Trekking for Trout 5-30-09

Jesse and I departed from New Sharon early, 5 a.m to be exact, a 3.5 mile hike stood between us and a morning of native trout and salmon glory.

After a 2 hour drive we arrived at our bushwhacking point of departure, we forded the main stem, and slogged for 3.5 miles through over-grown logging territory to our remote fly fishing only destination......these fish simply don't see very many flies.

Moments after our arrival, Robbins was tight.....

Native Brook Trout after Native Brook Trout came to net on dry flies and the occaisonal nymph......
A few Salmon were in the mix, holdovers from last fall's spawning run or simply residents of this small gem of a stream.

40+ trout and salmon came to net at our first location in just over 3 hours, it was truely a field day for Robbins and I. At one point there was even a perfectly simultaneous hook-up on dry flies, something neither of us had experienced before.

After a long slog out in sweaty waders we finished our day at this location, a pond where large wild brook trout and salmon lurk and often feed on the surface this time of year. The winds unforunately did not cooperate until the last half hour or so of light, and even then they were still a little too present.

We chased a handfull of rises, alternately taking the roll of "guide". "Wilkie, there's a rise over there" paddle, paddle, cast, cast. "Oh shit, Robbins, 15 feet to your right at two o'clock", cast, wait, cast, wait.

Eventually I hooked and battled a beast of a salmon of around 20" as Robbins cursed at it from the bow of the boat......"thats right bitch, don't mess with us or your ass will get stung" or something along those lines, as he aggressively made hand motions at the jumping fish.

The fish made a run at the boat, still tight on my line, and it made a quick leap within striking distance of both of us.....we watched as the fly floated from the mouth of the great native, and Robbins' salmon insults were quieted. A couple of fist bumps, some smiles and a few laughs, who could be upset with this day, the day that the trout and salmon had tired us so much that we cared not about losing trophy salmon......hell, what an outing.