There is a little creek that runs thru the property I live on. It is hard to access and cast in as it is very bushy and small. About five feet wide to be exact. In the last few weeks, I have been fishing it and it has more than over-delivered. As I crept up to my favorite hole, I was not expecting anything too special. Just the usual 8-inch fish with the occasional 12 inches. Running a dead drift leech under a little dry fly as an indicator, I cast into the hole. Almost instantly I was rewarded with a beautiful 8-inch or so fish.
Already satisfied, I continued to cast my rig out into the creek and hooked an impressive amount of similar-sized trout. After about 20 minutes of this, I noticed that the streamer was not working its magic. I figured it was time to bust out the Euro rod. I lifted and flicked the two little nymphs out, careful to not snag my flies in the surrounding bushes. All of a sudden, my line stalled and instantly, I knew I had a fish. I set the hook, hard. Immediately I knew that I had something big on. Then I saw the flashes of silver. It rolled over on its side while thrashing around on my line and I was shocked. At this point, I could not contain my excitement. All I could think about is that I could not lose this fish. I played it carefully, and within a short time, I netted it. "Oh my god. I'm trembling." I announce as I admire the magnificent fish in my net.
This beauty measured at a smidge above 18 inches. I was shocked. It was even longer than my net, and at that, in the smallest stream, I have ever fished. I always want to spend more time admiring the fish that I have landed, especially when it is such a specimen, but I always make it my goal to see the fish off and make sure it can go ahead and keep living and reproducing. As I am about to let her go, I make sure to snap one more picture.
Excited and shocked, I take a few min and try to absorb what just happened. Even now, I cannot believe it. After five or so minutes I get back to fishing, feeling very confident now. I proceed to not catch another fish out of that hole, but I decide to bushwack my way up and fish a little more. I come to a hole that is no more than 2 feet deep, and I begin to cast my streamer and indicator set up. Almost instantly the fly shoots down. I was not expecting it, and it caught me off, guard. I set the hook with the rod crookedly thus not getting a good set. I see the trout roll, and all I see is a much wider, much thicker version of the previous trout. My heart skips a beat, and I feel a hit of adrenaline. Then, as soon as it happened, he was off. "Well, Im not gonna sleep well tonight, that's for sure," I remarked as I play out in my head what just happened. I then remembered that even being in the presence of these native wild sea-run cutthroat trout is a gift. It lightened the blow of losing the fish just a little. I tried to catch it for the next 30 min or so, with no luck. Feeling defeated by this fish, I decided to call it a day and head home. Here is a fish I caught out of there 2 weeks ago, I had to include it here as it was just so pretty.
This was easily one of the most shocking fishing adventures I have ever had... And it was on my property.
As a side note, I was very careful to not walk in the water and only stood on the very shallow low-flow spots in the creek. I did not walk thru it at all, as I have a goal of protecting the fish.
Already satisfied, I continued to cast my rig out into the creek and hooked an impressive amount of similar-sized trout. After about 20 minutes of this, I noticed that the streamer was not working its magic. I figured it was time to bust out the Euro rod. I lifted and flicked the two little nymphs out, careful to not snag my flies in the surrounding bushes. All of a sudden, my line stalled and instantly, I knew I had a fish. I set the hook, hard. Immediately I knew that I had something big on. Then I saw the flashes of silver. It rolled over on its side while thrashing around on my line and I was shocked. At this point, I could not contain my excitement. All I could think about is that I could not lose this fish. I played it carefully, and within a short time, I netted it. "Oh my god. I'm trembling." I announce as I admire the magnificent fish in my net.
This beauty measured at a smidge above 18 inches. I was shocked. It was even longer than my net, and at that, in the smallest stream, I have ever fished. I always want to spend more time admiring the fish that I have landed, especially when it is such a specimen, but I always make it my goal to see the fish off and make sure it can go ahead and keep living and reproducing. As I am about to let her go, I make sure to snap one more picture.
Excited and shocked, I take a few min and try to absorb what just happened. Even now, I cannot believe it. After five or so minutes I get back to fishing, feeling very confident now. I proceed to not catch another fish out of that hole, but I decide to bushwack my way up and fish a little more. I come to a hole that is no more than 2 feet deep, and I begin to cast my streamer and indicator set up. Almost instantly the fly shoots down. I was not expecting it, and it caught me off, guard. I set the hook with the rod crookedly thus not getting a good set. I see the trout roll, and all I see is a much wider, much thicker version of the previous trout. My heart skips a beat, and I feel a hit of adrenaline. Then, as soon as it happened, he was off. "Well, Im not gonna sleep well tonight, that's for sure," I remarked as I play out in my head what just happened. I then remembered that even being in the presence of these native wild sea-run cutthroat trout is a gift. It lightened the blow of losing the fish just a little. I tried to catch it for the next 30 min or so, with no luck. Feeling defeated by this fish, I decided to call it a day and head home. Here is a fish I caught out of there 2 weeks ago, I had to include it here as it was just so pretty.
This was easily one of the most shocking fishing adventures I have ever had... And it was on my property.
As a side note, I was very careful to not walk in the water and only stood on the very shallow low-flow spots in the creek. I did not walk thru it at all, as I have a goal of protecting the fish.
