Autumn On The EB

Autumn On The EB

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

The Trout That Didn't Stand A Chance And Happy Thanksgiving!

Every day I see the head of the largest trout I ever hooked, but did not land.-Theodore Gordon (1914)


Strange things happen. My client was drifting a size 20 micro egg through some skinny riffles when he hooked a train that tore off upstream and downstream. It was BIG but something was wrong. I could see from the fight and and placement of the line that the brute was foul hooked in the back but the amazing thing was that it was still on. How could a size 20 hook, embedded in the broad back of a trout, still be there.?

Here's the answer. Someone, fishing some kind of black coneheaded strip leech pattern, hooked the trout in the back and broke him off. Our fly got snagged in the conehead portion of the fly. So, If you were fishing the Swift below the gauge and using that fly the one that got away was over 20 inches and at least three pounds!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Make it a safe one and maybe I'll see you on the EB on Friday!!

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, what a fish! I wonder if a decent percentage of fish hold over. Not looking forward to the catch and keep crowd returning to the Swift come Jan. 1. Really bums me out to think of all these trout persisting and surviving, only to land in someone's freezer.

Bob O said...

Curious things happen on the river. I thought I had fairly hooked a nice bow a couple of week ago and found my hook had entered the eyelet of a SanJuan Worm embedded in its mouth from a previius breakoff. Who'd a thunk it! Happy Thanksgiving.

Mike C said...

Ken,
Happy Thanksgiving to you too. I really appreciate reading your blog I pick up some great tips and new things to try.

Mike

Falsecast said...

Happy Thanksgiving to and your family, as well all the other people on this blog! I have a feeling we'll be fishing plenty in Dec.
-Andrew

Millers River Flyfisher said...

Anony,

I tell all of the new people that I guide on the Swift that 95% of the fly fishers go to the Pipe. It's safe to presume that 98% of the bait/hardware guys go to the same place. That big trout, and many others, are caught above and below the Pipe. ABOVE THE PIPE is the place to go!! We have done well after January 1st.

Bob O,
You win the trophy for the weirdest hook up of all time. You made your fly an articulated fly with one cast!!!! Nobody beats that!!! I am humbled!!!!

Mike C and Falsecast,

The same to both of you. Someday I would like to cast a few lines with you when I'm just fishing!

Ken

Sam said...

Great story, Ken, on the hooked three pounder. That must have been something to see. I tied a couple of those egg patterns up tonight. All I can say is I hope they look better when in the water. Thanks for the information on your web site and Happy Thanksgiving to you. Regards, Sam

Rui Machado said...

Happy Thanksgiving Ken and everyone that reads the blog.
Thank you for this amazing blog that keeps all these people that love fly fishing together.
Rui Machado

Anonymous said...

Happy Thanksgiving Ken and everyone else that reads this great blog!!!!

Phil

Millers River Flyfisher said...

Rui and Phil,

Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving to you too!!

Ken

Unknown said...

Hi Ken, where on the EB do you like to go this time of year?
Thanks
Mike K

Millers River Flyfisher said...

Mike,

The same places that I fish during the Spring/Summer especially the deeper holes.

Ken

Sam said...

I had good luck today drifting an egg pattern and emergers. Saw a good size trout what I thought was feeding near a bunch of branches in the water, but I think it was trying to untangle itself. My brother hooked it at one point to try and free it from its dilemma, but didn't net it, so we are not sure it was let go from its problem. We didn't see it splashing around anymore, so I hope whatever was ailing it got taken care of.

Millers River Flyfisher said...

Sam,

Where were you fishing? I've seen that rainbow activity over the last few weeks: bows that seem to be fighting for position in shallow water.

Ken