Brook Trout are some of the most entertaining fish to catch. They put up a good fight and always taste incredible cooked over a fire. But what are the best Brook Trout flies of all time? Searching for flies for native brook trout isn’t really all that different than flies for any other trout. We’re going to take a look at a few of my favorites, as well as some of my fly fishing buddies. We’ll include some of the classics, as well.
Brook Trout can be caught on a variety of different flies, including, streamers, dry flies and nymphs. There are surely more flies out there that you could use, but those are the most standard for catching Brookies.
These are the 10 best Brook Trout flies
- Elk Hair Caddis Fly
- Parachute Adams Fly
- Chernobyl Ant Fly
- Pale Morning Dun Fly
- Wooly Bugger Streamer
- Muddler Minnow Streamer
- Slumpbusters Streamer
- Pheasant Tail Nymph
- Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear Nymph
- Zebra Midge Nymph
Best Brook Trout Flies of All Time
Brook Trout eat a variety of meals. When fly fishing them, be prepared with plenty of flies on hand – it might take a couple flies to start hitting them. If you get to your secret fishing hole to find out that the fish aren’t biting, they probably won’t for the rest of the day, on that particular fly.
In that case, change it up.
Each and every fly on this list is going to catch a lot of Brook Trout in one location or the other. One fly might not work here, but might be a killer in another location. It’s all about having a wide variety of flies so you aren’t going home empty handed.
Let’s dive into it.
Most Popular Dry Flies For Brook Trout
Elk Hair Caddis
The Elk Hair Caddis Fly is by far one of the most popular Trout fishing dry flies on the market.
The Elk Hair Caddis Fly is one of the most productive dry flies for Brook Trout. It resembles little Caddis Flies and Stoneflies, both of which are popular Brook Trout meals.
This fly will catch fish throughout most of the year, but it will be most successful during a hatch. A hatch is when flies are transitioning from the early stages of life, to an adult. Flies gather in large groups on the water, resulting in a lot of Brook Trout gathered in the same location. If you find yourself a hatch, throw an Elk Hair Caddis fly into the water and you’ll probably have something on the line shortly thereafter.
Bottom line, there is a reason that many fly anglers keep an Elk Hair Caddis fly in their fly box when going after Brook Trout, they work.
Parachute Adams
The Parachute Adams fly is the one fly that every fly angler should have in his or her's fly box. Trout love these little guys.
I don’t think that this list for the most popular brook trout flies would be complete without the Parachute Adams dry fly. It is a tried and true fly that has consistently attracted trout for just under a hundred years.
It imitates an adult Mayfly, Flying Caddis or Midge. Brook Trout are keen to each of those bugs, making this fly a tasty snack.
Personally the Parachute Adams is one of my favorite dry flies that I use for Brook Trout (or any trout for that matter) and is usually one of my first fly choices, many times my only fly choice for that day.
Chernobyl Ant
The Chernobyl Ant Fly is a combination of foam and hair used to create a killer fly for Trout fishing.
The Chernobyl Ant has grown in popularity in the past years as one of the best Brook Trout flies. It uses a combination of string and foam to create an absolute killer of a fly. It’s definitely an unorthodox style of fly, but the trout eat em up!
The And can be a great option to move over to when the other classic flies aren’t hitting like they usually do. Never be afraid to throw on a new fly when the one you have on isn’t working.
Pale Morning Dun
The Pale Morning Dun (or PMD) is a well know dry fly that is very popular amongst fly anglers alike.
The Pale Morning Dun is a great dry fly for Brook Trout. It resembles an early stage of a Mayfly and the trout love em. This fly has been very popular with fly fishermen for awhile now and deserves a spot as one of the best.
It’s a very simple design, but very effective. Especially during a hatch. If you are not carrying this fly with you during the Spring or Fall (hatch/ fall seasons) you are leaving a lot on the table.
This is one the best beginner fly rod and reel combos on the market... while you may not reel in the any sharks with this one, you'll surely have a fun time catching rainbow trout!
Most Popular Streamers For Brook Trout
Wooly Bugger
The Wooly Bugger is a popular streamer for Trout fishing. It's a versatile fly resembling small minnows, leeches and crawfish.
The Wooly Bugger is another classic streamer in the Trout fishing community. Steamers work well in deeper water or murky conditions. This is because these flies dip under the water, right in front of the fish’s face.
The Wooly Bugger is very versatile. It imitates many Brook Trout meals such as leeches, minnows, and crawfish. Not only that but you can use these flies year round.
Related: 5 Rainbow Trout Flies That Are Going To Catch More Fish
Muddler Minnow
The Muddler Minnow has been around for nearly a century now, catching Trout the entire time.
The Muddler Minnow originated in 1936, by a guy named Don Gapen. His sole intention of the fly was to create a fly that would catch a lot of Brook Trout. Nearly a century later, his fly still stands true as one of the best Brook Trout flies.
The Muddler Minnow imitates a wide variety of food for Brook Trout including crickets, grasshoppers, Mayflies and more. All of which are very popular Brook Trout meals.
If you plan on going on the water at all for Trout fishing, bring some of these flies with you.
Slumpbusters
The Slumpbusters streamer is newish in the Trout fishing game, but certainly one that has made a splash.
The Slumpbusters fly is relatively new in the fly fishing world, but it’s still one of the most popular Brook Trout flies amongst fly anglers.
This streamer is big and heavy so it pushes a lot of water – you’ll probably want to run a slightly heavier setup with this fly. But if you do, this fly can and will produce the Brook Trout.
The Slumpbusters imitates a Dragonfly Nymph and Dragonfly Nymphs are meals that Brook Trout love to feast on.
This is one of the best budget fly rods on the market... It's perfect for beginners because its ease of use and durability.
Most Popular Nymphs For Brook Trout
Pheasant Tail Nymph
The pheasant tail nymph is an absolute must have in your fly box for trout fishing this season.
The Pheasant Tail nymph is one of the oldest and most original nymphs that on the market. To this day, it’s still one of the most popular nymphs for Brook Trout. It imitates larvae that the trout feed on.
The Pheasant Tail works very well when its placed near Brook Trout beds, lowered and then slowly brought back up to the surface. This resembles a natural larvae or insect movement and the Brookies can’t help but fall for it.
The Pheasant Tail Nymph is one of the most appreciated trout flies by fly fishermen. It can produce the fish when the others can’t.
Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear
The Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear Nymph is a top 3 nymph option for fly fishing Trout in most rivers.
The Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear Nymph is a very popular Trout fly. For whatever reason these flies make out like bandits on the river. It is hard to say whether it is the flashy gold chrome bead or the ribbing on it, but regardless it works.
It imitates a variety of different insects, including the Mayfly. Since it’s a nymph (wet fly), it can be very lucrative under the surface when the typical Parachute Adams or other classic dry flies aren’t working.
Zebra Midge
The Zebra Midge is a popular Trout fishing nymph.
The Zebra Midge is a very small but deadly fly in Brook Trout streams. When it drops under the water, the Brookies can’t resist themselves. It imitates a Midge pupa and other small insects.
The Zebra Midge works very well when the trout are feeding higher up in the water. As a matter of fact, I would suggest not using this nymph when the Brook Trout are in deeper water. These flies don’t drop very deep into the water.
Bottom line although, there’s no reason not to have a couple of these little nymphs in your fly box.
Related: Ranking The Most Popular Trout Dry Flies of All Time
Those Are The Best Brook Trout Flies
Regardless of what Brook Trout flies you decide to fish with, all of these will be killers. A lot of Brook Trout fishing is about finding the right fly, for the right situation. Hence the wide variety of flies on the list.
There’s no such thing as the perfect fly for every situation, that’s why there are hundreds of flies available for purchase! My suggestion to you is get a couple of different styles of Brook Trout flies and include them all to your collection.
At the end of the day, it’s all about getting on the water and enjoying the outdoors! I hope this article helped you in your Brook Trout fly fishing experiences. Best of luck and tight lines my friend!
