Bonus Fish On the Way Back

After fishing for a couple of hours and I’m on my way back to the car I will often quickly fish the holes where I had caught fish on my first past through.  Wednesday I was fishing with Jon.  We had caught a few nice fish and we were a ways upstream from where we parked.  It was about time to head back.  So that we would have time to quickly hit the good spots on the way back, we started back a few minutes early.

By now those holes we fished earlier should be well rested and the fish eager to feed again.  I call these fish we catch on the way back bonus fish.  We have already fished the entire stretch we intended to fish so everything we catch on the way back is just a bonus.

Back at the first hole where we had caught a few fish an hour or two earlier,  I quietly approached.  I cast up into the current somewhat closer than where the best spot is located.  I do this just in case a huge brown is feeding in the shallows like they typically do this late in the evening.  I didn’t get a strike on the first cast, so I cast a little further out.  On my third or fourth cast, sure enough, I get a nice strike.  This is the bonus fish. Jon hustled downstream with the net so after fighting the fish a couple minutes I coaxed the fish toward the shore and Jon was able to net it.  It was a beautiful brown.  What a great way to end the day, with a bonus fish.