2024 Fish Pic Thread

[Underoos]

Here's the video from Bob's birthday in Boblandia a few weeks ago.

[Rasputin]

I went some place different, and though it was slow fishing today, the area seems like a good one.

[Norseman]

saw some Kokanee running up from lake Pend Oreille

[Rasputin]

As i pulled in the first fish of the day, which I had belly snagged with a trailing spinner, I just was getting him to surface, when suddenly, where I expected to see a foot long fish, this startlingly large trout (I'd say he'd go 'bout twenty) comes rising out of the water like Jaws after Captain Quint, I'm guessing he figured since the smaller guy had missed it, he was gonna have a run at my chubby chernobyl, but I pulled it away from him with the other fish in tow. The other fish:





The big fish of the day:





On the way back upstream, I stopped to take a non-fish picture.





The day ended in a steady rain, during which I caught one more fish:





The rain should be good for fishing, I think I'll go throw a worm tomorrow.

[Rasputin]

I went back to the "new" place, where I went a couple days ago, caught a slender 17" rainbow, and also another smaller fish which liked the SJ worm I was throwing, but I lost the worm shortly afterward. Anyway, it's nice to have another option easy to reach by bike.

[Rasputin]

[Percy Rideout]

you've been getting into some great fish lately!

[Rasputin]

While yesterday's outing yielded a couple nice fish, I once again lost the big one at the end of the day, and I was not happy about it, especially paired with the awareness that I had lost two boxes of flies the day before, my emergers, and my large chubby chernobyls, the latter which I had bought at Grizzly hackle the week before. I was tired, and didn't feel like story telling, plus the other fish picture, and my sunset pic had turned out blurry.

However, today after I went grocery shopping, and had gone to two different fly shops to replace some of the very many flies I've lost recently (I've been losing Pat's rubberlegs at an alarming pace, beyond the two aforementioned boxes), I decided to return to the "New Place" where I thought I left the fly boxes on a log while swapping out to a double dry rig (which caught a very small fish). Sadly, there was significantly windy weather which certainly would have blown the little boxes off the log, and if I was correct about where I lost them, it mattered not, they were not there.

I went to the place where I had caught the two large fish there before, but aside from a single looky-loo brushing by my indicator fly, there was no love for my brightly colored Pat's, nor for the bitch creek nymph I tried after it. So I pulled up stakes, and headed over to another spot just below where two braids of the river combined, I'd had a couple refusals there the previous trip, so I knew there were fish there. Along the way, I decided to tie on one of the black Pat's I had just bought, thinking, that maybe since the bright ones didn't work, then the dark one would. This was very good thinking.

On the second cast I hooked up on a big fish, and got to battle with it for a bit, before it came of the hook. NOOOOOOOOOO! (I've been very stressed out of late, and losing this one sent a heavy shudder of grief through me). It was a big fish! I was sad, and prayed to the God of flyfishing (who also created Heaven and Earth) for relief! After that fight, I figured that the hole would be spooked; I was very happily wrong. After a cast or two, I got another take, and holy crap what a beast, it took a good while to get it in, during which time I was very nervous about losing it, but I prevailed, and netted a big fat pig!





Well that made up for all the lost flies, and for the fish I'd lost the day before. Again, I figured the hole must be spooked after such a battle. Again, I was very happily wrong. I returned to drifting the hole, and after a couple more casts the chubby dipped again! This fish was also big, and leapt out of the water for dramatic effect, but he was powerless against my building good luck, and ended up in the net. This one was also 17", but less portly than the previous one.





Well, suffice it to say, that my day was made, and I praised the God of flyfishing (The Dayspring, the Almighty)! I went up stream to try out some dry flies, but though I got quite a few rises, they were picky about committing to what I threw. I decided to go back to where I started, and try the black Pat's there. And while the Pat's failed to convert, I got a hit on the purple/black chubby, and netted a nice one which apparently has that whirling disease, I didn't notice the oddly shaped head until I saw the picture.





At this point it had been almost a couple hours since my big double in the "black rubberlegs hole". I thought, maybe I'll hit it again before leaving. This was very good thinking again! Soon I was hooked up again, with another big fish, which was only an inch shorter than the others!





I was full hearted and ready to go home, but threw my rig in the small hole where I'd failed with dries, and once again the black Pat's enticed a fish, however this one was small, and the perfect cap to a great outing.

The End

[BobMc]

Nice!

[lifelinksplit]

I love your perspective Rasputin and quite enjoy the fish you catch.




But maybe ease up a bit on the grip. Unless you're eating them or smoking them. Both of which are awesome.

Sent from my SM-S236DL using Tapatalk

[swimmy]

Here's the video from Bob's birthday in Boblandia a few weeks ago.

Mental health day - taking a break from fishing. That was one had me smilin'

Which come to think of it, I haven't touched a rod since mid July. Longest I've gone in recent memory besides my annual winter break. Not intentional but been hiking, backpacking, and exploring new-to me areas. For those that don't follow the Montana thread, I was a few groups behind the grizzly mauling in Glacier this week. That was crazy.

[Rasputin]

Gorgeous shots as usual, Swimmy,. I took a couple months off from fishing this summer also, and since I have been back, I've had very good luck in catching big fish. When you pick up a rod again, may it be so for you as well.

I spent a long, hot, and at times frustrating day on the river today, which ultimately, was very rewarding. I got on the water early enough that I was able to fish the trico hatch. The fish were sipping them from the surface, and I managed to catch one on a sparkly #18 purple haze parachute.





Then my luck dried up for a couple hours or more, no bites at all for quite a while. I fished my way up Long Pool, and eventually, caught a small one on a purple chubby. Then I decided to ford the stream above Long Pool and go up river, I found a really fishy looking rapid into a deep run, and caught another small one, which nearly swallowed a small olive/black Pat's rubberlegs. I went further up and found myself at my furthest downstream exploration of the "New Place", which connected two large sections of the Clark Fork in my mental map. I had no luck there, so I went back down stream to Long Pool, so I could see it from a different perspective.





I badly fished the water below the fallen tree (upper center above), having swapped to a double nymph rig, and trying to steeple cast to avoid the cut bank at my back, I tangled badly several times, and had a spike in my ill humor. I decided to leave, and as I rapidly stripped in my line, the fish below, attacked the Pat's on the surface, and hooked himself! I felt subtly mocked by the universe.





After fording the river again, I threw into Long Pool from the top working down, I'd fished previously with a chubby/Pat's rig, but I'd swapped to the double nymph rig with one of ISBDs tung headed stones, and a small Pat's trailing. I didn't get too far down the pool before the bubble dove, and I had my prayers answered, a big fish! Alleluia! Thanks to the God of fly fishing (and Eternity too), and thanks to ISBD for the killer nymph.





I kept trying for another one, as I fished back downstream toward the sunset, but I was ready to leave, and had to, because all I'd brought were my prescription sunglasses. Good night.

[plugboots]

Scotland
[ATTACH]56[/ATTACH]

[Rasputin]

I got up early today, and got down to the river for the trico hatch, there was also a hatch of what I think were hecubas.





I rigged a double dry with a #12 parachute Adams, trailed by a #18 of the same. I caught five or six little guys, this was probably the biggest of them.





I wasn't expecting much else, when suddenly, a big fish hammered the big fly, and I was treated to a lively fight by a beautiful rainbow around 16 or 17 inches in size, after which I got him to the net, and missed scooping it up. I brought him close a second time, and it came off the hook right at my feet. I was almost able to scoop it with my net, but didn't, and watched powerlessly as it very slowly swam away, NOOOOOOOOOO! Sadly, I was unable to hook any more decent sized fish, but did effectively tease one later by ripping the fly out of it's mouth, strong work Rasputin! Not.

[romeo tango]

Wallowa Lake
.


Wallowa River
.


pretty places to get skunked
.

[neckdeep]

Wallowa Lake
.


Wallowa River
.


pretty places to get skunked
.

Joseph, Oregon. What do you get when you have a beautiful, well planned mountain town without a ski resort? A retirement community where it feels like the average age is 70.

[romeo tango]

retirement community?
ranchers and ranch hands (the real deal)
outnumber the bourgeois retirees 100:1
.

[neckdeep]

Ya, that's definitely the vibe I got down in Enterprise. Joseph, on the other hand, seemed like a lot of healthy happy old folks who'd found the secret to retiring to a sweet mountain town on a modest pension. No ski resort.

[Rasputin]

I sat next to a woman from Joseph on the bus, when I went out to Oregon earlier this year. She was super cool, and had developed a business growing sprouts of various kinds. She had been traveling with her partner, and their vehicle broke down there. One of the retirees let them park their trailer on her property, and then eventually offered to sell them the lot on which she'd let them park, they liked the town so much that they bought in.

I got up early today; the days are getting shorter fast, and I am adjusting to getting up before it's light out to make the most of the disappearing daylight hours. Also, it puts me on the river for the trico hatch, which today was a frustration. The fish were rising muchly, but I couldn't interest them in anything I tied on. I didn't catch anything until it was over, and I switched to a chubby/Pat's dropper rig, both of which converted.

After catching the first fish of the day (below) on the chubby, I hooked and lost a couple big fish before catching a whitefish and two small trout.





I worked some water I had previously walked past, in a previous trip to "The New Place", and hooked up with a beauty of a rainbow, which waited until I got close to come off the hook, NOOOOO! Eventually I managed to land the big fish of the day (below) but it was smaller than the ones that got away. Oh well, at least later, I got to see a huge fish (it was so big, it was startling) surface ten feet in front of me, right next to my line.

[Underoos]

Got out with jcpm +1 yesterday. Colors were popping, a few fish were biting.

[Rasputin]

Dang, what an hudge 'bow. ^^^

Yesterday was my birthday, so I went fishing. Sadly, for much of the gorgeous day, I was unable to hook a fish, and so I was very excited when I hooked up on a strong fish in one of my go to spots, however as has been to often the case lately, it came off after a few seconds, which lead to a loud exclamation of disappointment. Finally, after losing a modest sized trout, I finally caught one, and was very relieved to do so, as I'd fished five hours with only a few takes, which included a couple smalls rising during the trico hatch.





A few minutes later I got a hit from a fish, that I thought at first was a monster, however when it came into sight I was shocked that a fish that size could pull so hard. She was barely 15", but the highlight of the trip, as I got no more action. It was certainly a beautiful day out, and I was in a generally good mood even though the fish were generally unwilling to be part of my birthday proceedings.

[lifelinksplit]

Happy birthday! Nice fish roos, that looks like fun water to row.

Went down near the MT/ID border to camp and fish with some hot springs action as well. Prob not he best idea to camp at a spot close to a rotting Moose carcass but didn't see any bears or wolves and dogs were happy chewing questionable pieces of said Moose. Played with some eager little brookies. Few bowhunters out but not many people off the beaten path.

Sent from my SM-S236DL using Tapatalk

[Rasputin]

That pic with the two dogs looking eagerly at the brookie is priceless. ^^^


As for my day, it started out with me slicing into the tip of my thumb as I cut up potatoes for breakfast. However, luck was with me, because, though I cut myself pretty good, we just happened to have those fancy end of finger Bandaids! So adversity met with providence.

I took my sweet time about getting out of the house, even though it was cloudy out, and imagined that the fish were rising like crazy, but I took the time to remove the skins from a crock-pot full of peppers I had cooked to make hot sauce, while listening to my beloved Grateful Dead. It was getting on toward 1 pm when I finally got out the door. Again I was blessed, when I remembered that I didn't have my camera before driving away. Alleluia, thank God for small miracles!

I took the overland route to the South shore of the stretch of river I fished on my birthday. About the time I got there, the sun came out, so I took off my long-sleeved shirt. Once I got out into the river, the sun hid behind the clouds, and the wind kicked up; I started getting cold as this was no gentle breeze, it held steady at 20 mph or so, with gusts up to 45 or more. My trucker cap suddenly was wholly inadequate to keep my head warm, and I began to get cold in spite of having donned both of the long-sleeved shirts I had with me.

I lost a large fish which broke off the purple Pat's (with pink legs) I'd bought out of the clearance section at Bob Ward's. Along with the coldness of the wind, losing the fish led me to become grumpy, so I howled and roared to directly express my emotional displeasure, rather than cursing, and I eventually caught a small trout (on the purple chubby chernobyl which I was using as an indicator for a black Pat's rubber legs). However the wind was still giving me fits, and I growled my displeasure. Then I caught a fine 13" trout, with a taste for black Pat's, and felt such profound gratitude for the God of fly-fishing (and the First Cause of creation) that I gushed "Thank you God" a dozen or more times. Adversity had lead to providence again! I sat down on the bank and had lunch, and my mood had turned from pessimism to confidence.



I was about done fishing that section, and threw into that last spot of softer water next to the head of the riffle, then bam, I became happier still when a fat she trout took a hold of my black Pat's and found her way into my net.





I called it good there, the sun had come back out, and though the wind persisted, I enjoyed looking up and appreciating why they call Montana "Big Sky Country".





Up river, when I hooked up in the "Big Bend" area, and saw a trout jump out of the water, the spray was caught in the sunlight, briefly creating a rainbow, which I thought was appropriate, as I thought it would be one of the large 'bows which I've caught there. Wrong! It was a brown trout, which I rarely catch. This one was so feisty that it jumped out of my net, leading me to attempt to re-scoop it, trip over a rock, drop my rod in the river, and watch the fish swim away. However the black Pat's held onto it, and I had my second 16"er of the day!





It was sunny skies, good times, and ridiculously high winds the rest of the day.





I headed back down the river. I felt blessed, and though it wasn't late, I decided to walk back down to where I'd started the day, and throw a few more casts before heading home. I stopped to admire the beautiful meadow along the way.





My heart was full as I lofted casts with the sun and wind at my back. I was enjoying it, not expecting any more fish, and as I got back to the head of the riffle again, I told myself, "One more cast." But, the chubby landed upside down, and ruined the last cast, so I was obligated to throw a good one, and it was so good that the biggest fish of the day grabbed the Pat's, and put up a mighty fight, before posing for a last pic.





Providence again! I am humbled by the good fortune granted by the God of fly fishing (who also kept me from getting shot, by the hunters who were repeatedly emptying their magazines nearby, at whatever poor creature takes five shots to kill).

[swimmy]

Cuttie water

[east or bust]

Caught while trolling a streamer behind the paddle board as it way too windy to try and maintain position while casting and stripping.



Felt kinda bad about keelhauling the first fish for what could have been a half mile, but it released just fine. The others took drag.