Particularly Memorable Takes

Mine wasn't so much memorable because of the take itself, but more for the time in my life that it happened.

Going on 10 years ago, my mom died suddenly. My daughter was only 6 months old, her mom was wholly unsupportive of me, and basically I was just racked with grief and doing everything I could to just keep moving and providing for the family. I went through the motions of my hobbies; like going to play soccer because I knew it was good for me, not because I actually wanted to.

About 2 months after her death, I got 3 days free and decided to go fishing and car camping at Lewiston Lake/Trinity River in CA. I spent two fruitless, very cold days fishing for steelhead with no luck and I was not having fun. I decided to focus on Lewiston Lake on the third day. I foudn a trail at the top of the lake next to a small tributary. There was a dry spot to stand in the sun, and so many rainbows stacked up behind this tributary that it was silly. I caught and released maybe 30 fish that day without even moving.

But as far as the take goes, a pontoon boat came trolling by and they asked me if I was fly fishing. They went on to say that nobody fly fishes in Lewiston Lake (not true) and I'm probably wasting my time. They weren't being dicks or anything, just probably had a few and were just chatty and surprised. But BOOM! Indicator goes down and I'm immediately in to my backing with a fat 18" rainbow, right in front of these two guys who didn't think you could fly fish there.

It finally felt like everything was going to eventually be okay. I'll always remember that fish.
 
The take that is permanently burned into my brain involved a two-hander, a boulder garden with lots of broken water, a Paulson's Titanic, and an angry summer run steelhead.
I love fishing topwaters in "non-traditional" water, especially rapids and boulder gardens. The fish get a very small "eat / don't eat" decision-making window, and when they decide they wanna eat that little annoying thing rippin' across the broken surface, the results can be spectacular. This particular take was a fish that came out of a tiny depression in the bumpy, foamy water, and came about 3 feet out of the water on its follow-through. I was standing hip-deep, and the fish was over my head at the top of its arc...
Never gonna forget that one.
 
One other memorable take, but nothing to do with my skill.
I hiked through the woods and come out at the head of a nice run. Super skinny water that drops off an edge into the deep water at the head of the pool.
I unhook my fly (from the hook keeper ;) ) and pull out some line. I toss my fly in the water and get really to cast. My fly landed in the skinny water and floated down over the lip into the deep water. I lift my rod up for my first false cast and as I watched my fly rise up towards the surface a nice 25” bull trout comes up and just inhales it. No casting involved but seeing the take was sure fun. I need more eager fish like that.
SF
 
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Was letting my foam waker hangdown in the slackwater of an Idaho steelhead river one October day, watching my fishing buddy casting a couple hundred yards below me. I noticed something like a leaf in the water directly downstream of my fly, and it appeared to be moving. I watched for awhile and realized it was a dorsal fin. Just as I was wondering what the heck a Steelhead would be doing in 1-2' of slack water it sped up and took my fly! It turned and ran out into the deeper water and eventually I landed and released a wild 37" buck. Crazy!
 
It was a fairly bright day out on the Madison, kinda early fall, and I switched on a 3 inch brown/white bucktail streamer that I had tied. Being fairly new to tying, I was like Why the hell not? From the bank, I cast across and let it drift, and then I started stripping it back towards me. During the retrieve, a guide boat was floating by and the guide and I had locked eyes. Almost immediately after we lock eyes, a feel a WHAM through the rod and I see a trout literally 8 feet straight in the air! This fish must of been so upset about another fish in the vicinity that it must of had a running start to smack it away! It didn't get hooked, but still, it was the most explosive hit I have ever felt on a rod. So cool
 
I have a lot of memories of hopper takes on the Bitterroot in September. Water clarity is always high and you see the fish come right up to the fly- very easy to set too soon. I had a few fish jump out of the water and take it going down. September hopper fishing is good stuff.
 
Travis Bille said:
Mine wasn't so much memorable because of the take itself, but more for the time in my life that it happened.

Going on 10 years ago, my mom died suddenly. My daughter was only 6 months old, her mom was wholly unsupportive of me, and basically I was just racked with grief and doing everything I could to just keep moving and providing for the family. I went through the motions of my hobbies; like going to play soccer because I knew it was good for me, not because I actually wanted to.

About 2 months after her death, I got 3 days free and decided to go fishing and car camping at Lewiston Lake/Trinity River in CA. I spent two fruitless, very cold days fishing for steelhead with no luck and I was not having fun. I decided to focus on Lewiston Lake on the third day. I foudn a trail at the top of the lake next to a small tributary. There was a dry spot to stand in the sun, and so many rainbows stacked up behind this tributary that it was silly. I caught and released maybe 30 fish that day without even moving.

But as far as the take goes, a pontoon boat came trolling by and they asked me if I was fly fishing. They went on to say that nobody fly fishes in Lewiston Lake (not true) and I'm probably wasting my time. They weren't being dicks or anything, just probably had a few and were just chatty and surprised. But BOOM! Indicator goes down and I'm immediately in to my backing with a fat 18" rainbow, right in front of these two guys who didn't think you could fly fish there.

It finally felt like everything was going to eventually be okay. I'll always remember that fish.
Click to expand...
 
My most memorable takes are when you are drifting a big chubby down a nice seam and then you see a large shape turn and start chasing it down and then the fish just slowly sips it from behind. It feels like an eternity watching the fish chase it down although it can just be like 4 seconds. So cool.
 
decades ago, found 'Frank's hole' on the N Santiam. a large shelf on the opposite side and a pretty good cast needed. the most perfect greased line hole you could ever want to fish. steelhead would rise from the shadow of the shelf and gently suck in your fly. remember, in greased line fishing you don't set the hook. had to wait for the fish to turn and the line to tighten on it's own. nerve wracking but just fun to watch in the gin clear summer waters. i have to wonder if there are any steelhead left to swim to that location. memories are best left alone so i am not going to go check.
 
Years ago on Lone there was a bomber hatch in the rain, a swallow picked up my lady maconnel and dropped it back, a neb poked out the water and gently sipped it down, I lighly set the hook and a 20’ fish leaped 3” straight up in the air like a Polaris missile. It was awesome, I laughed out loud and still smile to myself thinking of that fish.

Dave
 
Lone lake used to have one of the most amazing midge hatches I’ve ever fished! It was as close to the famous Hebgen gulpers videos I watched. The rainbows would eat 4-5 In a line....cast your fly hopefully where it’s next munch would be.....hold your breath and if lucky/correct a big head would come up and slurp your fly! My best day there was 44 sight casting #18 midge emergers! Sorry guys, this was years ago.
 
Yeah the hatches in the spring are not the same now. Hopefully with the grass carp gone and the larger aquatic plants growing back with a vengeance things might return to what they were once like. In July I did catch my first fish on a dry mating damsel about 1’ off the tules at the north end which was also really awesome but the water was toasty and I just dragged it in.

Dave
 
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i have never seen a midge hatch as intense as on the Missouri below Holter dam. it looked like a cloud of smoke rising from the water going upward. was coming out of the heavy weed growth so basically impossible to present a fly into that maelstrom of insects. had to see it to believe it...
 
Came to Montana about 40 years ago to do some fly fishing. Was with my BIL. We both got the 10 day license and cheated the first day. It didn't go into effect until the next day but we couldn't wait. We camped up high on Rock Creek. I watched the Caddis hatches. They were like clouds on the water. The trout leaping high to catch the bugs in flight.. It is a sight etched in my memory. I still think of it and it brings a smile to my face
 
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