They’ve become a favorite among fly anglers in the American West – but to get the best of what brook trout fishing offers, head east. Brookies are native to the eastern United States ...

Aa Aa Aa Over the past 100 years, brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, (Figure 1) have experienced extensive declines throughout their native range. Declines have been especially precipitous in the ...

While it can be effective anywhere on any number of species, it is well-suited for fishing the native brook trout “small waters” of southwest Virginia, West Virginia, and western North Carolina.

If you get the chance to fish for native brook trout in their home waters, don't pass it up. There’s a lot to like about brook trout – even if they're technically a char, not a trout.

Robert Riggs holds up the new West Virginia ... trout I’d ever seen.” Read Next: The 10 Best Trout Lures of 2025, Proven Fish ...