Trophy Brown Trout will enter the stream in late October and will remain until late Spring. While fishing for these Browns for many years, there is nothing to explain why there is a larger number of Browns to run in the western area compared to places such as the Salmon River. Typically, the first run of Browns are the larger ones and also the majority of them are bucks (male). When these Trophy Brown Trout do rush the tributaries, they have a large food source on which to survive. In the month of October, the stream is filled with Salmon on beds actively spawning.  Trophy Brown Trout have a feeding frenzy during this time and get behind current spawning salmon. Drifting egg patterns may not be the fly fisherman’s favorite style of fishing, but it is very effective during this time. Another option is to swing buggers, although your production level may not be as high.

The Trophy Brown Trout spawning cycle will start to wind down in late November. Most browns will hold in the tributaries over the winter. They will look for tail outs and small pools to hold over for the winter.  The egg drift at this point won’t be on point like in early November. You will want to ensure if the egg bite isn’t on that day, you have the ability to swing or strip a bugger through holding spots on the stream. Browns eat small streamers and many nymphs during the winter. Some of the best spots on the river may freeze at some point during the winter, but that can be a good thing.

Temperatures begin to rise in the late winter/early spring which means it’s time to take advantage of hold over browns. Giving them a month or two of no pressure on the stream means they are hungry. This also results in a runoff from the winter’s snow. Tributaries will become high and dirty and fishing may be rough but not enough to keep one off the stream. There are plenty of spots on the Western NY tributaries that are still fishable and will result with many hook ups. The high rain also results in another push of Trophy Brown Trout into the water, giving more opportunities for hook ups. The Spring run of Browns don’t have the number or size like the Fall,  but there are not as many anglers on the water.

Trophy Brown Trout may not be as acrobatic as a Steelhead on the swing, but the fight is very powerful. Hooking into heavy Brown male or female Trophy Brown Trout will truly test your angling skills. The term “bull dogging” is famous for how these fish fight. They will take their heads and bury them right down into the current. It feels at times like fighting a tree stump in the water. Lake Ontario provides fly fisherman rare opportunity in the water tributaries for world class Trophy Brown Trout. Taking advantage of this opportunities is a must for any fly angler.