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Brook Trout
2013 Update - After lasts year’s 18 inch Brook trout caught on a 5” Yum Dinger in Highland Lake, I have nothing really to say. The family was swimming while anchored in deep water playing on a towable swim platform. Music, food, and drink were abound on a wonderful summer day in NH. Of course, I manned the helm with fish pole in hand. Many times I bass fish as swimmers bring them in. And I seem to catch more and more bass out of Highland each year. So suddenly the rod bent over and thought for sure it was a bass. I was amazed to see a massive hook jaw brookie. He has swallowed the Dinger and the size 4/0 EWG hook. It took all of my skill and knowledge to be able to save this fish and allow him to swim unharmed. I hough for sure when I saw the hook deep inside, I would have to harvest it. But luckily for the next fisherman, this beauty is still out there. Reminds my when i caught a 19 inch Rainbow on a YUM Dinger in the river when the water was low. That was another story....
The Brook Trout exists in higher elevation trout waters and streams fed by cold springs. They feast on everything from invertebrate insect life, crustaceans, and forage fish when they get larger. Brook Trout are active feeders after stocking, and will become somewhat selective later in the season feeding only in early morning and late evening when it is cooler. For this reason, they are fairly difficult for the occasional angler to catch later on in the season.
The experienced angler can catch Brook Trout throughout the entire season by focussing on where there is cooler water. The Brook Trout fishery in New Hampshire can be fragile based upon water level and temperatures, especially for naturally occurring fish. The sterile nature of our waters in higher elevations including ponds and streams means that care should be taken to protect the fish and their habitat.
Of all the trout species in New Hampshire, it is the most colorful, belonging to the char family. The fish has a beautiful red, white and black striping on its fins. Practice safe release using rubber nets and carefully revive the fish after removing the hook. As with most trout, they make nice table fare. Brook trout are perhaps the tastiest of the trout species found in New Hampshire.
A hybrid of the brook trout, the Tiger Trout is a with a brown trout. Brown Trout eggs are fertilized with brook trout milt and then thermally shocked to improve yield. There are a few water bodies that are stocked with Tiger Trout. They are very aggressive and will readily take a dry fly. Like a Brown Trout once they reach a certain length, they focus on bait fish and can grow at an alarming rate.
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