I hiked in along a cornfield for about fifteen minutes until I came to a pasture section. At one deep wide bend I decided to cross so I could cast from my right to the upstream pool. This pool had a nice big downed oak tree hanging in the water. Looks like a good place to hide. Yet as I crossed, it was like quick sand, I kept sinking in about two feet each time I made a step. I kept thinking this does not look ideal for trout.
Fishing crawlers I would catch one 3-5” chub after another on a #8 hook. I kept a few and chopped their heads. I threw on a weighted bobber set four feet down with a tiny split and a #2 hook connected to a 3” chub tail right below the dorsal fin.
My first cast upstream into the pool, to the left of the downed oak tree. My bobber is motionless. Not expecting much, I decide to drink some iced tea. All of a sudden out of the corner of my eye I see a small wake coming towards my bobber. My bobber does some light twitches then goes under. I count to four and do a light hook set tug to my right side. Fish on! She was pulling pretty nice. I could tell nothing huge but all of a sudden I see a silver and long figure. My first glimpse I though I had a northern pike. Interesting. Yet as I reeled her in and hoisted into the weeds I realized I had a chunky rainbow trout. Nice!
This sized rainbow HAS to be a holdover. That or it grew really fast since the hatchery truck dropped her off at the beginning of the season. Chunky and 14," she is one for the frying pan.
Thanks Bob. The cool thing is I set the hook early and got her lip hooked. It did It appeared she had been caught before as part of her jaw was torn. I think I got lucky too as my chub was not on the hook or in the fish's mouth. Or maybe it fell off during the battle.
One for the Frying Pan
