Trout Fishing Tips | Fly Fishing for Brook Trout With Terrestrials

Originally posted on Fishing on SI | By Jasper Taback | Last updated Aug 29, 2025 9:00 AM ET

Every time I fish a brook trout stream, I’m reminded why I have such a soft spot for them. I’m a sucker for dry fly eats, and a brook trout hits a dry fly like no other. The best thing about them? They're not terribly picky about what kind of dry fly it is. Give ‘em a half-decent presentation of a big terrestrial pattern, and you’re good to go.

Terrestrial Flies

Terrestrial flies are tied to imitate land-dwelling bugs that fall into trout streams. Ants, beetles, and hoppers are the big three categories that most terrestrial patterns fall into – because those are the bugs you’ll most often see on the water.

Warm Weather Go-to’s

When the weather heats up, insects become more active – and the more they’re moving around, the more likely they are to end up in the water. From June through September or October, you can tie on a terrestrial with the confidence that trout are looking for them.

Can’t-Miss Meals

The insect life on a small stream isn’t as prolific as it is on bigger water, so brook trout have to capitalize on big meals. If feeding opportunities are fewer and farther between, a calorie-dense bug goes a long way.

Watching a three-inch brook trout roll out of the water to take a two-inch Chernobyl ant is one of life’s finer things. Sure, you might get the same reaction using a size 16 Adams; it’s just not as fun.

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Fish With a Plan

Brook trout streams are generally a whole lot of pocket water. It’s safe to assume each pool holds a handful of trout, with the smaller fish at the tail of the pool and the biggest one at the very top (where there's cold, oxygen-rich water, and first choice at food entering the pool).

You can often pull a couple of fish out of a big pool by starting at the tail and working up. But in smaller pools, you might only get one cast. In that case, target the big fish at the top.

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Keep Your Drifts Short and Your Flies Big

These aren’t the long, gliding pools where you can get beautiful, sustained dry fly drifts. Don’t worry about setting up the perfect drift — just pick a spot and hit it.

Trying to keep an eye on a size 18 fly can be a real pain. Brook trout don’t shy away from big flies, so feel free to throw something you can see.

Get on the Stream

In an age of Instagram feeds flooded with photos of giant rainbow and brown trout on big-name rivers, it's easy to forget just how much brook trout bring to the table. While the weather's still warm, take the chance to watch them crush big bugs.