Not Me and Yuki.
I mentioned a while back that Yuki and I had a plan for fishing Lake Camanche in his kayak and the Float Tube Cumberland. The plan was to leave one truck at the North Shore parking lot and drive out to the island and launch.
OK, Plan B was to launch at the launch ramp and flipper/paddle out to the island. I only found one place to launch out on the island and we would have had to drag everything about the distance of Chicago to Miami. So we launched at the launch ramp.
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| Where we usually fish. A view from the lake. |
Here's the story. Way back when I started tying flies that were uglier than sin, I tied a bunch of Wooly Buggers, just for practice mind you, and what fell out of the vise was a pink/black, orange/black, chartreuse/black and other assorted weird colored Wooly Buggers.
Out of my Wooly Bugger fly box and on to my rod went the pink/black one. Here's my logic: If the fish like the rainbow pink Kastmaster, why not try the pink/black Wooly Bugger because the black one sure wasn't doing anything.
Then we ran across the guy with the fish finder who said all the fish were right "there", but on the bottom. I made the comment that it wouldn't do me any good fishing a fly rod. That was right before I nailed a two pound Rainbow on said pink/black Wooly Bugger. Shazam!
So much for guys with fish finders. Yuki and I agreed that was cheating. Sorry if you use one.
Then Yuki started yelling about having a big fish on. There was nothing I could do because I was quite a ways away so I just kept an eye on him while he brought this Mongo Rainbow Trout to hand. He thought it was at least 10 pounds, I opted for more like 5. it turns out it weighed in on the handy dandy Berkeley Digital Scale at 9 lbs. 2 oz. A new personal best (last one was the Cutbow at 7'15") for Yuki.
Moving toward the island (which you can drive to still, even after all that rain we got last weekend) I took a couple shots of the areas I mentioned before, that you'd need repelling gear to get down to the water. See what I mean?
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| One area |
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| Another area |
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| The island |
The wind started blowing at 10:30 right when we reached the island (perfect timing if I do say so myself) so we did a U-Turn and let the wind push us back toward launch. Hardly had to flipper at all.
As we crossed our usual spot (still stripping the pink/black Wooly Bugger) I hooked into one and away it went. I knew it was big, but not HOW big.
Yuki said it took me 10 minutes to bring it to hand. I didn't care, it could have taken me all afternoon. A quick picture and it flipped itself back over the side and away it went for another day. Our mutual guess was about the same as Yuki's somewhere in the 9 pound range.
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| 9 pounds + |
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| Yuki when we got back to launch |
Here's that pink/black Wooly Bugger. You can bet that one will stay in my arsenal.
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| pink/black Wooly Bugger |
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| A big one |
No, I didn't complain; I did say, however, "It won't fit in my net, it won't fit in my bucket, and it won't fit in my freezer." But, they are not complaints.
ReplyDeleteNice! It was a very cold Friday the 13th here, so it's probably a good thing that I stayed in bed. Would have rather been out there with you guys though.
ReplyDeleteNice 'bow I think that is one he will never forget!
ReplyDeleteWonderful experience, Mark, for both you and Yuki. I hear you named this fish, "Howard". Howard still swims...........................
ReplyDeleteSomething to that float tube fly fishing, huh?
Pink is the color........................................
Holy Moly! Congrats. Just goes to show you, float tubes are lucky.
ReplyDeleteMark
ReplyDeleteThe float tube would be my go to fishing mode from here out, got to get where the big ones hang out; what better way to hang into two monster trout. You guys need to think about dry mounts---never been much on superstition, but if being superstitious can produce fish like this then let me believe!! Outstanding!!
Congrats to Yuki, that's a big fish. Wooly Buggers...........
ReplyDeleteCongrats on some awesome fish! Friday the 13th must actually be lucky because a guy here in Tennessee just broke the state's largemouth bass record yesterday. Now I find out about you setting a personal record. There is definitely something going on!
ReplyDeleteSome PIG fish out a Comanche, huh? Awesome day on the water. Friday the 13th definitely isn't unlucky for you guys!
ReplyDeleteBeing born on the 13th of July, my birthday eventually ends up on Friday the 13th. How can that be unlucky...I'm happy to be here no matter what day it is. Thanks for naming the fish after me. I now also consider that fish my personal best! Great day of fishing for Mark and Yuki...well done guys.
ReplyDelete