T.F.M. Spotting - The Family Brookie Trip

Dave Zielinski, of The Happy Trout Chronicles, sent along a email with a story and photos of a weekend trout trip with the family to find brook trout on their nearby Pennsylvania blue lines.  

Yesterday was a rain out.  Intermittent rain all day kinda put a damper on any outside fun.  This morning I woke up and asked the family if they wanted to "go for a ride."  They hate when I do this.  My wife doesn't know what to bring and the kids go nuts in the truck trying to guess.  As we headed south, it became clearer.  No one noticed the Scott Fibertouch tube and chest box in the back seat and I was surprised.  I told them to bring a towel, two pairs of shoes, and plan to get dirty. 

We headed for the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania Chestnut Ridge and the surrounding area.  Nearly every little blue line on the map holds brookies in this area.  We hit one of my "PA Top Five" streams, about thirty minutes from my front door.  

My kids are spoiled and every cast behind a decent sized boulder, even dragging ones, brought takes to small dry flies.  I made sure every one of them got a chance, the two older ones did well on their own, and I taught them the art of stealth.  Stay low, hide behind boulders, and keep your line off the water.  My youngest one did good too.  She could follow the fly on the water and with a little help from daddy, she managed the one trout that I sent a picture of. 

It certainly was a great time.  We are planning on going back on Wednesday to fish, play, picnic and take a hike.

Awkward Family Photo?  I think not.  Great to see a family getting outside, fishy, and dirty together.