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5.75LB Brown Trout on the Fly Rod


foolforjesus

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After not making it up to the mountains for a couple of weeks due to moving house, I was keen as mustard to get back up there today, to have a crack at the mighty Trout!

I was all the more encouraged after reading GregL's post "Mountain Mission", and couldn't wait to get fishing at Thompson's Creek dam.

With a spring in my step, I made it up to the Eastern bank of the dam wall at around 7:30am. The conditions were great for me, no wind and warm. However, with the dam looking mostly like a mill pond, the conditions were not as great for the fishing I suspected.

I fished for a couple of hours with not a touch or follow. There was quite a few fish rising, more than I usually see, however they were out of casting range.

I walked round the Eastern bank, fishing the bays and drop off's with not a fish in sight. The initial excitement was beginning to fade, but as I've said before, TCD can seem a hard water at times, you just have to persevere with what you know works.

I was getting near the point of no return, either continue walking round the dam, or make my way back, and walk along the dam wall and fish the Western bank. I decided to do the latter.

As I made my way over the dam wall, I could see a few fish moving close into the bank, feeding. It was an awesome sight to see some trout feeding, chasing after their food, turning and exposing the white of their mouths as they fed...Awesome.

I finally made it round to one of my favoured spots on the western bank. There were no fish moving, so I gave the lure rod a go. Within minutes I had a good looking trout follow me in to the bank, which was the first bit of action all day. I was beginning to feel encouraged again.

By this time, it was around 1pm. I continued with the lure rod for another 15 minutes or so, but had nothing more. I decided to focus back on the fly rod, as I knew that under these conditions, it now being in the high 20's, that the fly was my best bet.

I also much prefer fly fishing, although I do have a new found appreciation for lure fishing with a spin rod, and do enjoy it.

Since discovering the method of fly fishing with a "Strike Indicator", I have been unable to find one that you can see clearly in the water, that doesn't take on water and sink.

I have tied my own, but I didn't use the right yarn, so they took on water also.

I decided to fish today for the first time with a New Zealand style of indicator. I tied a big visible bug direct to my tapered leader. Then tied my fluorocarbon tippet direct to the bend of the hook on the bug fly, and tied on my nymph to the end of the tippet.

I must say it worked a treat, with the fly staying afloat, with no visibility issues either.

At around 1:25pm, I cast out my nymph and let it dead drift with what little breeze there was.

Within 30 seconds the bug went under, I struck, and was on.

It felt like a good fish, staying down deep. I could tell that it was a mighty Thommo's brown, with the characteristic deep lunges. After a minute or so the fish broke the surface for the first time, and it looked big, I was pumped, the fly rod had paid off, and what a buzz to hook up with such a magnificent fish.

The fish gave a cracking account for itself, making several deep runs, using its weight to power away from the bank. I managed to get it close a couple of times, only to have to let it swim back out, not wanting to bully the fish to the net.

The location where I was fishing was on a deep drop off. My usual net had broken, so I had been using my small net. Good job I fixed the old net last night, as there would have been no chance of landing this fish. My old net handle extends to around 5 metres, so is perfect for these types of steep banks.

After I would say a 10 minute battle, the fish was in the net, barely I might add lol.

Due to being on my own, I could only get a photo of the fish. After a couple of photo's, and weighing the beauty, I got my feet wet to make sure she was revived well before releasing.

The brownie came in at 3.1KG (6.8LB) Minus the net, makes it my best Brown Trout to date on the fly rod at 5.75LB

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After a tough day with only the one take, I walked away feeling exhausted, but pleased that I didn't lose sight of the goal.

Can't wait to get back again to Good ole' Thommo's!

Edited by foolforjesus
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Thanks bassboy888, it gave the best fight I've had actually from a Brown Trout.

They really are a different fish to catch to Rainbows.

It stayed deep, and when it did come up, it headed back down and motored back out away from the bank!

The fly I used was a green gold bead head nymph.

Green flies really are the go at Thommo's.

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Hi Stewy, I've just weighed my net on the digital kitchen scales, and they actually weighed 500 grams! More than I thought they weighed.

So the actual weight of the fish was more like 5.75LB.

Apologies raiders for my hasty judgement. It pays to weigh your net on digital scales I've learnt!

Sorry for the mix up, but I would rather the weight be accurate, if the fish is indeed close to the current Fishraider record.

Here are a couple of photos of the rod with the tape measure.

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post-21553-000336100 1329655441_thumb.jpg

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After blowing the pictures up and using my tape measure I get 64cms which would be a tie on fly

Too close to call.

Any of our members wanna come up with a measurement for us.

Cheers Stewy

Hey Stewy, when I measured it up using the rod handle as a guide I get about 66 cm. In saying that though, 66 cm is only a best estimate because the numbers on the tape aren't in focus so I can't be 100% sure of the handle length. If we could get a good picture of the rod handle with the tape measure right next to it in focus so we can read the numbers then we should be able to get a length that's fair and reproducible. With what we've got it's too much guess work to be fair to the current record holder.

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Nice fish Chris!

Great capture on the fly.

We had a tuff time out there on Saturday as well. I didn't land a fish till 3/4 of the way back to the car!

Richard got one on first cast of the day but then didn't get another till lunch. We ended the day with 11 or 12 fish.

The minnow still was the lure of choice for us but I did bust off on a fish when my fly line got caught up on a shrub at my feet. Doh!

It was a crazy day weather wise, rain, hail n shine. Freaked me out with the storm above, ran under a little tree trying to find some sort of shelter and see a big iron rod sticking out of the ground propped up against the tree.

Do I stay or just harden up and take on the hail?

Greg

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Hi Greg, wow you still had a good day with the minnow. I got some actually, but had no joy. I'll try them next time.

I actually was leaving when the the storm was coming over.

I almost made it back to the car when it down poured, so I ended up getting soaked about 100 meters from the car lol!

There was a few 4x4's pulling up as I left, was that you?

Maybe next your up we could catch up.

I go up most Saturdays.

Cheers, Chris

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Greg- just realized you were there early as well, shame we didn't bump into each other...Or did we???

We were just behind you as you made your way down the east side. We did the short cut up through snake country before the temps got to warm.

MIne was the silver car next to your green machine??

Greg

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Ahh yes, I remember! I was going to continue walking round, but thought I would make my way back and go over to the Western bank, which resulted in the Brownie.

Mine is the maroon car. I think I've seen your car there many times before, if its the one I'm thinking of. I'll keep my eye out for you in future :thumbup:

Edited by foolforjesus
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great fish man, if the handle is 29cm from what i can measure with me pencil and a strip of paper the same length as the rod butt it looks just under 2.5 time the length of the butt so im thinking 70cm is pretty fair from what i can see.

again well done mate i just bought my first flyrod actually and am learning how to use it now,

what weight rod were you using?

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Hi hooked up, thanks, it was a cracker of a Brown Trout, and thanks for your feedback on the length.

I was using a 6wt Greys rod.

Stick at it mate with the casting, don't be afraid to give it some so to speak.

My Dad taught me 25 odd years ago the secret to fly casting.

Imagine 10pm and 2pm on a clock face...They are the angles you want to achieve with your casts.

Your back cast stops at 10pm, and your forward cast stops at 2pm.

Good luck mate & tight lines!

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thats one of those subs you see cruisin around like its his dam, theres some good fish in there hey? thats a top effort mate, i couldnt even picture how that fight would have been as i have never used the long wand before, something i might have to get into another chapter in the book. how many times you go up there and all you see blowing into or already ontop of the water are those little bugs you described yellow underbelly/ green back? are they the gun feed or do they dodge em?

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Hi ddaniel, Thanks mate :thumbup: It was a great fight, it stayed deep, then just wouldn't give up. Totally different to a rainbow though. I hooked one bigger a month or so ago on the fly, it shot out of the water like a rocket, then swam hard left into a submerged bush! I couldn't stop it, at least i didn't want to risk it.

It looked around 7LB if not bigger. I could see it in the water where it got tangled, but it was too deep.

I had to snap the line. It got out eventually. Shame!

I landed a rainbow last year up at Thommo's, 5.5LB, which took me to the backing line 3 times!!! The best fight I've ever had from a Trout!

I try to get up to Thommo's once a week. I never usually do any good off the top with dry flies, although if you match what their feeding on, then you will do well.

Sub surface, or 1-9 foot down with a nymph works really well. Green always seems to work.

Different with spinning lures though...They seem to take any colour.

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