It’s that time of year where I like to reflect on my year in fishing (and just my year in general). Did I do what I wanted to do? Did I catch the fish I wanted to catch (and in the way I wanted to). What kind of trips did I go on with my family and what kind did I do solo? What do I want to do in the coming year and what kind of fish do I want to target?
But before we get to 2025, I ask you, what was your favorite fish of 2024? Your favorite trip? Details are fun, but if you’re not in the mood for an essay, a photo or two will do.
I’ll start.
My favorite fish(s) came towards the end of July while on a family canoe camping trip to a local(ish) lake. We were camping with good friends, their 3 month old baby, his Mom, and Sister’s family. I think there was 12 or so in total. I always bring my rod to this lake but I’v never spent any more effort than just trolling a leech behind the canoe for stockers for my kid to eat. Knowing this lake has a pretty healthy Hex hatch in July, I did grab a reel with a floating line and a box with some stimulators just in case. We drove out after work on Friday (we both work East Coast hours), canoed across the lake and met them all well before sundown. Said our hellos, set up camp, ate dinner and settled in for a fire-less camp (the fire ban had already been put into effect). The sun was setting and this was when I started noticing fish starting to rise in the little bay off of camp. I quickly grabbed my rod, rigged it with as big of a stimmy that I hard, grabbed my kid, a net and a couple cookies. We paddled out and proceeded to catch fish after fish on our “hex” patterns (re: stimmy). My kid was on net duty and she couldn’t have been happier. She was cackling like a monster the entire time, while yelling across the lake after each fish our running count of landed fish (every neighboring site heard this--we met a couple of the neighboring camps the next day
). It was so much fun to be out there with her, working together to catch fish. When we got back to shore, well after dark, she wouldn’t stop talking about how many fish WE landed. We ended up keeping (I think) 4 fish to cook for breakfast. We went out again the next night, this time with my friends nieces in another canoe and both the girls each caught a fish on dries and this was their first time casting a fly rod. The same chaos ensued with my kid yelling at the top of her lungs after each fish. It was a fun, memorable night for sure, something that will get me through the winter until next summer. Next, year, I'll have some more proper hex flies--thinking Scottp's carnage yellow spundun should do the trick.
So, what was your favorite fish/trip/story of 2024?
But before we get to 2025, I ask you, what was your favorite fish of 2024? Your favorite trip? Details are fun, but if you’re not in the mood for an essay, a photo or two will do.
I’ll start.
My favorite fish(s) came towards the end of July while on a family canoe camping trip to a local(ish) lake. We were camping with good friends, their 3 month old baby, his Mom, and Sister’s family. I think there was 12 or so in total. I always bring my rod to this lake but I’v never spent any more effort than just trolling a leech behind the canoe for stockers for my kid to eat. Knowing this lake has a pretty healthy Hex hatch in July, I did grab a reel with a floating line and a box with some stimulators just in case. We drove out after work on Friday (we both work East Coast hours), canoed across the lake and met them all well before sundown. Said our hellos, set up camp, ate dinner and settled in for a fire-less camp (the fire ban had already been put into effect). The sun was setting and this was when I started noticing fish starting to rise in the little bay off of camp. I quickly grabbed my rod, rigged it with as big of a stimmy that I hard, grabbed my kid, a net and a couple cookies. We paddled out and proceeded to catch fish after fish on our “hex” patterns (re: stimmy). My kid was on net duty and she couldn’t have been happier. She was cackling like a monster the entire time, while yelling across the lake after each fish our running count of landed fish (every neighboring site heard this--we met a couple of the neighboring camps the next day
). It was so much fun to be out there with her, working together to catch fish. When we got back to shore, well after dark, she wouldn’t stop talking about how many fish WE landed. We ended up keeping (I think) 4 fish to cook for breakfast. We went out again the next night, this time with my friends nieces in another canoe and both the girls each caught a fish on dries and this was their first time casting a fly rod. The same chaos ensued with my kid yelling at the top of her lungs after each fish. It was a fun, memorable night for sure, something that will get me through the winter until next summer. Next, year, I'll have some more proper hex flies--thinking Scottp's carnage yellow spundun should do the trick.So, what was your favorite fish/trip/story of 2024?
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