JOE.T
Dry Flies Only
10 years ago Jeff Church (aka Churchy) and I decided to float the EB.It was already the end of May but he hadn't had a chance to fish yet since he was so busy guiding.It was adventure from the start since he decided to put in at one of his "secret" locations, it required two straps to get the boat down the 70 degree bank.And of course I'm controlling the boat also making sure and hoping I don't get run over from the boat.Peace of cake when you have an expert like Churchy.
I told him to fish since he hadn't been out yet that season and if it got got close dark and we had good spinner action I would jump in.
The voyage started out slow for the first mile or so, but we got to the pool we wanted to be at for Drakes.As as we slid into the pool we see a few really nice Hogs eating hot on the opposite bank.Within 10 minutes Churchy had a 19 inch bow , and a 21 inch brown in the net. As he was fighting the second fish I was scanning for other fish and saw what appeared to be a beaver eat a Drake only 25 feet from the Boat.I asked him if Beavers ate dries and he just laughed, I said well than I just saw the head of a fish that was enormous.
After releasing the fish I told him exactly where to drop his fly, 2 seconds later it just disappeared and when he set the hook the reel screamed and the fish took off up and across river into the faster water and wrapped it self on a rock.Since he was a much better rower than I he handed me the rod and he rowed up and across the river,I was able get a little slack in the line and come around the back of the rock pulled back ,well that just pissed him off and he took off like a missile down river.Same thing he wrapped around another rock.
We had to pull up anchor and do this game with this fish 7 times! 7 times he went in different directions wrapping himself around rocks We where into this epic battle for at least 1/2 hour now.We decided to get on top of him give the line some slack than tug the line to one side of the rock and as soon as I felt the fish I raised the rod up high and reeled that large arbor as fast as I could.What I saw next just blew me away.After catching and netting fish in Montana that measured 28 inches and loosing a few at the boat that where larger I knew this fish was in the 32 plus range , and probably weighed 12lbs easy.I got him to about 2 feet from the edge of the boat and clearly saw the size and that it was a Brown.At that moment he went straight down than slack.Shit I thought he finally broke me off.After reeling in the line we both saw the fly was still on.This was a green Drake dun on a 8 2x hook.The Hook was competley straightened out !
To this day we talk about at least once a year, it sucks since I saw the fish of a lifetime, but because church was on the oars he did not.It eats him up every time we talk about.In my book if you get the leader into the rod it's a catch.You can debate that one forever.Either way it was great teamwork and lots of experience that gave us both the battle of a lifetime with a Freak of a fish.
Sorry Jeff ,It is a great story.
I told him to fish since he hadn't been out yet that season and if it got got close dark and we had good spinner action I would jump in.
The voyage started out slow for the first mile or so, but we got to the pool we wanted to be at for Drakes.As as we slid into the pool we see a few really nice Hogs eating hot on the opposite bank.Within 10 minutes Churchy had a 19 inch bow , and a 21 inch brown in the net. As he was fighting the second fish I was scanning for other fish and saw what appeared to be a beaver eat a Drake only 25 feet from the Boat.I asked him if Beavers ate dries and he just laughed, I said well than I just saw the head of a fish that was enormous.
After releasing the fish I told him exactly where to drop his fly, 2 seconds later it just disappeared and when he set the hook the reel screamed and the fish took off up and across river into the faster water and wrapped it self on a rock.Since he was a much better rower than I he handed me the rod and he rowed up and across the river,I was able get a little slack in the line and come around the back of the rock pulled back ,well that just pissed him off and he took off like a missile down river.Same thing he wrapped around another rock.
We had to pull up anchor and do this game with this fish 7 times! 7 times he went in different directions wrapping himself around rocks We where into this epic battle for at least 1/2 hour now.We decided to get on top of him give the line some slack than tug the line to one side of the rock and as soon as I felt the fish I raised the rod up high and reeled that large arbor as fast as I could.What I saw next just blew me away.After catching and netting fish in Montana that measured 28 inches and loosing a few at the boat that where larger I knew this fish was in the 32 plus range , and probably weighed 12lbs easy.I got him to about 2 feet from the edge of the boat and clearly saw the size and that it was a Brown.At that moment he went straight down than slack.Shit I thought he finally broke me off.After reeling in the line we both saw the fly was still on.This was a green Drake dun on a 8 2x hook.The Hook was competley straightened out !
To this day we talk about at least once a year, it sucks since I saw the fish of a lifetime, but because church was on the oars he did not.It eats him up every time we talk about.In my book if you get the leader into the rod it's a catch.You can debate that one forever.Either way it was great teamwork and lots of experience that gave us both the battle of a lifetime with a Freak of a fish.
Sorry Jeff ,It is a great story.
