As the fall foliage turns across North America, and water temperatures begin to cool from the summer simmer, an event begins that makes for a great way to kill an afternoon solo, or an entire weekend with family and friends; the spawning runs of brown and brook trout.
Whereas true trouts rainbow and cutthroat tend to spawn naturally in the spring, these char, more closely related to salmon than trout, spawn in the fall, usually starting around mid-October, an event that can last well into December in some climes.
While the brook trout is native to the eastern portion of the United States and Canada, the brown trout was a species first introduced to the western hemisphere in 1883 to Maine from Europe. Once commonly called the German brown, for small, early populations introduced from there, studies have confirmed that the majority of sustained North American populations actually originated in Great Britain.
The brown is among the most adaptable of the trouts, tolerating similar temperature swings of near freezing and up to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, comfortably, as do rainbow trout, while at the same time flourishing in a wider range of water quality than many other trouts.
Add in a voracious appetite, an aggressive nature, and a penchant for eating other fishes and brown trout out-compete many other native fishes in large stretches of waterways throughout North America, often growing to trophy sizes of several pounds in their up to 20-year lifetimes. It’s not uncommon to catch two to three pound specimens this time of year in fair abundance in streams and rivers with water temperatures around 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit as they search out eddys with gravelly bottoms to dig out their shallow nesting grounds in which the females will lay eggs that males will then flow over depositing sperm.
Interestingly, the introduction of native American rainbow trout to Scotland has had a similar effect on native populations of salmonid species there.
Let’s go catchin’
As the season changes trout head upstream to spawn in sometimes-epic journeys of hundreds of miles, stopping along the way in calmer water to rest and feed. During most of the year you can expect to find trout commonly feeding in riffles and light rapids, but during their spawning run they must rest, meaning that right now schools of travelers and nesters can be often found in abundance in the pools often found above, below, and off to the side of rough water.
Brook trout will generally be in higher elevations, as they prefer slightly cooler water than browns, and do not grow nearly as large, partly due to a lifespan about half that of a brown.
Both species are ruthless, opportunistic hunters that eat a variety of carnivorous offerings. Everything from seasonal flies to caterpillars, grasshoppers, and earthworms, real or imitation, can garner an intense response to the tip of your fishing pole as they hit your baited hook. Don’t be afraid to try a variety of baits if you’re not getting results on one, and pay attention to the surrounding environment, as whatever is in the area is likely on the menu if it finds it’s way to the water.
This particular time of year salmon eggs, that can be bought in most stores that stock any type of fishing gear, will many times trigger a response when other offerings do not. ‘Tis the season, after all. Sometimes during the egg drop of a spawn, browns will stop their single-minded spawning and turn to feasting on this seasonal bounty.
Use a single hook with a small sinker or two about 12-20 inches up the line, size 8 hooks for smaller, pan fryer size (about 12 inches, 1 lb. of fish), up to a size 4, or even 2 if you’re in waters that harbor river monsters. If you only carry a little tackle with you I’d recommend size 5 split shots and sizes 8 and 6 single bait hooks. Make sure you have a pair of needle nose pliers to remove the hook that gets swallowed, especially if you practice catch and release.
While still not fully understood, it’s been reported that unlike many other game fishes brown trout stop spawning altogether after reaching about five pounds, only eating for the remainder of their lifespans.
Large brown trout will even eat frogs, mice, and small birds that find themselves in a precarious situation in the water, but be sure to check your local regulations. Proclamations of specific fishing rules are easily found where most fishing licenses are sold or at your local wildlife office or online. Regulations can vary widely depending on the management of a specific stretch of water.
Some areas may have a “bonus” limit on keepers, if you intend to eat your catch, especially for these two trouts as they can overpopulate an area relatively quickly with their insatiable appetites, so stay apprised of the latest news. If you catch brook trout that has a head unusually large for the proportion of it’s body it’s likely an overpopulated area, something you may want to report back to your local wildlife authorities so they can take a look into the possibility of updating the management parameters.
There’s a small “lake” tucked up in the mountains above Panguitch Lake, Utah in just such a predicament. We’d heard it was brimming with brook trout, so took the 4-wheel drive trail on a quest to fill our legal limits of this delicious pink-meat fish.
Upon arriving there, mid-afternoon, we found Noodle “Lake” to be nothing more than a glorified, spring-fed pond, with two thirds of it’s crystal clear, shallow water to be covered in algae and moss. We could see a few brookies hanging around in the open third of water near the outlet, but they reacted to nothing offered them. Disappointed, we nevertheless enjoyed the serene surroundings immensely and fished on.
Then a remarkable thing happened. “Fishing” seemingly spontaneously turned into “catching.”
As the sun dipped behind the tall firs, spruces, and ponderosa pines, someone yelled out “Fish on!” Then another shout of triumph, followed almost simultaneously by another, and another. As it turned out, timing was everything at this particular locale and we all had our limit literally within minutes of the start of the feeding frenzy.
If you like a little more action, a variety of spinners and lures work as well this time of year as any other. Brown trout will readily eat other trout, especially flashy rainbows, making a floating rainbow Rapala pulled through a pool a likely target for a snack.
Floating a nightcrawler over a small spillway into the pool below one day at the headwaters of the Sevier river in southern Utah, I watched my line tighten. I waited for the characteristic tug to set the hook on, feeling my pulse race as my pole stayed bent toward the creek. Reeling this one in I was sure I’d nabbed a hog.
Imagine my surprise when I landed a brown about 16 inches long, a pound-and-a-half, with the tail of another brown nearly as large sticking out of it’s mouth! And it was still eating! (Evidently, not an uncommon occurrence)
There’s no better time of year to catch these magnificent fish. Let’s go catchin’!