ice out brookies help

[bearclaw 0]

I am looking for suggestions for flies for lake brook trout in stocked lakes in central ontario. North Bay area. Ice left apr. 21. water temp. about 3 deg. celsius 37 deg. F. Are fish close to the surface? near shore? thanks.

[Dave G. 0]

Maine Lakes are on a longitude ( more so latitude) not so far off from you and where I frequent up there ice is just now going out, brookies will generally be found not far off shore then. Even here further south in New England it isn't much different at ice out, though much earlier in the year. I've always done well with wet flies and smaller streamers like the coachman series. Soft hackles too. Small marabou Gray Ghosts etc. If I've had one shining star of a brookie fly though, it's those coachmen, especially the Royal and the Leadwing. On the small Gray Ghosts, rather than the burnt orange body, I use dark red ( bright red might be good too) still with the candy cane rib in silver. During the day I always have used slow sinking line unless you find them right up against the shore. In the evening you could get a midge hatch, you might see them start rising on top a couple of weeks after ice out. And later in May, maybe caddis or what ever as well. Smaller Mickey Finns are know brookie attracters too. For soft hackles I would stick with Peacock and Hen or other soft feathers like grouse or partridge. And maybe Orange and partridge is worth a try..

 

Anyway, something to chew on till someone from your area chimes in. There are way more flies than just those but there also may be something quite specific to your area that I don't know about.