We also walked as light footed as we could so as to not jar the ground and send signals that something was approaching the brook. Big trout get that way because they hide at any movement or vibration in the water. For them it’s better safe than eaten.

As for the treat you are offering the brook trout to entice it to strike can be almost anything and I really mean that. I love using a fly but they are kinda hard to cast with a spinning rod so they need to be weighted down a bit. But I have a favorite…

The good ole Mepps

I have used Mepps of various sizes and color for years and years. Why??

Because they work.

Sometimes I fish for brook trout using just the Mepps and other times I tip it with a little treat, when the fishing is a bit tougher like when the water gets a bit to warm and they don’t want to leave the safety of their hiding or feeding spot.

I would say that my favorite Mepps to use is one that has a good amount of red and black. That combination just does it for me here in New Brunswick.

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Here in New Brunswick Canada fishing brook trout is one of the favorite “fishing friends” of most anglers. These crafty fish are abundant anywhere. The native habitat of these crafty fish depends on the type of trout.

For brook trout, the native habitat includes the territory from Labrador westward to the Saskatchewan, while the rainbow trout is a native of the Pacific slope from Alaska to California.

On the other hand, the brown trout has found its way into the waters of every state in the United States except Florida, Arkansas, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Texas. It has been reported in the waters of some of these states, but according to conservation officials, no authentic reports have been received. It is also found in many parts of Canada.

In trout fishing, there are some factors that need to be considered in order to have a successful catch.

1. For trout fishing, the leader should not be greased. It will not sink far enough to cause any difficulty when picking the line and lure from the water, but if it is allowed to float; it will cast a shadow on the bottom of the stream which may scare the trout.
2. The trout is one of the fishes that are usually secured through the use of the dry fly. For trout, the current as well as the pools should be fished. It may sometimes be a bit difficult to keep the fly from sinking or dragging because of the various conditions of the current, but this is a matter that the angler will have to figure out for himself.
3. It is not good practice when fishing for trout to fish directly upstream so the flies, line, and leader will float directly over fish. The fisherman should make the cast from one side of the stream so the fly will only float over the fish.
4. It is important to make the first cast the best. A feeding trout will usually strike the first lure presented if it is cast so that it will float over his private domain. The angler should never fail to fish the lower end of the pool first even if the trout are rising in the middle or upper end.
5. Trout are sometimes very moody or selective and will try the patience of any angler; hence, possibly a fly with less hackle will do the trick or it may be necessary to use a spent-wing fly or a fan wing.

Indeed, catching trout can be lots of fun. The anglers just have to remember these tips in order to have a happy catch.