Leaving every shred of evidence out of the story, I will attempt to give a play by play of my Saturday. I was fishing a small stream picking up the usual 4-12 inch fish enjoying the peace that only a lonely overcast day on a small stream can truly bring. After a dozen fish attacked the tan mini-hopper, I snipped off the small dropper that I had tied on, and enjoyed small stream trout actively feeding on the surface.
I caught a really nice 14 inch brown and had mentally checked it off as the fish of the day but figured I would fish up a little farther, before checking out another stream. A good size boulder sat off to the side of a pool not much bigger than a kitchen table and although the pool was small the deep hole under the rock was dark and deep. Crouching, I flipped the fly and drifted the back of the pool and pulled one small fish. Normally one fish will spook the pool but I rolled the fly to the head of the seam and as it swirled, a big head sipped the tan bug from the surface.
The fly rod doubled over and the fish went to the bottom. He stayed there for a bit and then tested the walls of his small home but found nowhere to go and with such a large body could barely maneuver. With no where to run, jump, or pull I put a net under him that was no where near able to fit him. I pulled the camera, snapped two pictures and quickly put him back.
From the pictures, you can tell this old boy has been sitting under that rock for a long time, eating bugs and getting fat. I do not expect to find another fish like that anytime soon, although I know they exist in just about every stream. I was lucky and I know that. After I let him go, I sat for about 15 minutes and let my legs stop shaking. I fished the rest of the day, but it was pretty halfhearted after such an unbelievable morning.
Schweet.
Lucky indeed…that is one lovely brown!
AWESOME
not only is it of beautiful dimensions, the spot pattern is beautiful. do you have any estimate of length? weight?
Thanks everyone.
Ivan, In my mind as I played him to the net, I decided that I could either take a picture of him or dig around in my pack for the tape. I chose the pic. Looking at my fly rod, I’m fairly sure he broke the 20 inch mark. I’m a terrible judge of weight and have no idea where to even start. He was a fat old fish that’s all I know. Biggest Arizona fish and biggest brown I’ve ever landed. I’m still on cloud nine.
Ben
butt of the reel seat to end of handle should be 10″.
if that’s the case the fish may be a mite shy of 20″ based on the pic and the fact that the lips are short of the rod butt. mere speculation on my behalf and nevertheless a fine fish. he looks prehistoric.
Could be. I really need to mark my fly rod.
Great fish Ben, it’s good to see there are still monsters in the wild
Awesome brown Ben! Unique spot pattern on him also. It doesn’t get any better than that!
Small stream catch of a lifetime…
Thanks guys. It certainly was a great way to end the summer.
Ben
Big fish come to the dedicated angler that puts in hours on his local streams. Congratulations on reaching that coveted place amoung fly fishermen: “The guy that caught the big one!”
Thanks for the kind words Eric. Glad to see you’ve been getting the TEV out and doing some fishing yourself. Can’t wait to get back up there to Oregon…
Ben
That is awesome– really crazing coloring and proportions– what a beast.
That is one awsome brown Ben, I havn’t seen any fish that big all summer.
Thanks guys. It truly is amazing what is hiding out in those streams…
Ben
wow. that definitely looks like an old fish. It looks kyphotic, like a 80 year old grandma, bent and doubled over. in small streams too, wow.
Thanks David. Definitely was an old fish and I was glad to fool it. I still don’t know how it was living in such a small little pool…
Ben