The Giant Brown Trout of Lake Ontario

Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie/Flickr

I’ve never caught a 24-inch brown trout on a fly. I’ve put a few 23-inch fish in the net, and more than a handful of 20-inchers. But I have yet to cross the 2-foot mark with salmo trutta, even though I’m surrounded by tailwaters supposedly full of fish near 25 inches.

I reckon a lot of anglers fall into that same situation, which is why this recent story from On The Water caught my eye. Josh Long wrote about how the brown trout of Lake Ontario deserve more attention and love than they currently get.

I fished Lake Ontario last year, and caught a large enough brown trout on a big spoon, but now I’m tempted to go back and chase the bigger fish on the fly rod.

As Long writes, “While much of the press and attention in this fishery goes toward steelhead and salmon, brown trout also enter these areas in September and often stay well into the winter. Timing their run is crucial, as being off by a day or two can be the difference between casting into water that seems devoid of life and running into unbelievable numbers of migratory browns.”

His post goes into great detail on how to time the runs, how to rig for them, and how to make sure you’ll have a successful day on the water. It’s worth reading, especially if you’re ready to run off and put some giant trout in the net.

Read the story here.