Which stream holds the biggest browns?

[johnjav]

I spent a lot of time fly fishing these local streams over the past few years.  I landed a 21" brown that I consider my best fish caught on a fly.  I know for a fact that croton falls outlet and east branch are two streams that can hold some pretty large browns.  What other streams in the area do you think hold some big browns?

[lionpshark]

John I'm not a fly fisherman but that is a good question. I'm not sure what the answer would be because this is my first season but I would assume that it would be a stream or river that goes into a large body of water that allows these brown to forage yearly on large amounts of bait fish to get nice and fat so we just need to do the geological math! Or is it not that easy and is it something else that lets a stream fish get to 21 inches?

[johnjav]

Thats 21 incher must have been in the stream for spawning. I'm still shocked over landing that thing.  I have seen large browns early in the spring in the streams as well as later in the season. ive also heard that once the stockies are put into the stream all the big trout move out of the stream.  This can be the reason why ive only seen big trout in the early spring and later in the season.  It would be great if some people came forward with there large trout from our local stream stories.       

[Ant73]

JohnJav,  You are correct the most consistent producer of large browns is the EB and WB outlet. There are many more but a lot of them including the WB are off limits when the larger fish show up in the fall.   I am amazed that with all the poaching that goes on at these two rivers it still can produce Trophy class fish.  My biggest is 5.5 lbs from the EB and was caught on an olive bugger.  About two yrs ago i lost a rainbow that was probably around the same size.   A few years back a photo was floating around of a estimated 12lb brown that was found dead on the shore of the WB outlet.   I spend a lot of time targeting the larger class fish that inhabit our streams ,  streamers and nymphs seem to produce for me.  The great thing is that these fish can be caught all year long.   

[johnjav]

JohnJav,  You are correct the most consistent producer of large browns is the EB and WB outlet. There are many more but a lot of them including the WB are off limits when the larger fish show up in the fall.   I am amazed that with all the poaching that goes on at these two rivers it still can produce Trophy class fish.  My biggest is 5.5 lbs from the EB and was caught on an olive bugger.  About two yrs ago i lost a rainbow that was probably around the same size.   A few years back a photo was floating around of a estimated 12lb brown that was found dead on the shore of the WB outlet.   I spend a lot of time targeting the larger class fish that inhabit our streams ,  streamers and nymphs seem to produce for me.  The great thing is that these fish can be caught all year long.

Wow, 5.5 pounds! Thats really awesome.  I am really surprised too that these streams still produce big trout, the fishing pressure has to be tough on them.  I have fished WB outlet but never really caught anything significant.  The largest brown i caught from the lower section of EB (not sure of the weight) hit a streamer pattern as well. 

[Montrose]

Amawalk outlet has a few nice fish in the lower section.  I don't fish it often and never caught anything as big as Ant, but I have gotten browns to 20" there.

[BigWilly]

This was my first season fly fishing the Croton watershed. For what it is worth I got almost all of my larger trout on the the Croton River.  Could have been luck.  I also saw allot of poachers to yell at.  There excuse is no Habla English!  Then I tell them, Mi habla Espanol and they start to pick up there stuff and leave.  I got this brown last year and released it.  Was 23 inches and kicked my but for about 30-45 minutes on a 4WT 81/2 foot rod and I couldn't believe it when I landed it.....

2nd pic is from the salmon river, wasn't on fly but it was 16+ pounds.  SLOB

[BigWilly]

16 pounder from Salmon River that I forgot to attach to my last post.  Not on fly and not a brown but a monster none the less.  Props to Tony G for netting it in that big water.

[johnjav]

Those are some great pics willy, gotta love those trout!  I never fished croton river, hopefully i can give it a shot this upcoming season.  Here is that big 21" brown from EB.  This has to be my favorite fish i ever caught. i even like it better than my 8 pound LMB out of CFR. I released it back into the stream, so im sure by next season it will be a few pounders heavier! 

[lionpshark]

Those are some nice looking stream trout guys!

[Nick]

this one is pretty nice too i guess. took awhile to reel in.





conneticut streams 1 hour from here hold some big sea run browns. like the mianus river ( witch is only like 30 minutes) and the naugatuak and suagatauck where my friends dad caught some nice sea run browns

[johnjav]

Those are some nice looking stream trout guys!

I framed that brown and saved the streamer i caught it on.  i glued the streamer to the wooden picture frame i put the picture in. 

[Gordon]

Great looking fish!

[lionpshark]

Those are some nice looking stream trout guys!

I framed that brown and saved the streamer i caught it on.  i glued the streamer to the wooden picture frame i put the picture in.

John With your camera quality, I would have framed it as well!

[johnjav]

Those are some nice looking stream trout guys!

I framed that brown and saved the streamer i caught it on.  i glued the streamer to the wooden picture frame i put the picture in.

John With your camera quality, I would have framed it as well!

Manny, you have to get that camera by next season.  It's completely waterproof and takes great shots.