2023 Fish-Pic-O-Rama

[plugboots]

-Always sat the hook towards the tail of the fish, no matter where you’re standing, always try to set the hook pulling in the direction of the tale of the fish, even if you have to do the Statue of Liberty set.
-Always keep it tight, bending the rod, stripping like crazy unless the fish is shaking its head or preparing to jump.
-Keep a slightly looser rod against the fish as they shake their head or jump. This is done with Tarpon, where you kind of “bow” to the fish, and you do the same thing with trout, but on a lesser scale. I think of it as keeping my wrist loose.
-There are exceptions, but generally keep the rod high to allow for even a longer cushion for a quick run.
-Shit happens

[wendigo]

mrs hooked into a nice fish in a ripping current



bit too much for her to pick up

[romeo tango]

nice butt!
the fish that is ....

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[BobMc]

Spent another weekend at Boblandia, probably the last for the year. I added up my days out there, 41 days this season. I’m hoping to break ground on a cabin next season, a well and septic at least.

Lumpy and two of his PNW buddies met me out there. Fishing was pretty tough on Saturday but markedly improved Sunday.



Been a moist year, lotta this needed.





Willow has become a pretty good floating dog.







It was a great time, except for someone backed into my truck while it was at the take out.



It was sad packing up the trailer for winter, I won’t be back until 4/20.

[::: :::]

Fishing barb-less hooks will certainly lead to more "sporting releases". It doesn't necessarily mean you're doing something wrong, sometimes the fish are just doing the right thing to get off the hook.

Gorgeous stream you fished there.

Focusing on technique and keeping steady pressure will reduce those releases. I haven't used a barbed hook in years.

-Always sat the hook towards the tail of the fish, no matter where you’re standing, always try to set the hook pulling in the direction of the tale of the fish, even if you have to do the Statue of Liberty set.
-Always keep it tight, bending the rod, stripping like crazy unless the fish is shaking its head or preparing to jump.
-Keep a slightly looser rod against the fish as they shake their head or jump. This is done with Tarpon, where you kind of “bow” to the fish, and you do the same thing with trout, but on a lesser scale. I think of it as keeping my wrist loose.
-There are exceptions, but generally keep the rod high to allow for even a longer cushion for a quick run.
-Shit happens

Thank you - helpful!
(I'd like to think I'm doing this but reality says otherwise -- i'll reconsider on my next outing & be a little more present for what I'm really doing)


more nice fish from mrs wendigo & bobmc!

[gnarbro365]

ID? East side of the Central Washington Cascades.

[Rasputin]

While I was informed by Hudge Underpoops, that I reak of ignerints and unedgumuncayshin, my guess is brook trout, because it looks like it has black on the dorsal fin.

I haven't been posting pics of fish of late, but not because I haven't been catching them. In fact, I have been catching more fish than ever, but I had a long streak of not catching anything larger than eight or nine inches, and most of them were smaller than that. It dawned on me a while back that taking pics is mostly an added hassle for me which also is harder on the fish folk, so i haven't been bringing the camera most days. I started fishing a different area of the Clark Fork which has lots of small fish, but it saves me a couple miles of pedaling to and from. I went back to the upper confluence of the Clark Fork and the Bitteroot, yesterday with the hope and prayer of catching something bigger.





I forgot to be specific while praying, and caught the same big, dumbass, cutbow whom I've caught four times previously this year. He doesn't fight hard anymore, and doesn't struggle once caught, he's practically tame. The dark spot on the left side of his head and shoulder was gone, and the wound where I snag hooked him is all healed up (there's a slight scar).





After taking the pic I promptly dropped my camera in the water.


I headed up the Bitteroot after the trico spinner fall feeding had passed, tied on a Big Ass Renegade (BAR, #10 hook) with a Griffith's gnat trailing, and went further up stream than I'd fished before. I found a section where the fish apparently had never see a BAR, and believed it to be a yummy delicacy. After it was obvious they only wanted to eat the BAR I cut off the trailer. I caught them not only drifting dry, but also had them attack it on the swing (I started moving position before pulling the line in, a go to move of mine that often tricks them into biting), and even while stripping it back afterwards.

[neckdeep]

ID? East side of the Central Washington Cascades.

Looks like a laker. Would be a simple ID if you include the tail in the pic. Lakers have a forked tail.

[jpcm]

Blew off work to go fishing with Underroos. Was the right call!! Stuck my personal best, and got to be a part of the absolute madness of Roos landing this Jurassic brown! HUGE day!



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[Rasputin]

Holy crap! That brown makes Underoos look like a leprechaun!

[John_B]

It looks like it has the body of a redfish. Let's hear some details Roos!

[teleee]

Holy shit! That thing is a unicorn. My life’s goal is a 30” brown. I’ve been close but never there. Way to go!


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[romeo tango]

THAT is one bad-ass rainbow !!

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[Underoos]

My life’s goal is a 30” brown.

36

[skaredshtles]

36

Holy shit that thing is RIDONKULUS. Nice work...

Let me guess - you caught it on a hopper with a 5wt?

[teleee]

36

I would have loved to be on the sidelines to watch that battle!


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[neckdeep]

Let me guess - you caught it on a hopper with a 5wt?

More likely a mysis nymph.

3 hogs like that in one day, he's probably working one of Colorado's famous gold medal mysis tailwaters. Don't get me wrong. Imho, it's a bigger accomplishment to hookup and land a large fish with a #18 nymph than a #6 hopper.

[Talisman]

You need a new hat that says "I am lucky at flyfishing" or something. Well done.

36

[jpcm]

More likely a mysis nymph.

3 hogs like that in one day, he's probably working one of Colorado's famous gold medal mysis tailwaters. Don't get me wrong. Imho, it's a bigger accomplishment to hookup and land a large fish with a #18 nymph than a #6 hopper.

Streamers all day. Roos wouldn’t let me bring an indicator rig,

[teleee]

Streamers all day. Roos wouldn’t let me bring an indicator rig,

Ha I knew there was no way you 2 were throwing bubbles.


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[LegoSkier]

There are times I miss immediate access to mountain stream fishing. Then there are times like this morning kayak fishing out on the Sound with a postcard sunrise and glassy water


Where a pod of porpoises and a hoss of an Orca cruise by (no pics of the Orca unfortunately, it was ~100 yards away and on a mission somewhere else).
And you come home with a shiny 5lb Coho for dinner.


It was a female too, which I kinda feel bad about but I now have a big jar of Ikura curing in the fridge so not too bad.

[neckdeep]

[romeo tango]

Good start to the Lake Roosevelt sturgeon season
Fishing Buddy hooked 2 runts and 1 in the slot limit (released)

the One That Got Away burned down the drag on my Daiwa Big Game 6500
stripped off 300 yards of braid and kept on going ....

.

[neckdeep]

Ugh. Lifting sturgeon vertically by the gill plate falls into the "worst fishing practices" category. I can't remember how many times I've read and heard you are supposed to let the water support the fish's weight.

[romeo tango]

that's not the gill plate ....

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