17" wild - and indigenous, NJ brookie

**northcountryman** · 12-09-2010, 05:53 PM

Very nice fish!! funny how the brookies look a little bit different depnding upon where yyou're fishing. In the adirondacks, I think they're a bit darker.

Good job!!

**Esopus Guy** · 12-10-2010, 08:30 AM

You would be suprised what fish can handle. I have a small freestone creek near me no more than 15ft wide and knee deep where 20in Browns can be found. No rhyme or reason but they make it year after year.....

**Hookerman** · 12-10-2010, 02:40 PM

[quote author=Esopus Guy link=topic=5023.msg38972#msg38972 date=1291984224]
You would be suprised what fish can handle. I have a small freestone creek near me no more than 15ft wide and knee deep where 20in Browns can be found. No rhyme or reason but they make it year after year.....
[/quote]

Yep. I don't like surprises but, this kind is OK. 25 years ago I would have kept the fish with one of the reasons being noone would have beleived me. These days I don't care, but it sure is nice to have a photo. BTW, here's the release:

**G Lech** · 12-12-2010, 07:10 PM

Beautiful fish!

**Hookerman** · 12-13-2010, 09:23 PM

Thanks for the all congrats.

Did anyone here also catch some exceptional specimens or unusually high numbers of larger than average brookies the last two years as well? And, if so, when, what flies and under what conditions? Just curious. Wild fish only please. Thanks.

**Chris Smorul** · 12-14-2010, 01:18 AM

I got this guy in a NJ stream that is so small you can step across it. He took and elk hair caddis that i drifted into a plunge poo while hiding behind a treel. 11-12 inches I'm guessing.

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**Hookerman** · 12-14-2010, 01:40 PM

[quote author=Chris Smorul link=topic=5023.msg38996#msg38996 date=1292303896]
I got this guy in a NJ stream that is so small you can step across it. He took and elk hair caddis that i drifted into a plunge poo while hiding behind a treel. 11-12 inches I'm guessing.

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[/quote]

What size (fly) and what time of year? Also, conditions...water flow (high, low ect.), time of day temp. (air and/or water). Also, was/is it an unusual specimen for the stream? I know, lotta questions. Just curious, no agenda.

**Chris Smorul** · 12-25-2010, 07:19 AM

Sorry i haven't replied, I've been in the hospital for the last week and a half. This fish was caught in the spring (May). The waterflow was normal for the time of the year, it slows to almost a trickle oover the dummer. If it weren't for some rather large plunge pools I doubt that the trout would survive the summer. The caddis that it took was a size 16 green bodied varuety of an elk hair caddis. This trout would be considered a monster for this little creek. I'll srr if I can dig up a picture of the creek.