Got to the Camanche Trout Pond at 0900. I noticed that there was only one pontoon boat on the pond, unlike last time when there were about 100 float tubers there. OK, maybe 10 or 12. You know how I exaggerate. Got the float tube Cumberland in the water and flippered on out with a black Wooly Bugger on. Got all the way across the pond and nothing. Added a Copper John dropper in green (the favorite color for trout at the pond) on 24” of 6 lb fluorocarbon and cruised back across the pond. Nothing. Changed to the tungsten bead head Thinmint for the next trip across. Nothing again.
Decided to put that little black thing I got from the guy at the fly shop on and try that. I aligned myself with a tree on the side and parked out about 25 feet casting toward the shore. On the third cast, I hooked something big. I mean really big. It ran, and I reeled. It ran again and I reel some more. It ran again and I reel. This went on for a couple of minutes. I did catch a glimpse and the trout looked like it might go 26, maybe 28 inches. Big. It made one last run and damned if the 4x tippet didn’t snap right in half. The double surgeon knot held. The knot on the fly (now with the trout) held. The 6 lb tippet broke right in the middle. I loved that fly, too. All right, I had another one, so I put a new 24” tippet on and tied the other fly on.
Over the course of the next hour or so, sitting in the same spot, I got many hits on the fly and one hook up that jumped a couple of times and spit the fly. I think the hits that didn’t connect were because of the fly. This little black thing is about the size of a 1/3 of a size 8 Wooly Bugger and a tail 1 ½ inches long. I think the trout kept hitting the tail and missing the hook. This was deduced after I wrapped it up for the day. Next time I think I’ll trim it a little and see what happens.
This brings me to the title of this post. I ran into my friends Rich and his son Mark and Rich said that they stocked the pond last week with Bass and Catfish. That tells me that with the warm weather we’re having, they will probably not be putting many more trout in the pond. Now I’ll have to look for another place to fish until ice out upcountry. Rich, Mark, and I are going to try the pond once more on Thursday, so that will be the next adventure.
Until then.
Mark (Shoreman)
Well, there is some comfort in knowing that it wasn't any fault of yours that the big one got away. But I guess sometimes that really p%$*$ me off, too.
ReplyDeleteAny idea of the species?
No question, it was a big Rainbow.
ReplyDeleteMark
Now that you have hooked and fought that big 'Bow, you know are officially ready to hook a big Steelhead on a fly rod!
ReplyDeleteHappy hook ups!
You can only play the cards you're dealt, Mark. Try for some bass in the float tube and fly rod! Would have been nice to put that big trout in your hands, though.
ReplyDeleteWhen you go into the mountains after ice out, do you fish the stillwaters, or the creeks/river? Or both?
Got to love stillwater fly-fishing. Not a lot of stillwater trout fishing here in the Midwest Mark, or at least nowhere near Chicago. There is something very satisfying about casting a long line and keeping in touch with your flies. Just when you least expect it, the whole rig gets heavy and thumps with weight. Fish on.... Keep up the good work man.
ReplyDeleteThat´s a shame that you lost that big rainbow, some days seems that everything goes against the fisherman.
ReplyDeleteHope you have better luck the next time, and ofcaurse, a second chace with the same trout.
Thanks Guys. To answer Wolfy's question, I only fished streams upcountry until I hit the big one back in 2007 at Bear river Reservoir. Since then the sky's the limit.
ReplyDeleteMark
Shame about losing that big guy. It still should make for a good memory. Sorry the pond is switching over too...but bass go after flies too!
ReplyDelete