Algonquin Adventures / Best time for brook trout in May?

**Posted by brookchase** 3/19/2022 1:28 am

Anyone know the best time to catch brook trout in May? Would it be just after ice out, or after black flies have hatched?

**Posted by MartinG** 3/19/2022 6:09 am

After the hatch.

**Posted by RobW** 3/19/2022 5:43 pm

Before the hatch but after the water warms up a bit. Once the hatches pick up there is lots of food available and I find the fishing drops off.

**Posted by brookchase** 3/19/2022 6:49 pm

Hmmm... paddling out to the backcountry on the weekend of the 21st. Never caught brook trout before.

I guess if ice out is late April/early May, there may be several hatches by the time I get there.

**Posted by scratchypants** 3/19/2022 8:12 pm

Maybe someone can corroborate...

I find that specks in rivers, at the right time of year (ice-out to end of June) are ravenous. If there's a fish there it will bite. In lakes/calm bodies, much less so. You could be fishing for an hour with nary a nibble, and then bam - supper bell rings and one after the other.

Somewhere between the 2 is my favourite: early evening, just before sundown, fishing a deep woods beaver pond with a bobber, a flask, and a smoke.

**Posted by brookchase** 3/20/2022 5:24 pm

Appreciate everyone's opinion.

Anyone think it's a good idea to attach a dry fly lure on a spinning reel?

**Posted by swedish pimple** 3/20/2022 6:34 pm

50 degree f. or 10 c. is the temp zone,,,
dry fly on a spin reel is too lite for a proper presentation,, small spinners and spoons work very well.
do not forget to try and fish barbless, easier to release the fish,,

**Posted by scratchypants** 3/20/2022 6:56 pm

swedish pimple wrote:
,,,dry fly on a spin reel is too lite for a proper presentation,,,

and the lack of weight would cause a nasty bird's nest.

**Posted by scoutergriz** 3/21/2022 7:45 am

brookchase wrote:
Appreciate everyone's opinion.

Anyone think it's a good idea to attach a dry fly lure on a spinning reel?

I do it all the time, you just need to use a "spinning bubble"- a float that can be filled with water. As long as there's sufficient airspace left to allow it to float it'll act as a casting weight
pretty good tutorial here-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9BrJbALZzM

**Posted by brookchase** 3/21/2022 2:43 pm

scoutergriz wrote:
I do it all the time, you just need to use a "spinning bubble"- a float that can be filled with water. As long as there's sufficient airspace left to allow it to float it'll act as a casting weight
pretty good tutorial here-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9BrJbALZzM

Never knew about spinning bubbles, pretty cool! Thanks.
I hate bird's nest, but I guess there won't be an issue with it here. I'll probably get some braid to replace the mono I have as a main line anyway.