Have You Ever Caught the Same Fish?
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Back when I was a young fly fisherman fishing an old favorite lake, I broke a fly on a trout. It was probably a bad knot as the fish wasn't large. Left the fly in its mouth. Caught the same fish with my fly in its mouth later that same afternoon. Never forgot that. That was probably 50 years ago.
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On the 'Hooch back in the day I caught the same rainbow in the same spot on the same fly a few days apart during the evening caddis hatch.
I've caught the same fish twice during the same session before but don't remember exactly where and when, but I do remember it fought a lot better the first time.
I've caught the same fish twice during the same session before but don't remember exactly where and when, but I do remember it fought a lot better the first time.
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fishing on Silver King Creek in the Carson Iceberg Wilderness, in a place on the maps known as Fish Valley, I spotted a brookie/cutbow hybrid behind a rock, and shot the fly to him. he went for it. I tossed him back, and he went right back to "his" rock. A few false casts and this idiot went for the fly again. I released him again, and he went right back to the rock. More false casts, and again he went for the fly, so this time he wound up in the frying pan. Fish had a death wish!
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I've caught the same fish twice on the same day a number of times. A few years ago a friend caught a really nice cutt in a particular spot. I went there the next day and caught the same fish in the same spot. The only difference being that I had a young moose watching me intently from the opposite bank.
TC
TC
I think most long-time anglers can recall having caught the same fish twice. I am reminded of a similar incident at Lake Chopaka when I caught a fish with what I, at first, thought was a damselfly in its mouth. I hooked the fish on a Callibaetis emerger pattern and was trying to remove it from the corner of the fish's mouth when I realized the distinctively realistic damselfly imitation was one tied by my friend who was fishing with his son only a short distance away. His son had been rapidly using up his stock of damselfly imitations by fishing tight along the reed beds and breaking off one fish after another. What surprised me was that, although the fly was firmly lodged in the fish's tongue, it had not deterred him from snapping up my emerger pattern.
On another occasion, while floating the North Fork of the Stillaguamish for sea-run cutthroat, a friend caught a rather distinctive seventeen-inch cutthroat which had apparently had the upper lobe of its caudal fin bitten away in an unfortunate encounter with some predator. The fish was duly unhooked and released back to its lair and we continued on down the river. About a week later, with another friend and his wife along, I floated the same stretch of river and the friend's wife hooked what certainly appeared to be the same fish in what seemed to be exactly the same place, in fact I'm almost certain it was lurking behind the same rock. Convincing proof that the sea-run cutthroat during his upstream migration (during the late summer or fall, although he will not spawn until late winter or spring) will settle in to a particularly desirable spot for as long as a week or more.
On another occasion, while floating the North Fork of the Stillaguamish for sea-run cutthroat, a friend caught a rather distinctive seventeen-inch cutthroat which had apparently had the upper lobe of its caudal fin bitten away in an unfortunate encounter with some predator. The fish was duly unhooked and released back to its lair and we continued on down the river. About a week later, with another friend and his wife along, I floated the same stretch of river and the friend's wife hooked what certainly appeared to be the same fish in what seemed to be exactly the same place, in fact I'm almost certain it was lurking behind the same rock. Convincing proof that the sea-run cutthroat during his upstream migration (during the late summer or fall, although he will not spawn until late winter or spring) will settle in to a particularly desirable spot for as long as a week or more.
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I have had a couple instances.
Once when I was a kid I caught a kelt steelhead on a corkie and yarn. The next day I caught the same kelt in the same spot on the same corkie and yarn.
Then once while fishing Ennis lake in MT.
I saw a cruising brown trout and cast my parachute Calibaetis to it he took it immediately and I overreacted and broke him off. He swam an a mad circle then stopped staring right at me, so I retied with a damsel nymph plopped it in front of his face and he grabbed it, landed it that time.. I can honestly say that's the only fish I have ever caught that was dumber than me. I mean he watched me retie the fly!!!
Once when I was a kid I caught a kelt steelhead on a corkie and yarn. The next day I caught the same kelt in the same spot on the same corkie and yarn.
Then once while fishing Ennis lake in MT.
I saw a cruising brown trout and cast my parachute Calibaetis to it he took it immediately and I overreacted and broke him off. He swam an a mad circle then stopped staring right at me, so I retied with a damsel nymph plopped it in front of his face and he grabbed it, landed it that time.. I can honestly say that's the only fish I have ever caught that was dumber than me. I mean he watched me retie the fly!!!
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Have I caught the same fish twice, yes and more often than just twice.
It started when I was learning to flyfish and was fishing a small Cascade creek and lost my Royal Wulff to a native cutt that broke me off. Later that day, I caught the same fish with an Adams and it had my Royal Wulff still in its mouth.
When I had access to a private trout lake, I would catch the same trout many times throughout the year. I knew it was the same trout because it had osprey claw marks on its back.
Then there were LMB that I could fool each time I went fishing for them. In a slough I fished, one bass would hold next to a log and always fall for the same black popper when I fished for it every other week... he never learned.
Another one lived at a specific spot under some overhanging vegetation at a lake. He liked a specific slider and would try to eat it each time I showed up at the lake.
The fact that I did catch the same fish time and time again is one reason I take the "baby the fish" with a grain of salt. If picking them up to take a photo meant their death, why did I continue to catch the same fish again and again?
It started when I was learning to flyfish and was fishing a small Cascade creek and lost my Royal Wulff to a native cutt that broke me off. Later that day, I caught the same fish with an Adams and it had my Royal Wulff still in its mouth.
When I had access to a private trout lake, I would catch the same trout many times throughout the year. I knew it was the same trout because it had osprey claw marks on its back.
Then there were LMB that I could fool each time I went fishing for them. In a slough I fished, one bass would hold next to a log and always fall for the same black popper when I fished for it every other week... he never learned.
Another one lived at a specific spot under some overhanging vegetation at a lake. He liked a specific slider and would try to eat it each time I showed up at the lake.
The fact that I did catch the same fish time and time again is one reason I take the "baby the fish" with a grain of salt. If picking them up to take a photo meant their death, why did I continue to catch the same fish again and again?
Like most folks over the years caught the same trout more than once; sometimes the same day and at other times after some interval.
But perhaps the more interesting examples have been with steelhead; 3 different times I have caught the same steelhead the very next cast! Once with a fish that we tagged so there was no doubt. Another time I saw a pair of steelhead holding behind a boulder; one smaller one and another that was much larger. The first cast the smaller fish won the race; played it to the beach and released I; watch it swim back to the boulder and take up its position beside the larger fish. Of course I wanted the larger fish so casted again and once again the smaller fish won the race. It did not fight nearly as well as the first time and after being released it shot upstream into faster water and the larger fish disappeared never to be seen again.
While not the same day I took part in a tagging study where a significant number of bull trout were caught, tagged and released. While a fair number were eventually recaptured typically it was only after a significant passage of time; they were either rec-caught within a day or two or 3 to 18 months later. However what was interesting was the fluvial fish clearly showed that they had a home pool and in spite of extensive spawning migrations they would return to their home pool. One fish was recapture a year following being tagged back in its "home" behind the same boulder and re-captured a second time a year later to the day behind the same boulder.
Fish and fish behavior can be pretty darn interesting.
Curt
But perhaps the more interesting examples have been with steelhead; 3 different times I have caught the same steelhead the very next cast! Once with a fish that we tagged so there was no doubt. Another time I saw a pair of steelhead holding behind a boulder; one smaller one and another that was much larger. The first cast the smaller fish won the race; played it to the beach and released I; watch it swim back to the boulder and take up its position beside the larger fish. Of course I wanted the larger fish so casted again and once again the smaller fish won the race. It did not fight nearly as well as the first time and after being released it shot upstream into faster water and the larger fish disappeared never to be seen again.
While not the same day I took part in a tagging study where a significant number of bull trout were caught, tagged and released. While a fair number were eventually recaptured typically it was only after a significant passage of time; they were either rec-caught within a day or two or 3 to 18 months later. However what was interesting was the fluvial fish clearly showed that they had a home pool and in spite of extensive spawning migrations they would return to their home pool. One fish was recapture a year following being tagged back in its "home" behind the same boulder and re-captured a second time a year later to the day behind the same boulder.
Fish and fish behavior can be pretty darn interesting.
Curt
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We used to have two "pet" squawfish in the Yellowhawk, that ran through my Dads backyard.
Every few days we would catch one or the other, sometimes both on the same day.
Every few days we would catch one or the other, sometimes both on the same day.
Spin fishing story from a long while back but I loaned my cuz a hairpin style bass spinner for pike fishing in Minnesota. Warned him to retie occasionally because the bullrushes are hard on mono. He doesn't heed the warning and a couple days later he breaks off on a fairly nice pike. Ten minutes late we double back through the area and I catch the same fish with the loaned spinner still in the other side of his face. Made a nice group photo but it's on Kodak. He can't possibly live long enough for me to stop bringing it up occasionally.
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My dad and I were fishing for largemouth bass in a big northern California reservoir about 11 years ago. We were working around a sunken tree and my dad caught a decent bass. Upon release, it was bleeding a bit from the upper part of its mouth. A couple casts later, I caught the same fish in the side of the mouth and noticed it was still bleeding from my dad's hook.
This its a little different, but on another occasion years ago, a friend and I were fishing power bait for stocker trout in a snohomish county lake. My rod tip dipped and not 1 second later his rod dipped. We both ran over and set two hooks into the same huge holdover trout, about 17 inches and fat as a football. Didn't realize we had hooked the same fish right away. We just thought our fish had tangled our lines up.
This its a little different, but on another occasion years ago, a friend and I were fishing power bait for stocker trout in a snohomish county lake. My rod tip dipped and not 1 second later his rod dipped. We both ran over and set two hooks into the same huge holdover trout, about 17 inches and fat as a football. Didn't realize we had hooked the same fish right away. We just thought our fish had tangled our lines up.
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Yes,
northern pike, finger lakes new york
Was fishing two poles off the dock, one a minnow under a bobber, the other casting a floating bass lure.
Bobber went under, put down the lure rod with the lure still floating out there, and brought in the minnow rod with a nice pike hooked.
Took some time to try to release this fish, so finally broke off the line with the hook still in its mouth and released it.
It was getting dark so I fussed with getting my gear in order and then reeled in the lure rod. There was pike on the end, the same one, with the other hook still in its mouth.
Jay
northern pike, finger lakes new york
Was fishing two poles off the dock, one a minnow under a bobber, the other casting a floating bass lure.
Bobber went under, put down the lure rod with the lure still floating out there, and brought in the minnow rod with a nice pike hooked.
Took some time to try to release this fish, so finally broke off the line with the hook still in its mouth and released it.
It was getting dark so I fussed with getting my gear in order and then reeled in the lure rod. There was pike on the end, the same one, with the other hook still in its mouth.
Jay
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I caught the same fish 3x in a row recently. It was a stocked trout in a local lake and was obviously not the brightest. Unfortunately about 5 min after the third time (literally three casts in a row) i saw the fish starting to float belly up. A few minutes later an eagle came and picked it up.
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Yes. Have caught the same trout, salmon, and steelhead,.......multiple times over with certain big bull trout in a certain river.
Will spare you the details of all instances but one, in which the same steelhead was caught on THE SAME CAST......kinda. You can believe it or not, but here is the story:
30 some years ago drifting corkies. It wasn't actually my fish, it was my fathers. Fish was fought for 5 minutes or so getting close to being landed with just maybe 5' or so of line out at this point to the slinky and another few feet of leader. Fish comes off, gear flies behind and gear is immediately flicked back out so as to not get hung up on crap behind.
That corky didn't sit there on top of the water for more than 2 seconds and a fish exactly the same 5-6lb size, same color/brightness, with a clipped fin just like the one lost absolutely slammed it topwater. Fish was flossed just outside the mouth and landed in a couple of minutes.
I have always had a hard time with what exactly happened. It is easier to believe that it was a following fish, or just another fish came up and hit that topwater. All the other likenesses, and the fact it seemed relatively tired were just coincidence. Its of course either that, or the more improbable, yet apparent thing happened. That fish came unbuttoned, turned around, and slammed the corky again.
Will spare you the details of all instances but one, in which the same steelhead was caught on THE SAME CAST......kinda. You can believe it or not, but here is the story:
30 some years ago drifting corkies. It wasn't actually my fish, it was my fathers. Fish was fought for 5 minutes or so getting close to being landed with just maybe 5' or so of line out at this point to the slinky and another few feet of leader. Fish comes off, gear flies behind and gear is immediately flicked back out so as to not get hung up on crap behind.
That corky didn't sit there on top of the water for more than 2 seconds and a fish exactly the same 5-6lb size, same color/brightness, with a clipped fin just like the one lost absolutely slammed it topwater. Fish was flossed just outside the mouth and landed in a couple of minutes.
I have always had a hard time with what exactly happened. It is easier to believe that it was a following fish, or just another fish came up and hit that topwater. All the other likenesses, and the fact it seemed relatively tired were just coincidence. Its of course either that, or the more improbable, yet apparent thing happened. That fish came unbuttoned, turned around, and slammed the corky again.
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Now that I think about it, this has happened to me quite a bit. Last summer while stalking a pod of carp on Lake Michigan, a tanker 5lb smallmouth came out of nowhere to take my crayfish imitation. After the release I noticed it went back to a bed. The carp were still hanging around so I threw another cast well ahead of one and the smallie charged again. Now that I knew it was a spawner I gave it some slack and the hook popped out.
Had an incidental bull trout catch that came after a small cutt which took my EHC. A week later a friend fished the same hole and had the same exact thing happen. We both had photos to verify it was the same fish.
Back when I was in Atlanta I hooked into a hefty rainbow in the Hooch in a small pocket behind a log jam. After a couple big leaps it went straight for the logs and it was all over. I was bummed... The next week I hit the same spot and hooked another big rainbow. This time I prevailed and didn't let it back in the logs. The fish was easily 18", and since I hadn't seen another in this section over 14" (all plants) I concluded it was the same fish. Redemption!
Makes you wonder when you see fish in popular CnR waters that have really jacked up mouths...just how many times have they been caught.
Had an incidental bull trout catch that came after a small cutt which took my EHC. A week later a friend fished the same hole and had the same exact thing happen. We both had photos to verify it was the same fish.
Back when I was in Atlanta I hooked into a hefty rainbow in the Hooch in a small pocket behind a log jam. After a couple big leaps it went straight for the logs and it was all over. I was bummed... The next week I hit the same spot and hooked another big rainbow. This time I prevailed and didn't let it back in the logs. The fish was easily 18", and since I hadn't seen another in this section over 14" (all plants) I concluded it was the same fish. Redemption!
Makes you wonder when you see fish in popular CnR waters that have really jacked up mouths...just how many times have they been caught.
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I assume it happens all the time but we don't know because the fish don't have the distinguishing marks necessary to identify them. On the days I'm really dialed in I wonder about some of the fish I catch later in the day in the same area that don't quite fight the same.
Yes, three (trout) and on three different trips (two steelhead, one salmon), my buddy caught a steelies that I had just caught 10-15 minutes previous.
One of those steelhead was a hatchery too small for my liking, and he had none thus far, so he kept it on the second "catching ".
The trout were smaller cutties about 14 and 16"s, and were in smaller high mountain streams. Pretty hungry fish.
*** But here's one for the ages:***
When I was a little kid, bait fishing on opening day, I got a bite - then nothing. The boat next to us got a bite, and started reeling in the fish.
Yep... we had the same fish on. It was a nice plump trout (one of the bigger ones for that day), but it was closer to his boat, so they just cut my line and took it.
One of those steelhead was a hatchery too small for my liking, and he had none thus far, so he kept it on the second "catching ".
The trout were smaller cutties about 14 and 16"s, and were in smaller high mountain streams. Pretty hungry fish.
*** But here's one for the ages:***
When I was a little kid, bait fishing on opening day, I got a bite - then nothing. The boat next to us got a bite, and started reeling in the fish.
Yep... we had the same fish on. It was a nice plump trout (one of the bigger ones for that day), but it was closer to his boat, so they just cut my line and took it.
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