A lucky brown trout in a North Branch tributary

[Pode]

Hey guys!

I hopped out to a stream yesterday and fished for a short amount of time just before dark. I parked at a bridge on the Raritan north branch, but ended up wading up a tributary for a quarter mile or so, then BAM! This guy hit my trout magnet from behind a boulder!! He fought hard and was really flinging around out of the water splashing and making a scene, and surely spooking off every other fish in the pool!

I didn't expect anything but to enjoy the scenery on a nice evening... sometimes you catch em when you least expect it!

https://i.postimg.cc/FYbKbDnQ/IMG-20211110-155220.jpg (https://postimg.cc/FYbKbDnQ)

https://i.postimg.cc/ygG665W0/IMG-20211110-155550.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ygG665W0)

https://i.postimg.cc/PL2r9Nj3/IMG-20211110-155614.jpg (https://postimg.cc/PL2r9Nj3)

[thmyorke1]

very nice quick brownie :D Anything in the north branch itself? I found around this time into spring more trout can be found around there.

[Pode]

very nice quick brownie :D Anything in the north branch itself? I found around this time into spring more trout can be found around there.

I've had incredibly bad luck in the north branch this fall :(

I've put maybe 6-8 hours of fishing in since it was stocked, mostly in North Branch Park, the spot around the bridge by Newtown School, and at the Fair Hills Fairgrounds. I've been skunked every time, although I did have a fish on in the current below the spillway above the 202 bridge, but I lost him.

I guess that's why I got frustrated and started wandering up strange streams :P

That being said, I was tearing up the north branch for smallies in the month leading up to the trout stocking! I think the cold water and infusion of big trout probably has the fish all shuffling around and hiding.

[JimmyL]

Good catch, man. Keep fishin'!

[Mikey topaz]

Great brown for the north branch! Keep on catching 👍