G
Guest
·"Today is the day!", I told myself. Today is the day that I find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Today is the day that I hike 5+ miles to fish uncharted waters for big bows and browns (uncharted by me anyway). Rattlesnakes or not, I'm going in.
I pull my rig up to the trailhead, suit up, and all of a sudden there's a sick feeling that comes over me. My previous trip was to the Methow last week, and all that was in my bag were steelhead flies. I search my entire bag (something the size of a small pole tent) and my fears are confirmed....no trout flies. I walk a short distance without my rod to the water, peer over the tall grass, sluuurp, GULP, boil,....the fish were feasting on PMD's emerging from the depths.
I could actually see these fish. 14-18" were the small ones. The bigger ones were between 18-24", with a couple pushing 30". I know this because I caught one of them a few months back. I posted the pics a while back titled "Mmmm Brownies". But I digress.
I walk back to the rig to search my bag again. I pull out this box of egg patterns thinking...maybe? "Wait, what's that?" In my egg box is an ant pattern - "What the..?" Who cares, I've got a bug, I'm in the game.
Now for those of you who have found yourself in this similar situation, and for those of you who will find yourself in this dilemma, heed this advice: Do not tie your "one fly" pattern on 5X tippet! I learned this the hard way in Montana 15 yrs ago.
So there I was, me and my ant on 8 lb tippet ready to chase that pot of gold....so I did. I didn't get 5' from the road and almost stepped on a rattlesnake. I thought to myself, "Man, this trip just keeps getting better." I get another 200 yds and yep, there's another. This went on all day. I managed to step on two an got bit 5 times (just in the boot).
Within the first 20 minutes I missed two fish, but the third was stuck. I had her I thought, then I realized I was in real trouble. I primarily fish my BIIx 4 wt for trout. It's a great rod and I have landed several fish in the upper teens, and a few in the low 20's. If I "plan" on catching fish bigger than that I bring one of my bigger rods. Boy, I wish I had "planned" on catching bigger fish. Hell, while I'm at it, I wish I had brought some flies! Months ago, when I caught that 27" brown, I thought it was a fluke - but now I'm in trouble. The fish took my ant, gave a couple head shakes, then just went and sat on the bottom. My 4 wt was no match. With only one fly and the whole rest of the day ahead of me I did what I had to do. I gave up, but I got my fly back.
That went on for the entire day with the exception of the few smaller ones that I brought in. Every time of course, retying my bug. Though I would have have LOVED to get one of those pigs to hand, I just didn't want to take the risk.
Like a running back that's playing with a bad shoulder, he knows he could lower his head and get the first down, but in order to survive another down he has to run out of bounds. That goes against every fiber in his competitive being however, in order to stay in the game he must.
There is a certain satisfaction of fooling a fish. Sometimes it's almost as rewarding as getting one to hand. To have a river to yourself, one bug tied to 8 lb tippet, get the float right, and.....slurp - "fooled ya". Yet this time I was the one who had to "step out of bounds". I've got my "trophy" catch, if you will, on my 4wt and I consider myself lucky to have done so. I guess because of that, it makes it easier not to "have" to get one in. Yes, it's nice to get that hog to the net. And yeah, the great pics are fun and all. But in the end, sometimes it's just better to be "Still in the game".
I pull my rig up to the trailhead, suit up, and all of a sudden there's a sick feeling that comes over me. My previous trip was to the Methow last week, and all that was in my bag were steelhead flies. I search my entire bag (something the size of a small pole tent) and my fears are confirmed....no trout flies. I walk a short distance without my rod to the water, peer over the tall grass, sluuurp, GULP, boil,....the fish were feasting on PMD's emerging from the depths.
I could actually see these fish. 14-18" were the small ones. The bigger ones were between 18-24", with a couple pushing 30". I know this because I caught one of them a few months back. I posted the pics a while back titled "Mmmm Brownies". But I digress.
I walk back to the rig to search my bag again. I pull out this box of egg patterns thinking...maybe? "Wait, what's that?" In my egg box is an ant pattern - "What the..?" Who cares, I've got a bug, I'm in the game.
Now for those of you who have found yourself in this similar situation, and for those of you who will find yourself in this dilemma, heed this advice: Do not tie your "one fly" pattern on 5X tippet! I learned this the hard way in Montana 15 yrs ago.
So there I was, me and my ant on 8 lb tippet ready to chase that pot of gold....so I did. I didn't get 5' from the road and almost stepped on a rattlesnake. I thought to myself, "Man, this trip just keeps getting better." I get another 200 yds and yep, there's another. This went on all day. I managed to step on two an got bit 5 times (just in the boot).
Within the first 20 minutes I missed two fish, but the third was stuck. I had her I thought, then I realized I was in real trouble. I primarily fish my BIIx 4 wt for trout. It's a great rod and I have landed several fish in the upper teens, and a few in the low 20's. If I "plan" on catching fish bigger than that I bring one of my bigger rods. Boy, I wish I had "planned" on catching bigger fish. Hell, while I'm at it, I wish I had brought some flies! Months ago, when I caught that 27" brown, I thought it was a fluke - but now I'm in trouble. The fish took my ant, gave a couple head shakes, then just went and sat on the bottom. My 4 wt was no match. With only one fly and the whole rest of the day ahead of me I did what I had to do. I gave up, but I got my fly back.
That went on for the entire day with the exception of the few smaller ones that I brought in. Every time of course, retying my bug. Though I would have have LOVED to get one of those pigs to hand, I just didn't want to take the risk.
Like a running back that's playing with a bad shoulder, he knows he could lower his head and get the first down, but in order to survive another down he has to run out of bounds. That goes against every fiber in his competitive being however, in order to stay in the game he must.
There is a certain satisfaction of fooling a fish. Sometimes it's almost as rewarding as getting one to hand. To have a river to yourself, one bug tied to 8 lb tippet, get the float right, and.....slurp - "fooled ya". Yet this time I was the one who had to "step out of bounds". I've got my "trophy" catch, if you will, on my 4wt and I consider myself lucky to have done so. I guess because of that, it makes it easier not to "have" to get one in. Yes, it's nice to get that hog to the net. And yeah, the great pics are fun and all. But in the end, sometimes it's just better to be "Still in the game".
ps thanks for sharing that great storry, I love Brownies!
