Our main rivers are all fed by an endless array of arterial creeks and brooks. Some of them are difficult to access and require hard work to navigate and wade, but can offer surprisingly great fishing. These creeks are hardly, if ever, fished and if you are ready for some physical reconnoitering, you will not be disappointed. Many of these streams are crystal clear, making a good presentation critical, with the reward being the sight of a native trout rising through air-clear currents to sip your dry from the surface. Simply knowing that you are one of the first, or maybe even “the” first fisherman to cast in those waters that season, makes any effort worth it.
Fishing in these creeks is generally done with lighter gear. A 5 weight rod and a floating line is perfect, and you will be fishing with either nymphs or dry flies. Do not underestimate the fish in those mini-streams; we have caught many 20-plus inch browns and rainbows, and even the occasional trophy over 25 inches.