6 top trophy-catching tactics from Canada’s brook trout whisperer

A fixture on northern Ontario’s Nipigon River system, Randy Beamish has a reputation as a fly-fishing guru for trophy brook trout, inspiring both seasoned anglers and beginners alike. What sets him apart is his ability to merge technical expertise with an intuitive understanding of a river’s rhythms, an approach marked by meticulous preparation.

His assured success in catching and releasing giant brookies—sometimes the same behemoths more than once—is the result of decades of applying the following hard-earned lessons. And as a bonus, these tips also work for similar river species, including Arctic char, salmon and brown, lake and rainbow/steelhead trout.

#1  FISH TROPHY WATERS

Randy highly recommends the Nipigon watershed, which has long been North America’s premier brook trout destination. The reigning world-record brookie was caught here in 1915, a 14½-pounder reeled in by Dr. John William Cook.

And with its pristine, nutrient-rich spring water remaining free of industrial and urban contamination, the Nipigon continues to produce giant fish. Close runners-up are Northern Manitoba’s Gods River system, and Newfoundland and Labrador’s McKenzie, Comeback and Quartzite rivers.

#2  USE THE RIGHT GEAR

Hooking, wrangling and landing a trophy brook trout in fast-moving current requires a stiff rod with backbone. Randy prefers a 10-foot, 8-weight fly rod and reel spooled with a clear sink tip line in 300, 350 or 400 grains. Don’t skimp on tippet strength, he adds, as brookies are powerful fighters that seek escape through submerged branches and rocky edges. For landing and handling these fish, he says to use a rubber net with a large basket, and to wear a release-friendly tailing glove (or wet your hands) to avoid removing the fish’s protective slime.

#3  MATCH THE FORAGE

The best fly or lure presentation replicates the natural forage base in a particular underwater environment, offering a high-yield protein source. For Randy, the top flies are five-inch, white tube streamers that imitate smelts, along with various minnow replicas and jumbo leech and crayfish patterns. For spin anglers, similar patterns on jig heads are equally effective, he says, as they sink quickly and can be cast with pinpoint accuracy. Randy’s potent surface flies, meanwhile, include caddis Stimulators and life-sized deer-hair mouse or mole patterns with trailing leather-strip tails. For finessing wary, angler-experienced trout, he suggests tying on a smaller trailer fly, such as a Muddler Minnow, eight to 12 inches behind the main fly.

#4  STUDY THE RIVER

According to Randy, specific brookie-holding hot spots include shorelines with large boulders, beaver lodges, underwater springs, long outcroppings and downed timber providing ambush cover for surprise attacks. The fish will vigilantly watch for food being carried downstream, lurking along the current divides, riffles, drop-offs and back eddies. As well, sub-surface structures such as shelves, undercut banks and boulders allow the trout to lie patiently in wait, without exerting energy to fight the current.

Wear polarized sunglasses to scan the surface for rising trout, white-tipped fins, oblong shadows or the flick of a tail breaking the surface, Randy advises. Otherwise, their olive colouration and vermiculations make the fish virtually undetectable when they’re on the bottom or wedged among rocks. Ideally, cast to foam lines, and to seams between fast and slower-moving water, he says.

#5  FIND THE FEEDING DEPTH

Randy points out that productive locations are determined by water temperature (typically around 10°C to 13°C), insect hatches, weather patterns and the spawning cycle of the brook trout themselves. For example, a thunderstorm can push the fish into deeper holes and troughs, while a light rain may bring them to the surface. Reaching the feeding depth can be achieved using a weighted or sink-tip fly line, or in extreme currents, adding tiny split shot to the line. Also, give your upstream cast time to descend before passing through the strike zone, he says.

#6  GET THE RIGHT SWING

A fly angler’s advantage is the ability to continuously readjust the fly’s drift by mending the line and twitching the line with erratic line-stripping tugs, says Randy. The two best approaches are to wear waders and stand in the river, making long upstream casts, or to fish from a boat with a front casting platform, helmed by a seasoned boat operator to keep you well-positioned throughout the process. Get the drift just right, and the fish will take care of the rest.