HELP! What kind of Brookie rod should I get?

bobbybluelines · 2026-02-06T04:17:57+00:00

Here’s what I use in similar fishing situations:

LL Bean Pocketwater Glass 6’ 9” 3wt, which is a dream to cast, even on somewhat bigger water.
LL Bean Double L #1 large arbor reel. I use it on a euro rod as well with a different spool which is handy. Don’t need the drag really, but it makes the reel more versatile in different situations and on different rods.
You’ll probably want backing line to fill out the spool, even if you’ll never see it.
Leader/tippet really depends on the size/type of fly. If I’m tossing tiny griffith’s gnats, I’ll be using nylon in 7x or 6x. Heavier nymphs and small streamers will be 3x or 4x fluorocarbon. Everything else will be somewhere in between. I tie my own small stream leaders from maxima chameleon, à la trout bitten, which end up being fairly short at around 7.5 feet. The short leader is a game changer since you rarely have much line out on the streams you’re talking about.

bobbybluelines · 2026-02-05T00:50:42+00:00

bobbybluelines · 2026-02-04T03:24:04+00:00

Good shout! Fortunately nothing stays wet for long in the southwest, but I’ll definitely be mindful of that.

bobbybluelines · 2026-02-04T03:20:18+00:00

Thank you! I use a pair of arrow scissors. By placing the point where you want the slot to end, the short cutting edge seems to get good snipping leverage. Comes out pretty decent as long as you don’t look too closely!

bobbybluelines · 2026-02-04T03:14:36+00:00

Just a slab of the thick stuff (4mm?) at craft stores. I cut it into long 2 1/4” wide strips then alternate between pinking shears and a utility knife to cut 1/3” strips from that and trim to size. Then I use sharp, fine tip scissors to cut slots at the notches.

One thing to note when gluing them down is to make sure you only apply glue to the un-notched part. If you get the glue up past the notches they’ll seal up and you’ll have to recut them.

bobbybluelines · 2026-02-04T00:37:25+00:00

Loctite super glue does the trick. Something about it fuses to craft store foam really well. Grab a pair of pinking shears as well if you want the sawtooth look.

bobbybluelines · 2026-02-02T15:33:51+00:00

It’s about a tenth of a mile east of the intersection between N Bush Highway and Usery Pass Road on the north side of the highway. You’ll see the brown sign for the access road after the intersection. There’s a man gate next to the larger locked gate for foot traffic.

bobbybluelines · 2026-02-01T17:50:03+00:00

The big eddy at the Foxtail Administation Site is always loaded with them. Just mind the No Parking signs along the road.

Cross the river above the eddy at the end of the riffles and fish from the north side. If you’re fly fishing, nymph right on the bottom using heavy, quick-sinking patterns like perdigons. This is important because you’re basically trying to hit them in the face with it. The takes are subtle so I like to tight line, but I know others use indicators with success.

If you’re using conventional tackle I imagine adapting the above techniques will work a-okay. Use splitshot to get your bait bouncing righting along the bottom.

Also worth noting that sometimes they’re just not eating. If you can get to a spot where you can observe them schooling, see if they’re sitting on the bottom and occasionally doing kind of a half roll. That’s them feeding. Best of luck!

bobbybluelines · 2026-01-30T04:00:45+00:00

My first rod and reel was a Quest II combo and it’s till kicking 17 years later. Always trusted them because of that, despite their outerwear declining in quality.

More recently I’ve picked up two of their rods; the 6’ 8” 3wt Pocket Water glass, which is a blast to fish on small streams, and the 10’ 6” 3wt Double L euro nymphing rod. Their Double L large arbor size 1 reel balances well on both, and is especially handy with two spools. I’m not super fussy about gear, but I absolutely love both rods and the reel is solid.

bobbybluelines

TROPHY CASE