Fly Fishing for Brook Trout on the Appalachian Trail

Last week in Vermont, the Appalachian Trail and a small mountain stream made for a classic hunt for native brook trout. The trail stretches more than 2,000 miles through fourteen states, from Mount Springer, Georgia, to Mount Katahdin, Maine, and it repeatedly crosses cold-water creeks in the brook trout’s natural range. Using a two-weight rod, the author followed a blue-line stream near town after locating a nearby crossing on OnX. In late July, flows were low: deep pools held the fish, while riffles barely cleared wading boots. Alders limited backcasting, so fly presentation demanded creativity with a single dry fly.