Big One (Fish) That Didn't Get Away

[VaTom]

Two days ago I decided to go up to one of the "tailwater" rivers here in SW Va. for some early fall trout fishing. The "regular" trout season in Va. is from October 1 - May 30th when rivers get cold and trout are stocked. There are several tailwaters where water is released from lakes and it stays cold all year.

In this particular river the rainbows and browns trout are generally tough to catch and the ones I have caught in the past are usually 14" or less. The Department of Game studies have shown massive trout in the tailwater rivers. Thursday I caught one! A 24" Male brown trout took a "girdle bug" stone fly imitation. Took a while to get it landed on a 5 wt fly rod. I have caught large Browns and Rainbows in Montana but never one this size in Va. A quick picture and he was released unharmed. No one was around so I couldn't get a picture of me and the fish together. What a day!

 

[billwill]

He's big enough to smack you a couple of times with that tail. Great catch. Can we ask which river you were fishing in without giving up the honey hole?

 

[Lee Barner]

he would look great on my grill. Lee

 

[Nevada Ed]

Nice C&R..............
had to be a surprise to get a hook into a fish that size in your area.
I hope you enjoyed every minute of the battle.

Looks like food in that stream is pretty scarice or that it nededs to move to another hole to find more goodies.

Well done.

 

[H Richard]

With a 5 Wt rod that took some careful handling! What to you guess the weight at?

 

[JET4]

Fine looking fish

 

[VaTom]

He's big enough to smack you a couple of times with that tail. Great catch. Can we ask which river you were fishing in without giving up the honey hole?

Jackson River in Allegheny County. Flows out of Lake Moomaw to Covington. Corp of Engineers built dam back in 1970s for flood control downstream in James River and about 20 miles remain cold during summer.

 

[VaTom]

With a 5 Wt rod that took some careful handling! What to you guess the weight at?

Had to be way over 6 lbs. From picture you can't tell how thick and
Wide he was. Using 4x tippet. I had taken a backup rod which was a 9 foot -6 weight which would have made it easier to land and I usually use it in that stretch just because I can cast it further.

Lost one last fall that I never saw after about a minute of fighting it. Once you lay into a big Brown Trout you know immediately. Pure muscle!

 

[fiasconva]

Are you going to mount him or eat him? I agree with how great he'd look on a grill if you aren't going to mount him.

 

[Czechvar]

Good of you to let him go…maybe he’ll have some big children…

 

[fiasconva]

Read right over the part where you released him. Ya dun gud!

 

[gregintenn]

That’s a beauty! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Chubbo]

Trout

Trout has never been my favorite game fish. They are great fighters, but seem like a mouthful of steel wool to eat. Their meat seems comparable to central Ohio’s red horse, or suckers.

I, much prefer, many other types of fish for meat. Fresh water Cat fish, pickerel/walleyed, bass, musky, and even carp. Some of Alaska’s great game fish, I favor are; Grouper, Salmon, and tuna, and halibut, to name a few.

Fresh water Bass, and muskies fight as hard as any trout,

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Beautiful fish. For a treat try wade fishing the chandeleurs and casting top waters for speckled trout. You ain't lived until you see one smack a lure two feet in the air and then nail it when it hits the water. One of the most vicious strikes for that size fish I've ever seen. Would LOVE to try to catch one on a fly but I already have enough fishing gear

 

[SS336]

Great fish, that would be a handful on a 5wt. Brown trout are the pettiest of the trout family, brook trout would be second, in my opinion.
It’s funny how big trout turn up in places you least expect them too. Would love to catch a 24” brown, best so far was 17” or 18” measured on my net.
Are you going to get a replica mount to commemorate the occasion?

 

[VaTom]

Great fish, that would be a handful on a 5wt. Brown trout are the pettiest of the trout family, brook trout would be second, in my opinion.
It’s funny how big trout turn up in places you least expect them too. Would love to catch a 24” brown, best so far was 17” or 18” measured on my net.
Are you going to get a replica mount to commemorate the occasion?

Think I will just savor the memory! The biggest brown I have caught was on the Madison River in Montana about 15 years ago. A 26" incher. First fish of the day on a float trip within 15 minutes of putting in. Have to always be ready for the unexpected.

Agree with the Brwon and Brook Trout being the pretiest. Artic Char are a member of the trout family and they resemble brook trout and are also a beautiful and hard fighting fish. Attached is a picture of a couple that I caught in Iceland last month. (I got away on a fishing trip during a cruise around Iceland with my wife.)

 

[dave holl]

Thanks for rekindling memories of standing in waist deep Little Manistee water waiting for the caddis fly hatch at dusk........and the browns rising to the hatch.

We'd release most, saving enough for breakfast. None were over 14", but were fun to catch on a light tippet.
As darkness fell, stumbling to the bank and finding a trail back to camp was a challenge.
Dave

 

[mtgianni]

he would look great on my grill. Lee

A friend spoke about watching an eagle swoop in and grab a 2 1/2 lb trout. I asked how he knew the weight? He told me he dropped it on the hood and grill of his blazer.