Brown Trout 5, James 0

[fishfreak]

I've been trying to catch this one brown trout that has been consistently rising in about a foot of water. The problem is that it's tough to get into casting range, and half the time I do, I spook it with the little ripples I make. The other half of the time I get a few casts in, and then it stops rising. Yet, I keep coming back for more. When I have an hour to kill in the evening, I keep going back there, and he keeps rising, but I walk away defeated. I should keep searching for other rising fish, but this elusive one keeps drawing me back.

 

Am I just a glutton for punishment?

[darrinhurst]

Just the thrill of the chase my friend.

 

Keep at er!

[Hawgstoppah]

If it makes you feel any better I chased a particular rainbow on the Crowsnest for literally years. I even had a name for it. "Iron Lips". If I was lucky enough to stick it (4 times) it shook the hook without seconds. I had people I took to this fish hook it a total of 16 times. I fished for it well over 200 times over 3 to 4 years I would say.

 

The score?

 

0 for 20..... We never did get it landed. All but ONCE the fish was off within 3 seconds, the other fight lasted 15 minutes and about 500 yards of river and right almost at the net it just popped off, and winked at us as it slinked back into the deep.

 

Through the grapevine I heard someone had landed it.. and it was even larger than I guessed it to be (and I thought around 28-29 inches).

 

So enjoy your time trying to catch this fish James and enjoy the defeats too... tip your hat to the fish when it screws off on your first cast, and when you finally do catch it... you'll have a great moment!!!

[SilverDoctor]

Encountering "that fish" is always an interesting exercise. I ran into one brown on a downtown stretch that kept me busy for a while last year. Drifted a bunch of things over him without a nudge. I took some time and instead of fishing for him studied him with binoculars for hours. In his particular case it took a very long leader, custom tied emerger and an awful lot of patience. It was between him and me. Funny thing was when I did pinch him and get him to net I never tried for him again. I guess I reached my goal with that fish and he deserved not to be bothered. It's actually really nice to get on a bit of personal ground with a particular trout. Many of the guides will tell you of a particular trout that they may target. It's figuring out the hows' and why's. Take some time to watch not only the fish but what is happening where he is.

[fishfreak]

This fish is also in the downtown area, and while there are other fish in the run doing the more splashy takes, this one very casually sips. It has been consistently rising within a 10' radius at around the same time of the evening, generally when the daytime highs are in the 20s (like last night). I've definitely been enjoying watching the fish, as it has risen for caddis, spinners, ants, and noseeums. I've been doing a lot more watching/searching this year than before, and also have found more rising browns than ever before, which is probably tied to the watching bit. It's amazing how many large fish are above the weir. I'll need to come up with a name for this fish...

 

Maybe my 4x is too heavy and I need to go lighter and longer. I know last night I was well hidden - wearing black (at sunset) and right behind a bush (coming at it from the other side). If I had binoculars, surely someone would have thought I was a peeping tom.

 

I should have thrown a Klinkhammer at it, eh?

[bigbowtrout]

I think you need a spotter and a good net man. What time should we meet up?

[SilverDoctor]

Shhhh....

 

It's amazing how many large fish are above the weir. I'll need to come up with a name for this fish..

 

I should have thrown a Klinkhammer at it, eh?

 

[monger]

I've had similar "tests" with giant lake fish eating emerging chironomids on the bottom of the surface film. It is so satisfying to finally present a fly that fools your quarry. These hunts are way more fun than blindly hucking worms in good looking water.

[bchampion]

ahhh..the hunt for "that" fish. I've been there. Watching, waiting, trying, cursing. Makes it fun when you try for that elusive fish. Frustrating but fun.

[FraserN]

I keep trying for this big Brown trout on a flat up in the Bowness stretch of the bow. He is incredibly elusive, and the flat is very long and wide. Last time I saw him was last year, when I finished fishing into the darkness. I waded to shore and shone my light down, seeing him right near my boot. I pulled my streamer past him, but of course he just swam away. He is about 24 inches long and very unusually colored. Lots of little black spots, no red ones I could see. Big ugly male head with hook-jaw. Not the biggest fish in the river, but still large and almost impossible to catch. I tried for him again last night, and managed to get my biggest rainbow trout of the year so far out of the Bow at 19 inches on a huge streamer designed for big browns. Not a bad consolation prize, but not what I am after. I don't know if I will ever catch him, as the larger browns in this stretch of the bow that are local fish are super tough to catch.

[Saltamontes]

I know the feeling, Phil is proven almost impossible to get a hook on. I have seen people cast to him for hours and have yet ot see him caught. J - LO is just impossible to catch, she rises in the same spot night after night, one of these days I'll get to the other bank and I should get a shot at her. BTW, Phil was named that after watching a fishing buddy cast to him for over 1 1/2 hours one day and then another hour the next, I told my buddy, another 5 mins of that and we'd have to take you to Dr. Phil for some counselling. J - LO is got her name due to where she rises and how hard it is to get to her, I figure I have as much of a chance of getting my hands on J - LO as I do of getting my hands on that fish, thus her name.

[Jayhad]

I feel you, all summer I have been chasing a fish a few of us call Duck-eater(for obvious reasons) i've hooked him twice, both times I've seen the knot that fastens my backing to the spool..... it's the chase, I feel I will be left with a longing if I land Duck-eater waiting to be filled by another adversary of such troutiness