Mammoth Creek Brown

[Ifishinxs 0]

I got a late start off to the creek. I had to run some errands and make a stop at Circle Valley Fly shop here in town to pick up a few new floro leaders and talk some fishing..After that I was pumped and ready to go..

 

I tied up a Olive wooly Bugger and added about 20 wraps of .20 lead to keep it down in the current before I took off..

 

I pulled my truck right down to the creek side and got rigged up to start my walk down stream and it wasn't long and I was picking off some rainbows in the 10 to 15 inch range and having a good time..

 

Then I see the old guy on his Atv that I see almost everytime I fish the creek. He is usually leaving as I am pulling in, so we trade info each time we meet.. This time I was fishing a pool and he comes cruising over on his Atv with big grin on his face and asks me how the fishing is...I said "pretty good so far" and as I say this, I set the hook on another Rainbow..As I'm releasing my fish the Guy walks over to his Atv and lifts out a white towel wrapped around the biggest Brown trout I've ever seen in person..It was a big female that went 24" and weighted about 3lbs..Just a freaking Pig.

 

I asked where He caught the fish and he points to the spot in front of my truck.. yeah, I saw a few nice fish in that spot Saturday and lost a nice one when my tippet broke..

 

I contined to fish up and down the creek for an hour or so. Then it happened..I added a split shot to my wooly bugger, then made a cast into a deep run right above the big pool where the 24" fish came out off..

 

I let the fly sink next to an underwater ledge, made two short quick strips and my line goes tight and I set the hook..Holy crap this Brown comes clear of the water and straight back to the bottom of the pool, then runs up stream on me, then back down the stream and does a nice roll right in front of me trying to dislodge the hook, this is when I finally get a good look at the fish.

 

My first thought was OH NO, this never happens to me and what is going to break to turn this into another one that got away story..This fish is a pig and I had to move down stream to area where I could get to the fish. So I start to lead the fish down stream and It makes a bee line under the bank. Oh, Crap, but I keep constant pressure on the fish and it turned back out into the open water...I finally slide the fish over out the current into the eddy at my feet and grab the Brown in the lower Jaw and He was mine...Whew!

 

I always said if I ever caught a Brown Trout this size it was going off to be mounted. I layed the fish in the grass for a few moments and realized how beautiful this fish was and how many years it had been swimming in the rivers and creeks to attain this size. ( 23 inch male hook jaw )This was my personal best Brown and I couldn't bring my self to kill it...So back he went into the creek and swam off to live another day. It was almost a spirtitual moment as watched that big trout swim away..

 

I'll be back up to Mammoth creek in few days and maybe I'll be lucky again..

[Piker20 0]

Great story. Well done on releasing the fish. When you remember your first big brown, the day will only be sunnier, the water a bit bluer and you will be happy knowing the fish still lurks in there.

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

way to go on the brown and the release is just another good point with the trout gods

[boutdoors 0]

Great report, Haven't one gotten that big yet. On the opener in Hot Creek a big Brown hit my #12 Pheasant Tail but he broke off after jumping up and spitting out the hook. Maybe someday.

Robert