Every now and then you get a chance to fish in places that are so amazing they stick with you for days after. Earlier this week I had a very rare weekday off and that combined with sister Jess being in town meant a day on the water. Throw in a free day for our friend Ken Stock and you’ve got quite a good day coming…
We talked about options and decided to head somewhere neither Jess or I had ever fished: the Big Hole. It really is a damn shame that living here now and growing up in the state I never made it over there to fish. Driven up the valley a couple of times, just never fished it. Ken gave us a choice: either do a lower float with people around and the chance to catch more fish, or go way up high where the scenery is better, theres no people, and the odds of bumping into that one big brown are better. We chose the latter.
I can hardly think of a more beautiful and peaceful float than that. In all, we spent damn near 12 hours on the river and caught seven or either fish. All but one of them brook trout, and the other a smallish rainbow. Jess and I both threw steamers all day after that one big one but to no avail. It’s easy to keep chucking the big stuff when you know the next cast could result in one of the biggest browns of your life… We all finished the day tired, sore, and very sunburnt. But man, what a day.
We didn’t find the fish we were looking for, but it was still one of the better days on the water I’ve spent this year. The views on that upper float are simply stunning. The quality of the water is unlike the other rivers have access to. And brook trout are just fun to catch, even when you’re hoping for a big brown. Jess and I haven’t had much chance to fish together lately, so it’s always nice to spend time with family. And any day with Ken on the water is a good day.
When you can appreciate and enjoy the days you don’t catch many fish just as much as the days you do, you’re doing it right.
