Brown creek\Blackstone advice
 

Hi everyone, been out to brown creek twice now and have come up empty, I am at a loss as to what I am doing wrong, hiked away from the road, water flow was good, water temp was good, many tried different flies, different methods.

I've done well in the south and north ram systems.

I'd prefer to continue the discussion via pm or over a beer in the Edmonton area

What were you using? My go to in the evenings this time of year is a Chernobyl ant or foam hoppers at those streams.

Never fished Brown Creek itself. Certainly no expert, but the Blackstone is usually good for a few day trips a year. We checked out the Blackstone on August 19. It was higher and faster than I had seen it. We fished it for an hour. Got to a hole we've fished before and couldn't cast to where I wanted to. Always caught fish at this particular hole. Not on this day. River was hard to cross and a little dangerous in my mind. My brother and I were thinking 'skunk'. We changed our mind after an hour and salvaged the day by hitting the North Ram for the afternoon. That said, the usuals work on this river. Hare's Ears, Copper Johns earlier in the day. PMDs, Adams, Wulffs, Stimulators, Ants, etc. And streamers. Targeting Bulls with Clousers and catch Cutts with it too. I will be back for another day trip hopefully this year but will watch the water levels a little closer.

I hit the rivers in the area once about the second week of sept. Really tough go for seemingly no reason. Best action was big horn.

The water was so fishy looking, nice deep pools, places where water poured in. I used a bunch of dries, I did use foam hoppers various colors with and without a dropper.

The weirdest thing, I didn't see anything, no movement, no surface action. Did the flood earlier this year blow the creek right out? There were green trees in the creek.

I gave up on Browns Creek a few years ago after some unproductive trips. There are better Blackstone tributaries if you like fishing smaller water.

I've noticed the Blackstone ain't what it used to be for a few years now. Not sure if it's pressure or that flood a few years ago, but I used to have incredible days there. Lately not so much.
Was there earlier this week - granted I was in a popular stretch, but got one bull and that's it. Lots of great looking water and not a cutt to be had.

You have to do some pretty long walks to get to the good stuff on Brown Creek. Were you starting at the campground? Fishing is good if you put in the effort and some KM's. Most people skip it for the Blackstone. Small Stimulators and Black foam ants worked well for me in late Aug this year. Large nymphs in the few log jams. I've spent quite a few days on the Brown and did well....and few day days with nothing.