Let’s step back from brook trout fishing for a moment and discuss why it is so popular. First off Brook trout are some of the most flavorful and tender fish to eat. The habitat they live in (the cold moving water of the Rocky Mountains) is some of the most beautiful country on earth. You can find brook trout in Rocky Mountain Lakes rivers and streams and find yourself at peace and ease before you’ve even caught your first fish. Brook trout prefer medium to rapidly flowing water that is what humans would consider cooler with a temperature range anywhere from 57° to 67°, they tend to propagate in areas of water that contains greater amounts of oxygen like spring fed streams, creeks and pools. When it is time for brook trout to strong fishermen can find them in the cleaner shallow pools to have gravel bottoms and well oxygenated water. These fish have been known to be stationary and can be found often underneath logs, undercut banks and rocks. If you are looking for larger older brook trout are most common habitat is the deeper pools unless they are moving into shallow water when it is time to feed.

Another common name for brook trout is brookies. Brookies commonly live in colder waters, are slower moving in their typical lifespan is up to eight years. A common identifying characteristic of the brook trout is the fishes long, streamlined body and larger mouth which extends past the eyes of the fish. The body coloring of a brook trout will vary depending on the location the fish lives in the typically only very slightly and includes blue-gray, black or all of in the fishes belly is typically a silvery white. Another fantastic identifying characteristic is the brook trout’s bright red dots with blue halos making them extremely easy fish to identify. Aiding in this identification is the brook trout spotted dorsal fun in the fishes wormlike vermiculations marking along its back. Most brook trout’s tail fins are square however there are a few rare species that have been seen with a slightly forked tails. Another great way to tell your holding a brook trout is to look at their lower fins and check to see if they have a white front edge and black with the remainder of the fin being a reddish or orange color. An extremely interesting fact is that the male brook trout has the ability to appear bright orange red along his sides during the fall breeding time.

One of the most important things about successful freshwater fishing is that you realize you must walk slowly and steadily to avoid making a lot of splashing noise and vibrations. Many people are stunned when they realize just how sensitive brook trout are and how aware of their environment they have. A good practice is to wade in the center of the creek and then cast your line towards the bank, don’t let shallow water scare you off as brook trout are custom to hiding in extremely shallow water  although waiting in the water gives you access to more possible places to fish, if you do not have the equipment or the ability to wade you can still fish for brook trout fishing from the bank. One of the best indicators you’re in the right spot whether you’re waiting or fishing from the bank is to make sure that you can see the bottom so you know just how deep the water is. Brook trout are always hungry and have the ability to lead a large number of different bait such as crustaceans, other fish, worms and airborne insects and aquatic insects. You can use various lures or baits but the ideal equipment for brook trout fishing is wet and dry flies, crickets worm’s grasshoppers and the occasional spinners and lures.