First fish for 2023

Pez Vela · Jan 16, 2023

First fish for the new year, and first time I’ve seen the backing in awhile! Only problem is it’s all downhill from here… I may catch more, but doubt they’ll be as big. Great fun on a 4wt bamboo fly rod…

Irafly · Jan 16, 2023

Kenneth Yong · Jan 17, 2023

Irafly said:
PIG!

On a 4wt bamboo! Thumbs up all around.

Thanks for sharing,
Kenneth

Bambooflyguy · Jan 17, 2023

Wow! What a beast....way to go! Permanent set in that bamboo rod?

dep · Jan 17, 2023

super nice. that's a pig for sure

Pez Vela · Jan 17, 2023

Bambooflyguy said:
Wow! What a beast....way to go! Permanent set in that bamboo rod?

Haha…. no set, but I did terrible things to the rod! It’s a Payne 100 (Stone blank) .. and it’s getting use to my abuse.

Bambooflyguy · Jan 17, 2023

Does your 100 have super thin tip sections? Mine does.....but I’d still wrestle a pig like that with it!

Pez Vela · Jan 18, 2023

Bambooflyguy said:
Does your 100 have super thin tip sections? Mine does.....but I’d still wrestle a pig like that with it!

I haven't measured it, but think the tip is a 4.5.... sweet casting rod I made 10-15 years ago, and still one of my favorites. Thought I might blow it up on this fish, but kept the tip down and played her off the reel. Only issue was my net was too small.. so kicked to the beach to tail her. (where's the gaff when you need it?!?) I released her none the worse for the wear.

clarkman · Jan 18, 2023

Ooof, my first of 2023 was this sad little whitefish....

Somewhere between 10 and 20 was this nicer specimen....

A bit north of that came one of a few of these....

I'd call it a helluva nice day on my trout ditch.

Matt B · Jan 18, 2023

clarkman said:
Ooof, my first of 2023 was this sad little whitefish....
View attachment 50559

Sad? Sad, you say?

This is the defiant eye of a pissed off invertebrate-killing machine! No sad little fish here. A noble fish is the shortfin grayling.

Islander · Feb 11, 2023

With all the local lakes still iced over I decided to give the river that runs alongside town a try. Found several fish stacked up in a bend sipping bugs off the surface. I’m not much of a river fisherman but I was able to get a few to slurp my bwo and start the year off on a high note.