Sometimes the Fish Wins

The real reason we fish the Green River below Fontenelle is not for the scenery.  It is not to avoid the crowds or even to catch a ton of fish.  It is for the chance to catch a big brown trout of a lifetime, or at least hook into one.

At about 5:00 P.M. we drifted into the last stretch of river before the take out.  The truck and trailer were in sight.  We were on the far side of the river fishing a deeper run and Ryan decided to row back upstream to give us another shot at the stretch.  With my line still deep in the water as Ryan commenced to row upstream, I began to bring in the line.  Just then my line went tight and the hugest brown any of us had ever seen jumped clear of the water with my streamer in its mouth.  This was a huge male with a pronounced kype jaw and spawning colors.  The girth on this fish was amazing.  I thought to myself “this is what I’m talking about”.  This fish alone made the whole trip worth it.

Well, the next thing I know the fish is well into my backing.  He took me from one side of the river to the other.  After a long run upstream and another jump where we were able to be amazed by his size again, I got him somewhat near the boat and all the line on the reel, only to have him dart downstream and into the backing again.  After twenty minutes I admit my arm was getting sore.  This fish had to be tired also.  The next thing I know I see a ton of moss and weeds on the line causing a lot of pressure on the line but no line going out.  Could it be?  The fish must have run the line through the weeds and gotten the top fly, a leech imitation, caught in the weeds and managed to get loose.

What an experience, to have a fish of this size and beauty on for twenty minutes!  To have it jump clear out of the water twice so it could be seen.  To have it take me into the backing twice, run upstream, downstream and to both sides of the river.  The guide said this was the biggest fish he’d ever seen hooked in this river, upwards of 30 inches long.  This is why I keep going back to the river, for experiences like this.  I fought this fish perfectly and made no mistakes.  There is nothing I can look back on and say I should have done different.  Sometimes the fish wins.