Which stream holds the biggest browns?

[bluefish]

JohnJav, that is a hell of a watershed brown trout on a fly.      For me, the East Branch is a really good RAINBOW fishery, but never got a brown over 18 or so there 

C Falls outlet (that first legal area below the dam), and CFalls Inlet (aka the WB outlet) have some nice brownies, especially in the Fall, when the spawners come up (but you can only legally fish until 9/30)

I have never fished the Croton River (New Croton outlet to the Hudson River), but years ago some fly fisher told me there are very big browns in there     That river is a weird one  -   at times, you can catch a herring, a striper, a carp, who knows?

You should try using the fly rod on Croton Falls in the Spring     I have tried, but never hooked up with a big one, although I've gotten smaller browns        I had the jolt of my life two years ago, when I was casting a sawbelly pattern near the stoneleigh "viaduct" and a big brownie followed it up to the boat    Definitely a double digit fish, but he just bolted when he realized it was a fake

[bluefish]

When i say you should try Croton Falls, I mean the reservoir

[johnjav]

JohnJav, that is a hell of a watershed brown trout on a fly.      For me, the East Branch is a really good RAINBOW fishery, but never got a brown over 18 or so there 

C Falls outlet (that first legal area below the dam), and CFalls Inlet (aka the WB outlet) have some nice brownies, especially in the Fall, when the spawners come up (but you can only legally fish until 9/30)

I have never fished the Croton River (New Croton outlet to the Hudson River), but years ago some fly fisher told me there are very big browns in there     That river is a weird one  -   at times, you can catch a herring, a striper, a carp, who knows?

You should try using the fly rod on Croton Falls in the Spring     I have tried, but never hooked up with a big one, although I've gotten smaller browns        I had the jolt of my life two years ago, when I was casting a sawbelly pattern near the stoneleigh "viaduct" and a big brownie followed it up to the boat    Definitely a double digit fish, but he just bolted when he realized it was a fake

Thanks for the tips bluefish.  That brown was an amazing catch, i hit the stream pretty much every chance i could fishing streamers with sinking line. The streamer wasn't even big, only a size 10.  I will have to try that new croton outlet at some point.  That would have be incredible landing that double digit brown!

[Biz-R-OWorld]

Around West. & Put.  Counties.  There are many  many little streams and brooks you probably drive by everyday  to work or on your way to a res. And pretty much  if not most get stocked sometime during the year. And most will have hold overs or go up and down from the res. I have caught my biggest stream trout in the smallest streams .  Some of them do not even have trails along side of them. Some sesons these little streams dont even get fished and if very rarely   Hi dirty water after a rain on the biggist pool in the area with half a nite crawler will get them . Then hold on. A 3- 5 lb. brownie on a 5 ft ultra with 4 lb test  is  unforgetable.  Tasty too.

I agree.  There are quite a few streams, that I dont even think have names, that have trout in them.  Years ago, driving by a little stream, I saw a guy fly fishing a stream I could jump across, I figured he was just practicing or something. I turned around and went back and pulled over. As I got out of the car and started walking over, the guy told me to be very quiet so not to spook the trout. I watched this guy catch a few trout in like 10 minutes. It was pretty cool. I went back 1 time with some small spinners and thought I had a big one on, turned out to be a sucker that was almost 20"!

[pbd]

West Branch one about 16-17 or so I guess not that great but for me a good one
Unfortunately have seen poachers here a couple of times all shapes/sizes/backgrounds   They quickly left after I brought my cellphone

[johnjav]

West Branch one about 16-17 or so I guess not that great but for me a good one
Unfortunately have seen poachers here a couple of times all shapes/sizes/backgrounds   They quickly left after I brought my cellphone

This is the real west branch outlet or the one out of croton falls?  i always see worm containers tossed all over.   

-john

[Montrose]

I have never fished the Croton River (New Croton outlet to the Hudson River), but years ago some fly fisher told me there are very big browns in there     That river is a weird one  -   at times, you can catch a herring, a striper, a carp, who knows?

Agree w/ the above.  I have caught rainbows on EHC's to 16" here and once many years ago was catching schoolie stripers one after another at sunset when I got hit and though I' had a keeper bass on.  Turned out to be a FOOTBALL brown 24" and about 7lbs.

[Nick]

yeah there are tons of deep holes in that river, ive caught so many types of fish there

catfish
brown trout
smb
carp
striped bass
white perch
rock bass
perch
pickeral
eels

i cant even think of all the fish ive caught there... what part of the river where you fishing and what time of year when you caught that monster brown if you dont mind me asking?

[Montrose]

Nick, in addition to the bows and all others you mentioned, crappies and shad make the list for me too.

PM me and I'll let you know where...With a big FU to the 21 lurkers online right now who resist joining a free site and manning up info, it was exactly daytime and it was definitely in the water.

[biggamee]

Nick, in addition to the bows and all others you mentioned, crappies and shad make the list for me too.

PM me and I'll let you know where...With a big FU to the 21 lurkers online right now who resist joining a free site and manning up info, it was exactly daytime and it was definitely in the water.

Now you got like 30 lurkers!!! Its cool that we share, but to see, atleast be signed on!!!

[Brooklynite]

On the striper forums we call it "spot burning". That is, when you mention a specific location where you fish... It usually gets the forum member in trouble because the prevailing attitude is that you have to earn the knowledge on your own. I know I've got tremendous help from this forum and will continue to offer my own very limited knowledge...but after a while one comes to realize that trout have patterns, reliable holes and lies. So it might be best if specific locations are sent with a PM and rivers and streams are referred to by name only?

There are plenty of poachers who "lurk" too..

I say this as someone who has really put ALOT of time into scouting and fishing the rivers this year... That being said, if someone wants to give up their honeyhole to someone else, well, so be it. We don't own the rivers, we're just blessed to be able to borrow from them time to time.

My best trout of last year came from the Amawalk...after a two-mile hike. 

So John--you're really doing better on streamers than dries? I'm hoping to do better on streamers next year too--any pattern recommendations?

[westputrout]

 lurkers  true   i have brought people to my honey holes  fishing and hunting and got burned. by iether taking to mant trout or deer to leaving a mess to just doing stupid things that attracted to many people or the police , walked many a mile to find my HONEY HOLES. i will glady tell u anything you want to know about the resivours the hudson the sound but not what ive walked long and hard for   40 years fishing putnam and west. duthess

[johnjav]

So John--you're really doing better on streamers than dries? I'm hoping to do better on streamers next year too--any pattern recommendations?

hey brooklynite,

I did much better with streamers this past season.  I think i only used dries on only 4 outtings, streamers and nymphs really were my go to pattern.  As for streamer patterns, i used:

moto's minnow
bunny muddlers
conehead rubber bugger in halloween color
smack em spey
little rascal (awesome fly, lasts a long time)
Hot head damsel

All worked great!

[Nick]

i only use a wolly bugger lol, never had much luck on anything else. this season was great for  fly fishing the west branch tho. you could see like 20 + trout in the frusteration pool rising to sulphurs and the action was tremendous. i think my biggest brown was from the secret spot that isnt much of a secret anymore.

[johnjav]

yeah wolly buggers is a given!