Personal best trout in 20 years

Greg Price · Jul 11, 2023

A Seattle mountain steam produced 15 inch rainbow for me on Saturday.

First time in this river this season. High water in off season destroyed some fav old pools wile creating new ones. Caught this fish in a new to this season pool.

There used to be more delicious runs when I started fishing this in about 1996. But the past 10 years it seems the river has flooded harder tearing away maybe 25 percent of the old ruffles, runs and wood debris with deeper holes.

I NEVER fished this steam subsurface. Most fish have succumbed to simple elk hair caddis, stimulators and orange or yellow dry flies. There are rumors of bigger fish, but never had one to hand.

Biggest fish before this one was 4 years ago and was a 12 inch cutthroat.

This fish is approx 15 inch rainbow.

Such a joy on 2 wr rod with 5x tippit. It actually took line, I had to palm the reel. It ran me up through rapids, tried to wrap me around river rock and made a b line or a root ball. After than screamed downstream through pool and attempted to forcd it's wat through taikout to next riffke and pool. I put the brakes on and landed it.
r a root ball. Then it turned downstream and tried to run through the taikout.

iveofione · Jul 12, 2023

Catching a bigger fish than expected in a tiny creek with a light rod is such a rush! Last year I caught a 17'' cutthroat in a stream where a 12'' fish is usually a giant. Sadly, many guys are so seduced by the lure of big fish that they completely overlook the joy of fishing tiny streams with ultralight fly rods. That's okay, that means more fish for us!

In 72 years of fly fishing I have caught thousands of fish of all sizes and types including some real monsters. But by far the most enjoyable fishing I do is on a freestone creek with a 2wt and a CDC elk hair caddis or parachute mayfly. Catching a brilliantly colored native West Slope cutt in a likely looking run is so satisfying, that is entertainment at the highest level for me.

Yard Sale · Jul 12, 2023

Beautiful fish! Those spots....

Brian in OR. · Jul 12, 2023

Nice fish!!!

joefromchicago · Jul 14, 2023

Some of my big fish/little water experiences.

Catching an 18" trout in the Chelatchie Prairie area of Canyon Creek. Was sure it was a whitefish until it was landed. Twas then I discovered the pocket my camera was in unzipped, shit! Later found out it had fallen out in my car, so that was good. And speaking of cameras and whitefish, while fishing the upper North Fork of the Lewis, I caught and landed one at least 3 pounds, probably closer to four, as Captain Insano is my witness. He has a blurry photo (Bigfoot school of photography, I know) of the incident.

Not to mention the time on the Bear River, again in the presence of the good Captain, when I hooked a 10+ pound chum salmon on a hare's ear nymph with a 7.5 foot 3 weight which is exactly as stoopid as that sounds.☺

Greg Price · Jul 15, 2023

iveofione said:
Catching a bigger fish than expected in a tiny creek with a light rod is such a rush! Last year I caught a 17'' cutthroat in a stream where a 12'' fish is usually a giant. Sadly, many guys are so seduced by the lure of big fish that they completely overlook the joy of fishing tiny streams with ultralight fly rods. That's okay, that means more fish for us!

In 72 years of fly fishing I have caught thousands of fish of all sizes and types including some real monsters. But by far the most enjoyable fishing I do is on a freestone creek with a 2wt and a CDC elk hair caddis or parachute mayfly. Catching a brilliantly colored native West Slope cutt in a likely looking run is so satisfying, that is entertainment at the highest level for me.

Small rod, Small fish, small unpressured streams, simple wading in shorts and wading boots my fav kind of fly fishing.

Seeing a native cutties shoot up in crystal clear water, hit small dry fly on way up, do a few barrel rolls or back flips in the air, then inhale the fly on the way down is priceless!!!

Ontheswing · Jul 15, 2023

Awesome, nice job!

Tom Butler · Jul 15, 2023

As I read your post I could see it in my head. I recall how animated you were in your pursuit of this one, up, down, round and round.

Greg Price · Jul 16, 2023

Tom Butler said:
As I read your post I could see it in my head. I recall how animated you were in your pursuit of this one, up, down, round and round.
View attachment 72993

Ha ha. Great memories with you on that stream.

Greg Price · Jul 16, 2023

Yesterday was different than last week. I entered the stream with high expectations. Sliver of moon, air temps mis to upper 80s.

Nothing. Nada for first three hours. Not even a LDR.

Fished 7 hours ended up with 3 fish to hand including a beautiful 7 inch cutties that jumped multiple times.

Felt blessed to be in crystal clear, cool water on blistering hot day!

Good afternoons over the years produced 25 plus fish to hand on same fishery