My last post of THE BIGGEST BROWN of life-time caused record-breaking accesses to this blog. Most blog readers know how hard & long I've been working on and finally the opportunity knocked. So "nice fish!", "good work!", that sort from those readers and people I know/meet in person (while fishing or not) are greatly appreciated.
However, it also stirred up something among some other kind of people. I've never done this before as I always try to keep my posts fun & professional. But I decided to make a statement for the first time (and hopefully the last) to buzz off these people, not to help them understand.
To review the situation first, now is the spawning time of brown trout along Yellowstone River. It's the known fact that some huge individuals enter tributaries and others can be seen in shallow riffles with gravel bottoms (same holds true in spring when rainbows spawn). All die-hard local fishermen, including myself, who are looking for "trout of the year" work very hard. And my persistence and perseverance were rewarded. My last post clearly and honestly depicts the whole experience. I guess one sentence caused some misunderstanding:
my streamers were found on her pectoral. But then again, if one reads through the whole post, it was still apparent that I had no idea whether I hooked her on her mouth or foul-hooked with streamers. The first fight ended up with breaking tippet and streamers were lost. Then I found her again just next to me, this time
I HAD HER EAT MY EGG FLY IN HER MOUTH. I brought her in and "
recovered my streamers that had been broke off a few minutes ago".
However those who left dirty comments on my blog (I deleted promptly) and a few local guides who's talking behind my back (I will discuss each below) took otherwise. I judge them that they just saw only my pictures and stirred up their imagination that I "snagged" it violently and furthermore "killed" it. Give me a break........ Now I have to judge them they are
illiterate backed up by their jealousy. Common problems for these are:
1. experienced & conscientious anglers will avoid foul-hooking, not to mention snagging, by any means as it's very hard to bring in and oftentimes ending up losing flies. While you are nymph-fishing, have a 14-inch whitefish foul-hooked itself? Probably they haven't fished enough even for that level. In other words, if snagging is the real intention, one should use much heavier rod and leader than 6wt & 2X!!
2. When fishing with streamers and large soft-hackles, even though trout come to take, they would miss somehow and often foul-hooked on pectorals. I doubt if they have known that. Again, no experience for that level.
3. Most importantly, they have no idea what was and what is going on at the creek. Now I'm not going to discuss ethics and personal beliefs here. However, if one fishes a lot, foul-hooking will happen. Even when I'm fishing with dry-flies, brookies and cutthroat keep attacking my dry-flies and hooking themselves somewhere other than their mouth. Is this unethical? Then talking about large trout that ready to spawn, how about fishing in Madison in Yellowstone Park? Those large trout from Hebgen Lake come up to spawn and people from all over the country come and challenge to take them. Then in much bigger scales, how about steelehead and salmon fishing? They swim up to freshwater to spawn and die-hard anglers work super hard to catch them. What is the difference? If one can be so sentimental about this, he/she should stop any kind of fishing. Maybe clipping off all barbs and points from flies work. Or just belong to Fish Rights Org or something and stay away from real fly-fishing.
For someone who tried to leave dirty comments "
anonymously",
stop being a "cyber angler" and be a real fisherman. If you don't like my blog, then why would you click?
For a few local guides who talk behind my back, those really are
JEALOUS BRATS. Regardless of number of years they've been (or they think they are) guiding, I call them "
WANNABES" as the politest term I can apply. These wannabes and I are in totally different league in terms of guiding and fishing. When was the last time they fished the creek? "Last time I drove through with my boss....a couple of years ago?", "Whenever I'm told to go there for a paycheck", etc., that's their level.
In fact I've seldom seen any guide-like local anglers fishing the creek as hard and late as in my level. They have to admit my trout is the exceptional one in Yellowstone River System but they can't admit the fact that someone else did it. If they had caught this size of trout (which they are not qualified), I can guarantee they would advertise "BIG FISH! Come here for fall-fishing!", like that (
READERS, BE AWARE!!). Other aspects they don't know are: as of the last week, large trout just started to enter the creek and
they were "staging" and "gaining some more weight" before they were "actually mating & spawning", which translate "there was NO REDDS". Furthermore,
so far even by now, I haven't found any eggs by stomach pumping from smaller trout = not many huge trout are actually spawning. Then streamers and eggs are legitimate trout food-sources!! And the last but not least,
NOBODY HAS FOUND THE DEAD BODY OF 10-LB TROUT IN THE CREEK FOR PAST 9 DAYS!! If that size of trout were to be dead in the creek, it wouldn't be washed away to Yellowstone River without being witnessed by anglers. That's because I didn't kill her instead properly released. To these WANNABES, come & find me if you've got some guts. If not, stop "
virtual guiding".
Now for all readers. Although I haven't lived or guided in Livingston for multi decades, I know Livingston's spring creeks still have strong aura, not just among visiting anglers from other states or countries, but also among local anglers and guides as well. Some local anglers are willing to pay to fish, while others just can't afford. That's fine. Also some guides love to guide spring creeks, while others totally stay away. Well, that's their business and has nothing to do with me. However, unfortunately because of the aura, those aforementioned "virtual anglers & guides" would develop the image of "gated community for rich anglers at secluded waters", which is totally wrong. Creeks are open to anyone who pay rod-fees and rod-fees are used so land-owners can maintain creeks and facilities. And then
I'm NOT RICH!! I worked hard all summer and saved money for Winter Pass!! I would imagine this must be another aspect that stirred things up. Now I could be the one who's speculating so I shut up. Case closed!!
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Sorry I did waste time of good readers and my writing. Now let's review the 2nd week of Winter Pass at DePuy's Spring Creek (
www.depuyspringcreek.com).
First of all, it's been exceptionally nice days in succession!! No winds at all. Bright warm sunny days up to upeer 60F!! It's simply nice to be outside. For this time of year, I just can't make one single report. I have to report separately: Fall-Runner & BWO (baetis) actions.
YES, More & more large "river-trout" are coming into system!! And I've been catching them constantly. I have caught many an 18-19" classes like;
There are many more pictures like this so I omit......
I haven't been connected with "20+" individuals much, not to mention nowhere close to
THAT one....... This is the one worth noting,
Solid 22-incher!!
As for flies, probably most anglers/readers would think of eggs and streamers, which I guess most anglers at the creek use. That's not wrong, and at certain spots and situations, they work well. But I have found out methods and flies that work for me the best.
My rosters are:
Bead, Hare, & Copper by Parks' Fly Shot tyer Matt Minch (
www.parksflyshop.com).
And long-time proven
Beadhead Prince
The last but not the least, my own
B.P.C. (Bead. Pheasant. & Copper.)
Remember these runner-trout we are talking have just come up to the creek out of depth and rapids of Yellowstone River. When weather is nice for anglers with bright sunny conditions, they tend to shy away from shallow spots. They'll hide and rest in deeper spots and wait for cloudy weathers and/or dark hours before they make moves. Then beadhead nymphs may not sound like typical flies for spring creeks........sometimes they are and other times they aren't. Remember again, those trout have just entered the creek from the River.......... Read the water and situation then fish accordingly. At the end of line.............there might be another Monster.......
To be continued to BWO(baetis) actions!
