When do browns spawn

The female will deposit the eggs onto the Redd and the male will fertilize them. The hen then covers the eggs for them to mature over the course of the next few months. A female can lay anywhere from to 8, eggs depending on the size of the fish and external conditions.

Of those eggs very few mature to become adults. Unlike salmon who die after spawning, trout can spawn multiple times throughout their life. During the spring in fall, it is important to be on the lookout for these trout nests called Redds. When you see a Redd it is usually a good indication that there are more in the vicinity as well. If you do hang around you may even be able to see the magic happen, it is a sight I recommend every angler to see at least once.

Also, be sure to be up to date on all regulations, certain areas of rivers close due to spawning. Whitefish spawning happens in the late fall-early winter typically October-December on local water. The eggs develop over winter and then hatch in March. The variety of different sucker fish in the rivers also spawns in this way. The time of year of the sucker spawns varies on the stretch of river and species of sucker fish.

But, for the most part, it seems the suckerfish spawn in warmer water temperatures. Guide Tip: It is common for larger trout specifically rainbows to congregate behind these schools of whitefish or suckers. When you encounter the whitefish or sucker spawn look for rainbows feeding on the eggs, and target them with egg fly patterns.

Rainy days are big fish days, as long as the water is safe and not total mud. Low light is always a trigger for big Browns to feed. Early mornings, dusk and full-on night are great times to catch big fish. So are cloudy days and even places where overhead vegetation blocks out the light.

Fish are more comfortable in the dark and they feed when they are comfortable. Pressure is a huge factor too. Unless they are motivated by conditions, they will sulk when a lot of anglers are present. Look for places and days when you can have some water to yourself.

It pays to fish in the middle of the week or the bitter cold. Presentation is always the most important part of the equation. Stealth is huge! Approach the water slow and quiet. Make delicate presentations and minimize false casting. Use your eyes. Hang back from the water and look for fish. If you can see the fish, your odds go way up. Even fly choice is easier when you can see how the fish is behaving.

Observe your target. Your best bet is to be a sniper; one shot, one fish. Choose the right fly. It may be obvious. Whatever is most common is a good start but there are other considerations. Sometimes a fly that just gets him curious does the job. There are some good guidelines to start with. Streamers or mouse patterns in low light. Worms or large nymphs on high water.

Pale yellow sucker spawn patterns in the spring are like kryptonite for brown trout. Unless the fish is rising or there is an obvious hatch, start below the surface. A sub surface eat asks less of the fish and is a surer bet. Even in a hatch a dropper is worth your time.

Check your leader and tippet. This is no time to have a wind knot or chafed leader. Justin and I did just that the other day. Just enough to have the mountain streams running high and stained. We went to a stream where I know, from experience, three runs that hold big brown trout.

First thing that morning, I hooked a monster brown trout and lost it just a few minutes into the fight. Run one was shot but we knew the Browns were in play. Run two, Justin hooked and lost a nice brown. That put us behind in the count but we were still motivated. The brown trout were eating well. The end of the day put us at run number three. They were all nice fish. I hooked and landed a big rainbow, which was great but I assumed that would put down the big brown I knew lived in that run.

Justin tied on his favorite fly. He made a cast and came tight to a big fish. It was several minutes before the fish turned and made a downstream run. At the beginning of the cycle, adult browns leave their usual hiding places in deep pools and begin moving upstream, searching for likely places to spawn. During this period, brown trout feed heavily, building up strength and stamina for the mating ritual.

This is prime time to target brown trout, and the constant movement can continue for a couple of months since all browns do not spawn at the same time. Large flies such as Nos. Other deadly flies are a No. Females seek out the spawning sites; males merely follow to accommodate them. Once a female brown finds a suitable spawning site, she uses her tail to dig out a small depression, or redd, in a clean area free of silt and sand and with numerous pebbles.

Scott Loftis, a fisheries biologist with the N. Wildlife Resources Commission, said browns prefer the tail end of a run or riffle where water is shallow and flow is adequate to keep the redd oxygenated.

While the female does the work, the male waits patiently until the redd is prepared and she is ready to deposit her eggs. Using her tail, the female covers the eggs with pebbles and small rocks, anywhere from a couple of inches up to six inches deep. A female can have three or more redds. During the actual spawning, neither the male nor the female feeds.

The male, however, will strike at something he thinks is a threat to the female or her eggs.