The one that got away.....

[Team River]

The one fish that still haunts my dreams is one that I gave a long line release to up in a backwoods lake in British Columbia.

My dad and I had gone up there alone on one of our crazy trips at the end of summer before I had to get back to school. We drive all the way up there, without checking the fishing/weather/etc reports first, and as soon as we roll into town we stop in at the local fishing shop to buy some local flys and get some "free" advice. Well, just our luck the whole place had been on fire that summer (96?) and the lakes we were headed to were closed off. So we regrouped and headed to the border of the closed area to another batch of lakes. Naturally when we get there we're the only guys at the lake.

We fished dry's to risers and when they weren't rising we would kick around in our tubes dragging some wet's. Well I wasn't having much, more like any, success with this so I wasn't paying attention to closely. I was having more fun enjoying the wonderful scenery. Well, just when I was dozing off a little trolling a big, fat black wooly bugger I heard a sound I have never heard before. :shocked:

Now I've fished a lot in Oregon and BC for trout in river's and lakes and have hooked my fair share of trout in my relatively young fishing career (life), but I have never had a fish take my fly as aggressively as this one.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzz went my reel. I was so freaked out to see my line ripping through my fingers so quickly I did what I normally did when setting a hook on a "normal" trout. I merely started to squeeze the line between my fingers and within an instant the fish was gone. I was so stunned I didn't even know what had just happened.

Once I finally realized I was so mad at myself for breaking him off I could hardly stand it. That would have been a monster trout for me to have caught. Once I got back to shore I told my dad what had happened. He was sure it was a monster trout as well. Probably would have gone 5-6 lbs at least ( :grin: ).

Anyways, that's the one trout I want to go chase down some time. Now if only I could figure out which lake we ended up at that summer. :shrug:

What fish do you want a second chance at??

[Abalone]

I like that story.

I have told this story in IFISH before but I will tell it again.

My cousin and I were fishing the Salmon Fly hatch at Mecca Flats on the Deschutes back in the 70's. The hatch was going strong and we hooked a lot of fish that day. Now we were after the big one. My cousin and I were back to back on a gravel bar ahead of an Island. My cousin was fishing the bank side when he yelled out. " There's a huge trout under that brush taking flies right next to the bank "
I turned to look. My cousin started to back cast, so I picked up my rod and got into sinc right behind him. He made Two or three false casts and then let go. I let go right behind him. But his leader landed on lower branch of the brush he was casting to, As he pulled back his rod to shake it free about Twenty Salmon flies fell off and dropped to the waters surface. But my fly hit first and the lunker took it. It headed straight for Maupin full speed ahead. But when my fly line got to the knott where the backing is tied on, the knott hung up just enough to break off the fish. My cousin screamed at me. You #$%%^ hooked my fish and then let it go, You Son #%#$%%%h, A h#$# etc etc etc.

Well I wish I could have banked that one but that goes down in my memory as my most memorable Fly fishing experience I have had. At least four pounds if not bigger ?

Sorry you guys had to hear that one again.

[mpruet]

Appropriately enough, this story comes from our own Metolius River.

Last June, our son and I were invited by some friends to come to their cabin in Camp Sherman for the Free Fishing Day at Wizard Falls Hatchery.

As a side note, if you have never taken your child to one of these, I highly recommend it. Never in my life have I seen kids wrestling with fish that are the same size as they are. Great fun for parents, friends and especially the kids...

Anyway, so after Nick gets his nice Trout from the Brood Pond, we head back to the cabin for a little lunch and Arnie and I want to go out to fish for a couple of hours. Nick isn't that interested and says that he would rather hang back and watch movies with Arnie's wife. So off we go.

Now I had brought both my 4 wt and 6 wt rods and asked Arnie which I should bring. Because of the size of the water and the fact that we were just nymphing for trout, the 4 wt was the choice and off we go.

We find a run that, miraculously enough has fish that we can see, holding up. Arnie takes the top and I take the bottom and away we go.

Now these fish are good size, probably in the 15 inch range and I am a little concerned about fishing to them with my little 4 wt, because you all know how the water can distort things.

After 30 minutes of putting my flies right on these fishes noses, with not so much as a look, I hear Arnie behind me asking if I was ready to go?

I had just tossed out a decent cast and said, "sure right after I finish this drift."

Well, when I started reeling my line in it stopped. I think, crap, I'm snagged!!! Then the line seemed to dance a bit? Maybe I'm not snagged?

Arnie from behind me...Nope you're snagged...

Me...I don't think so, that line is moving...

Turns out a pretty good sized Bull Trout decided to grace me with a little dance before I had to go.

My 4 wt performed admirably and 15 minutes later, I was ready to land the beast, give him a kiss and set him back to whence he came.

Just as I reach down to grab the monster, he ever so delicately snaps his head to the side and broke off my line as if he were king kong pulling on a thread.

I don't know what I could have done differently, but I would like to do it again, with my 6 wt...

[FallRiverGuy]

This is the one that stands out most in my mind. I was fishing the Deschutes near the end of the salmon fly hatch. About half way down to Trout Creek I had caught a few nice fish, but nothing too special when I spotted a fish working an area next to the bank.

It was difficult to tell how large the fish was as it did not show itself when it was feeding. Being that I was up stream of the fish I slowly worked my way close enough to the fish that I could cast half way to the fish and mend out the rest of the line need to get a drag free drift over the fish. My first cast was off and would have drifted too far to one side of the fish so I bailed on that cast and retrieved my line causing my fly to swim under water.

After a few false casts I landed the fly in a good line to drift over the fish. About two feet in front of the spot the fish was feeding my fly dipped under water. I had not sufficiently dried the fly from the cast before. Instead of bailing on that cast and potentially spooking the fish, I let it drift for a few more seconds and then let my line go tight. I was hoping to swing the fly right in front of the fish’s nose.

Right as the line started to swing I felt it stop. I raised my rod to meet the fish and felt a nice slow head shake. It did not take the fish long to get mad and head about 20 feet into the river then straight up stream. The fish was moving at warp 9 causing my fly line to get a large belly in it. As the line cut thru the water it produced both a rooster tail and a loud humming noise. The noise was loud enough that my buddy upstream heard it and turned to watch. Right after that the hook pulled free and it was over. I remember thinking, wow, that was a rush.

[PittsburghD]

I'll bite.

I can't remember more than the last one though. Last late October, salmon run on the Salmon River. Cut huntin'-- spinners for salmon flickin' in the air all around me. Oaring through the DMZ in the lower river with bankies every 5 feet. Low water, blazing sun. Tossed my reverse spider to a fallen tree 6 times. The 7th was ripped from the water and my line blew calmly in the breeze back to me. A good indicator to know when to bump up a weight on my leader. Been there, done that...

Next year 5x or 4x.


--D

[bobberdown9321]

this summer in montana i was fishing a copper john under and indicator and down went the yarn so i set the hook all of the "bigger" fish we had hooked that day stayed on the bottom and thats what this brute did after 2 minuets( aka an eternity) i shamefully decided to aply some upward pressure and boy did i regret it the fish jumped clean out of the water and shook the hook i never got a shot of that 25+ fish

[MarlinMark]

Crane Prairie back in the day. We used to have to "tell" ourselves to keep our fingers off the line and keep the reel free from obstruction while draggin' buggers. Don't set the hook. Just raise the rod and start taking deep breaths. By the time the first run was over you, hopefully, had yourself calmed down enough to battle the fish through the snags and be ready for the release. It sure was fun. Back in the day.

Mark

[mandinga]

I had to really think about this one...since most of the big fish I hook, I bring to shore :wink:

late in the 2002 season I was fishing a double wooly bugger setup for the monster cutthroats at pyramid lake. I told my friend "one more cast, then we'll go"...well, I made the cast and as I was walking back to shore whamo fishon! As I was fighting the fish I realized that I was feeling 2 tails shaking violently...So I turn to my buddy and yell "DOUBLE!"

My friend comes running out to where I am standing(knee deep) and he tells me to backup and he'll try to tail the fish. He got very close to the fish, and all of a sudden both the fish come flying out of the water...these fish are both pushing 11 lbs each! After these fish almost got landed they finally realized they were hooked and it was only a matter of seconds until I was holding a limp rod. bummer. I have fished pyramid LAKE my whole life, this has happened once.
I didnt cast again.

[PittsburghD]

CM. That never happens to me! Ever. The last cast is always dead. Then the last last cast-- nothing. Then eight more casts after that, I finally pack up and tell myself I should've ended after the first last cast.

--D