The flesh fly is a pattern i started fishing for lake superior steelhead about 10 years ago. Brule river m189 bridge species description brook trout to 1418 inches and brown trout as large as 2024 inches in length with the majority of fish resulting from natural reproduction. Click here to view the 2015 brule river steelhead numbers. The entire brule river is within a state forestnever to be dammed or otherwise altered. In its upper reaches, the brule is a small, ice cold, crystal clear stream where native brook trout dominate. A very positive was the number of large brook trout. When speaking of skagitstyle casting systems and tying of intruder type flies, jerry and his friends ed ward and scott howell are at the forefront of modern northwest fly fishing for steelhead. Spring rains have this steelhead river up and roaring. The upper brule was a bit more finicky this year than in years past.
Lake run brown trout and rainbow steelhead trout along with coho and chinook salmon migrate up the bois brule river annually from lake superior for fly fishing anglers to pursue. Harry lemire steelhead flies washington fly fishing. Fishing resident brown trout on the beautiful bois brule river located in northern wisconsin. Lake superior trout and steelhead fly fishing guide. Fishing wisconsin bois brule river fishing wisconsin dnr. A total of 6,404 steelhead swam up the river to spawn. In addition to last falls steelhead run on the brule, a total of 4,079 brown trout, 2,323 coho salmon and 447 chinook king salmon also entered the river to spawn, dnr officials said. The landowners along the lower brule are aware of this valuable resource. The hopper juan fly tying and fly fishing from the front range. Flowing north to lake superior, the brule sees a massive run of wild steelhead. Fly fishing the bois brule river, a blue ribbon trout stream and one of the best trout streams in the midwest. Map sample page the brule river steelheaders atlas. Nov 10, 2012 steelhead fishing on the brule river october 2012 for updated youtube version see. The steelhead in this river is a special strain of fish.
Steelhead count is about 18% higher than the 30 year average and the highest count in 10 years. The steelhead is the uncontested king of the lower brule. The brule river in northern wisconsin is a popular destination each spring for anglers in search of wild steelhead in scenic country. The brule is home to brook trout, and resident brown and rainbow trout. The atlas is comprised of eighteen map segments displaying the. Note the following detail to assist your plan of attack.
These examples make up a reliable selection of flies for the brule river for the way i fish. The river changes character dramatically over its course. Our large selection of standard flies and local favorites will have you prepared for the various fly fishing opportunities awaiting you in the north country. The bois brule river has two major tributary streams, the nebagamon and the little bois brule. The middle stretch alternates between pools and riffles. From the fabled musky waters of hayward, wisconsin to legendary steelhead waters like wisconsins bois brule and the pacific northwests deschutes river and all the way to the amazon in search of peacock bass on the fly, tight lines is all about the adventure. Nov 04, 2007 brule river guide kent paulsen landing a nice fall run steelhead on the brule river in northern wi. Bois brule river, wisconsin fishing report, rainbow trout fly fishing forecast, fishing season updates, fly shop and fishing guides, and flyfishing weather.
The bois brule river contains resident brook trout, brown trout and rainbow trout. Mar 17, 2015 steelhead along wisconsins brule river. John shewey, with classic steelhead flies, has produced another superb book. Many years ago i had the chance to watch him tie a full dress atlantic salmon fly without a vice. These fish are the keepers of an underwater world we know little about. Steelhead are essentially rainbow trout that grow very large due to the fact that they migrate out into lake superior and feed heavily on pelagic baitfish. Wisconsins brule river took a run of 5,544 steelhead last fall, very close to the 5,660 counted in the fall of 2015, said paul piszczek, wisconsin department of natural resources fisheries biologist in superior. The book bridges a major gap in steelheadfly literature, picking up the story in 1993 and bringing us to the present day. Be careful with the steelhead smolts, they are all over in the summer. Though not native to the area, brule river steelhead are wild fish that reproduce and create a selfsustaining fishery. The upstream migration of steelhead, brown trout, coho salmon and other species is monitored by video at the. Each segment offers its own unique fishing experience.
Tight lines brule river steelhead trip tight lines fly. The brule river steelheaders atlas is the essential reference map to plan your fishing on the lower brule river. Its the first book of its kind to bring the pacific and great lakes schools together under one roof. Camp on the brule river and access the fishing without having to drive. We asked several fly fishers to share their favorite flies for steelheading on the brule river and tell us how they fish them. The river is known for its fine brook trout fishing as well as rainbows, browns, steelhead and salmon. Lake superior, gitchee gummee as the natives termed it, offers yet another opportunity for the northwoods fly fishing angler to explore wild waters in search of their equally wild. Steelhead spawning bois brule river wisconsin on vimeo.
Native americans and fur traders traveled the brule up to the brulest. The river distance represented on the map is indicated. Fish species brook trout noteworthy the brule river is a popular water for fishing from kayak or canoe. File news tribune the combined fallspring spawning run of steelhead rainbow trout on wisconsins bois brule river for the past season was a bit above average, dnr officials report. During the first several weeks of the early season, the vast majority of steelhead caught are fish that remained in the river from the previous fall run. The lower river is freestone like with long rocky glides and a boulder strewn bottom.
Fly fishing gear, tackle and flies for the bois brule river. Brule river fly fishing guides for brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout. Lake run brown trout and chinook salmon should be in the river now. As a result, steelhead attain larger sizes than the resident rainbow trout that. Filming some amazing fishing on the brule river with a go pro hd. File news tribune steelhead along wisconsins brule river. We are teaming up with garett svir from slab seeker fishing. About 33,000 angler visits are made annually on the river with about 27,000 of these trips targeted at the lake run salmonids steelhead, brown trout and coho salmon on the lower river downstream of highway 2. Since our beginnings in 1997, we have carried the finest fly fishing and fly tying products available. Our large selection of standard flies and local favorites will have you prepared for the various fly fishing opportunities awaiting you in the north country and abroad. The upper section is formed by springs and is a slow moving river that basically flows through a swampy area.
The high resolution map sections show river detail and fisherman parking lots used to access those areas. View full size and comment 2x larger i strike at a hit in an inviting piece of dry fly water. Steelhead flies represent the highest echelon of artistic flydressing. American river steelheading can be divided into two categories. Coho salmon usually start entering the river in decent numbers in early september with steelhead a few weeks behind them. Steelhead fishing on the brule river october 2012 for updated youtube version see. Homeproducts tagged steelhead flies showing all 2 results default sorting sort by popularity sort by average rating sort by latest sort by price. I just prefer to do as little harm as possible while i learn as much as i can.
All the underwater video was taken on the site of a wisconsin department of natural resources spawning habitat improvement project built in 1998. September is just a few days away so its almost brule time. The lake run browns start showing up in the river mid to end of july. There is a fly shop in the town of brule and a couple in superior and duluth that can help with patterns. You could fish the entire season with these three lemire wet. Fly fishing the brule river by easy wading or by canoe with an experienced fly fishing guide for resident brown trout, brook trout and rainbow trout. Have been having fun filling a box with harry lemire steelhead flies. The historic outlet of glacial lake superior, it deeply incised in its valley and met abundant springs. The brule river steelheaders atlas take me to the river. Bois brule salmon run stream trout wi indepth outdoors.
Brule river steelhead, and all fish for that matter, are held by myself in the highest regard. A fresh, silver brule steelhead is an incredible fighter and as spectacular as the fish on the coast he also enjoys fishing the many hatches of wisconsins rush river and floating the upper mississippi river and chequamegon bay for smallmouth. They enjoy a rich tradition as both a functionally designed lure for tempting the muchrevered steelhead, but also as a creative expression of the aesthetic appeal of fly angling. Jerry french signature flies jerry french is well recognized amongst the steelhead spey community. Please make note that there are many other flies that can fit this bill, but these are some of my confidence flies that have produced fish in the past. The wisconsin brule steelhead fishing page is the first and original facebook page about the wisconsin brule river. Migratory rainbows steelhead and browns use it for spawning. Collected june 9, 2005 from the bois brule river in wisconsin added to by troutnut on may 26, 2006 ephemerella needhami little dark hendrickson mayfly nymph view 6 pictures i photographed three strange striped ephemerella nymphs from the same trip on the same river. The fish that enter the river in the fall usually spend the winter in the river, then move farther upstream to spawn in the spring. Bright, springrun fish start appearing in april and continue through early may.
The map shows the river in detail, including the names of holes and runs that lots of guys like to fish. Finally, the brule river sportsmens club has a fantastic map that is for sale in the area check the gas station right on 2 in the town of brule, thats where i got mine. The selection of flies and histories document the pacific northwests rich steelhead flyfishing heritage. When speaking of skagitstyle casting systems and tying of intruder type flies, jerry and his friends ed ward and scott howell are at the. Brule river fly fishing in our humble opinion, the bois brule river in northern wisconsin is the premier waterway of the midwest.
The fishing should start to get good after the next decent rain storm. The brule, of all the wonderful water in wisconsin, ranks as the most storied river in our state. Brule river fly fishing guides bois brule river in. Fly fishing gear, tackle and flies for the bois brule river, wisconsin steelhead, salmon and trout fishing on the bois brule river each require different fly fishing gear and tackle. Fall 2016 steelhead run on brule river about average. Fishing wisconsin bois brule river fishery wisconsin dnr. The bois brule river begins as a cold spring seep emerging from the northwestern wisconsin boglands, then flows for over 44 miles on its northward journey to lake superior. Wisconsin brule steelhead fishing page home facebook.
Apr 06, 2018 the first time we are offering this event. We mainly focus on targeting anadromous trout and salmon that migrate from lake superior both in the fall and spring. Video displays steelhead lake run rainbow trout spawning behavior on the bois brule river, wisconsins most important coldwater tributary flowing into lake superior. Sep 20, 2003 finally, the brule river sportsmens club has a fantastic map that is for sale in the area check the gas station right on 2 in the town of brule, thats where i got mine.
Below 125cfs is consider low, above 300cfs is considered high. Experienced american river steelhead fishermen have learned to walk the bluffs that rise over known steelhead holding water and look for fish down below. The bois brule river the brule is an incredible regional resource, famous for its steelhead, brown trout and salmon runs, as well as the dry fly fishing on the upper spring creek reaches. Once in lake superior, steelhead gain access to more space and forage than the trout that remain in the brule river. One of the big advantages in fly fishing the bois brule river is your fishing one of wisconsins most beautiful rivers. Fishing on the bois brule river is some of the best in the region, mainly due to the rivers four different segments that are managed for resident and lakerun trout and salmon. As well, shewey is a master fly tier and his macro photographs of the flies attest to that mastery of the flytying craft and his skill with the camera. Dec, 2016 click here to view the 2015 brule river steelhead numbers. Coho, chinook, and pink salmon also use the brule for spawning grounds.
The bois brule river itself has two distinct personalities. The annual run of steelhead, or rainbow trout, draws anglers to the scenic brule river, a lake superior tributary in northern wisconsin. Jul 30, 2005 collected june 9, 2005 from the bois brule river in wisconsin added to by troutnut on may 26, 2006 ephemerella needhami little dark hendrickson mayfly nymph view 6 pictures i photographed three strange striped ephemerella nymphs from the same trip on the same river. Map of the boise brule river from headwaters near solon springs, wisconsin, to lake superior. The fly line we recommend for salmon fishing on the bois brule river should be either an 9 or 10 weight, floating fly line. These fish are, without question, some of the strongest steelhead one can encounter anywhere in the great lakes. Native americans and fur traders traveled the brule up to the brule st. Steelhead often develop a white fungus on their heads after being in fresh water for awhile, so if one spots what looks like a white rock moving upstream it is a very good chance that it is a. The spring steelhead run usually begins in late march and extends through may.
195 805 551 1002 1137 708 1587 57 525 1328 192 943 91 1421 864 565 1004 98 637 780 1126 197 1315 1033 884 654 937 332 1042 52 1174 1255 88 919 590 102 1165 140 1272 1357 353 1077 1427 1485 495 477