We advise our clients to bring a variety of lures and or/flies to "match the hatch" as best as possible- remember what worked today might not work tomorrow,so be well-stocked for your trip here(after all you can never have to much fishing tackle right?)Lake-dwelling Brook Trout can get downright finicky at times-a few examples are given below of lures and flies we've found produce the best results over time here at Island Lake.
For trolling the basic floating Rapala is always a good bet here-in sizes 3 to 9 ,in a variety of colors-The Countdown and jointed Raps also work well up to a size 7. Other minnow type baits also produce fish regularly.A variety of spoons trolled or casted along drop-offs and allowed to sink also produce fish-the classic red and white Dardevle in 1/4 ounce size(the "spinnie") is used by many of our clients as are other similar size spoons-Little Cleos,Zzingers,Krokodiles and others produce fish as well.
Flies:
Trolled streamers produce very well especially in the early part of the season-The Mickey Finn,Blacknose Dace and Muddler Minnow are popular.For casting we recommend a mixture of dry and wet flies.When the trout aren't quite breaking the surface nymph patterns are a good bet-stonefly,caddis and mayfly patterns sized 8 to 14 cast on a 5 or 6 weight line fit the bill here.Sculpin and leech patterns (wolly bugger for example) up to size 6 are producers as well.Also bring a few dry flies in the event you're lucky enough to witness one of the numerous mayfly hatches here each summer,the water surface literally comes alive with feeding trout-and that exciting splash and swirl as a Trout grabs your fly is one of the most exhilarating events in fishing.
Other Notes:
Use good quality 8 or 10 pound test fishing line,always bring an extra spool with you as trolling can wear out (or kink-up) even good quality line rather quickly.Fishing pliers are an asset to reduce injury to the fish you release.Bring quality rods and reels; that 9.99 "box-store special" rod and reel combo doesn't look like such a bargain when the gears strip in the reel or a guide falls off the rod after a few hours on the lake.If you have any questions about what gear to bring,don't hesitate to contact us!
