Fall troutin' on the Flat Brook

[Doug Vitale]

Date: 11/9/2021
Weather: clear skies, ~64 degrees
Body of water: Flat Brook
Location: middle of $&#*ing nowhere, Delaware Water Gap
Water temp: 45 degrees at 8:45 AM
Water clarity: very clear
Water depth: excellent, varied from 12" to 36"

The trout are there if you're willing to work for them. The Flat Brook isn't exactly loaded with holding areas, so you have to seek them out. Seven fall-stocked trout were caught in four hours with a Panther Martin spinner (black with gold blade), Thomas spoon (1/6 oz. gold/red) and a small jointed Rapala.

[AndyS]

Nice trout !! I I urge those who use treble hooks and practice C&R to press the barbs down, which I think you said you do already.

[FASTEDDIE29]

Beautiful Rainbows from a tough river! Well done! I usually focus on pockets when I fish up there. Gotta love the area and the scenery is perfect.

[JimmyL]

Quality trout action.
Nice use of the jointed Rapala.

[Drossi]

Originally Posted by Doug Vitale

Thomas spoon (1/6 oz. gold/red)

I can't tell from the picture but was it a Thomas Eel spoon?

In a past life I used to slay them on the gold (brown trout) or silver (rainbows & brookies). Loved me them "hippies"

[Pode]

Nice fish!! Roughly how far up the river from the Delaware were you fishing? I tried last weekend, both in the Catch/Release area and a bit north of the 202 bridge, and struck out.

[Chrisper4694]

always surprised me there aren't more hold over brook trout around in there.

[Doug Vitale]

Originally Posted by Drossi

I can't tell from the picture but was it a Thomas Eel spoon?

In a past life I used to slay them on the gold (brown trout) or silver (rainbows & brookies). Loved me them "hippies"

I used Thomas buoyant spoons, usually in a red/gold pattern.

Originally Posted by Pode

Nice fish!! Roughly how far up the river from the Delaware were you fishing? I tried last weekend, both in the Catch/Release area and a bit north of the 202 bridge, and struck out.

If you look at Google Maps, I started next to Haneys Mill Rd. off of Rt. 615.

Yesterday I had a rough time on the Paulinskill...only got one rainbow and I was dumbfounded at how many juicy holding areas simply contained no fish, or none that would strike any of my proven trout lures.

[Billfish715]

You do have to know the stream you are fishing. Some places hold fish better than others. It helps your catch ratio if you spend less time fishing where they are not! Also, the fall trout are bigger than the spring stocked fish. They don’t hang out in the shallow riffles and runs for long. The number of trout stocked in the fall is much less as well. A lot of good spots just won’t have any fish. It’s a numbers game. Your best chances to catch a trout are still near where they were stocked. In many streams that means near a bridge or truck pull off.

[Sako1]

Nice catch Doug, thanks for sharing. It's refreshing to see a quality detailed report regarding conditions and specifically what was used to catch.

Dave