Thursthouse
Tight Loins
Just over a year ago, I saw some of you guys talking about catching at least one trout every month of the year. January 2014 I started out on my quest to do the same. By February 1, 2014 I had struck out. I decided to try again this year with low expectations.
First trip out in January I caught a decent stocked rainbow (only 1 fish all day and it fought like a wet sock but I had extended my challenge for a month - success in my eyes)
Went out this past Sunday as the weather suggested it would hit a balmy 38 degrees so I took the hour drive just hoping to find some open water. Crossed over the river at one point and saw the river flowing and I started to get excited. As I hiked down through the snow I noticed that were no footprints heading towards the river and I started to get more excited. After an hour and a half of nymphing up nothing at all I finally hooked into a fish. The fish then exploded and took me by surprise. It took me up the pool, down the pool, into the riffles and into the shallows. Each time it went to jump it created a wake behind it as it powered up through the water column and my heart would sink thinking this would be the jump that would break me off. It was THE best fight I’ve had with a trout to date (which surprised me as I assumed it would be more lethargic in the cold water) and had my heart pumping out of my chest. I remember thinking – “enjoy it…enjoy this fight..she’ll break you off soon…just enjoy the fight and enjoy your buddies teasing you about another one that got away later). After an extremely respectable fight I was able to land the rainbow which measured at 22” and is my biggest trout to date. I’m guessing the fish was a club stocked fish that made its way down stream (?) and it had a dorsal fin that was pretty f’d up…but she made my week and my challenge continues for one more month.
First trip out in January I caught a decent stocked rainbow (only 1 fish all day and it fought like a wet sock but I had extended my challenge for a month - success in my eyes)
Went out this past Sunday as the weather suggested it would hit a balmy 38 degrees so I took the hour drive just hoping to find some open water. Crossed over the river at one point and saw the river flowing and I started to get excited. As I hiked down through the snow I noticed that were no footprints heading towards the river and I started to get more excited. After an hour and a half of nymphing up nothing at all I finally hooked into a fish. The fish then exploded and took me by surprise. It took me up the pool, down the pool, into the riffles and into the shallows. Each time it went to jump it created a wake behind it as it powered up through the water column and my heart would sink thinking this would be the jump that would break me off. It was THE best fight I’ve had with a trout to date (which surprised me as I assumed it would be more lethargic in the cold water) and had my heart pumping out of my chest. I remember thinking – “enjoy it…enjoy this fight..she’ll break you off soon…just enjoy the fight and enjoy your buddies teasing you about another one that got away later). After an extremely respectable fight I was able to land the rainbow which measured at 22” and is my biggest trout to date. I’m guessing the fish was a club stocked fish that made its way down stream (?) and it had a dorsal fin that was pretty f’d up…but she made my week and my challenge continues for one more month.
