[Trout Traveler]

A while back, I had a post that dealt with quantity vs. big trout (was actually quantity vs. quality but it was pointed out to me that quality could mean quality of fish or quality of outing based on exceeding expectations).

What trip in your trout fishing life is your favorite memory and why? Is it due to the number of trout caught, number of big trout caught, something unusual that happened, a trip with a friend or family member you particularly enjoyed, heavy hatch, animal sighting(s), or some other reason?

I'm interested to see the responses.

TT

 

[Outdooraddict24]

My favorite trout memory came on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. I was night fishing with a buddy and had powerbait sitting way out. After about a 45 minute soak I hear the rod fall off the cooler, hit the dock and then the water. I was about 20 foot away throwin away trash when this happened. I borrowed a lipless crank bait from another fisherman, and about 20 minutes later managed to snag the rod out of 15 foot of water by luck and get the rod back. Something had bit my line clean off.

I rebait and throw back out and 1 hour later catch the biggest trout of my life. A fat 20 inch 2 and 3/4 pound rainbow. Went back out Monday and got another 20 inch 2.5 pound brown from the exact same spot. Both fish were caught on the rod that was lost and found.

 

[HD1969]

Hooked battled and landed my one and only 20lb Steelhead in the Salmon River (Lake Ontario trib) on a cold January afternoon in the middle of a whiteout lake effect snow squall.

 

[pahoytman]

Camping in Black Moshannon over 35 or 40 years ago, slipped out early morning try fishersman paradise for the 1st time while family slept in.

Just in beginning stage of fly fishing really did not know to much about what to use, trout rising constantly and I could not entice one in seveal hours. About ready to surrender as I got to near where car was parked I decided to tied on a streamer that I had just bought and tossed it under a foot bridge, this monster rainbow came like a torpedo after it, his upper back was sticking out of the shallow water as streamer was about at the bankd and he picked it up and took off.

After a good battle I was able to corral him in a shallow area and lay a tape along side him. 27 1/2". Snapped a picture and sent him back off to his lair.

 

[springfreak]

I'd have to say no particular day but fishing with my dad, (gone), brother and sister and later years my son and grandson.

 

[Trout 2003]

Didn't even have to think twice.....

10 years back now my son was just coming out of a year long horrible battle with Cancer at the age of 3. It was the darkest time in our lives to say the least. The worst was behind us and we were really really trying to just recapture some sense of normallcy and move on with things. My buddy Rian Siska mentioned to me about a local youth trout tournament happening near Analomink PA and wondered if I'd like to take Kolton up there. I wasn't sure he was up to it as he was still really worn out from treatments but when I asked him he lite up about it and the plan was set. We arrived 30 minutes before and Rian was already there securing a decent spot for us. The pond was small and crowded with dozens of little kids around it eagerly waiting to cast. My son has always been super competitive even at that age (he's a monster now!). I didn't have much in the way of expectations and for the first 15 minutes we weren't catching much while others around us were doing better. He was getting discouraged and it was very cold out so in a desperation move I switched him over to yellow power bait and on the first attempt he landed a plump 14" brookie! I knew it was a nice fish but didn't think it would hold up to win anything. At 10am the contest ended and we walked over to turn in the fish. Low and behold as they were calling out the awards the little punk won the dang tourny!! You wanna talk about being as proud as a peacock walking up there to get his trophy! It was one of the happiest memories of my life. Not because we'd done anything even remotely special in winning a youth trout tourny but because he did something truely special in defeating the monster inside of him in order to make it to that lucky day. It was in that very moment that I realize that, yes, my son was still alive and going to be for a long time. I put closure to the prior year and began to move forward away from it. To this day I still walk into his bed room and look at that fish trophy on his mantle aside all the numerous other sports trophys. I tell him all the time 'That's my favorite of them all'. That was one heck of great day. One heck of a day.........

 

[Trout Traveler]

I remember that! I remember what a horrible time it was for you and Melissa. I was so happy for Kolton and for you when you told me about it.

Thanks for posting!

 

[troutspinner]

Great post Zak. I don't know if you remember but during that time my 1st Cousin and his wife were going through the same thing with their son Jared. Unfortunately, he did not defeat that monster. I worried for you more than you ever knew, and thanked god you did not have to go through what my cousin and his wife did.

Soon that boy will calling you the old man and maybe one day, even out-fish you. Now that! would be a great day. I look forward to my son doing the same to create yet another memorable outing.

 

[.257]

An August day in 2003 standing waist deep in a lake in Yellowstone NP about 25 yards from my dad catching wild rainbows and grayling on beadhead nymphs on what seemed like every other cast

 

[Moss]

My most memorable day was back in 1989 when I caught the biggest trout of my life so far! My cousin was in the Air Force at the time, he came down to fish for the week with me. We were fishing a local limestoner I was using live crayfish. I threw into a fast pocket of water and something grabbed my bait, I pulled back and saw a golden flash in the water, I knew I had something nice on. It went straight down the stream with me in tow. How I ran across those rocks without falling was beyond me. All of a sudden the trout stopped behind a big rock and just laid there. My cousin grabbed his net and tried to get the trout in the net but it wouldn't fit!! He made another attempt and finally got the trout in it. Just then the line broke but the hook was still in the trout. He ran up the bank as fast as he could, I never knew he could run that fast lol. We then measured and weighed it, it was 24" long and weighed 6 1/2 lbs.

 

[FrankTroutAngler]

I certainly can't top Trout 2003's memorable day. Nice story. I believe some things happen for a reason.

One moment that stands out to me came on a day I was fishing with my dad in the early 1980's on his childhood stream, a limestone-influenced freestoner. Ahead of us was the "Car Body Hole." As I recall, all that remained of the car was a door sticking out of the mud.

Anyway, we made several casts into the grass-lined pool with no luck. My dad motioned to move to the next hole. I told him I wanted to make one cast right at the head of the pool where a small spring dripped off of the grassy bank before moving upstream.

I tucked my Orange Bead Gold spinner in against the clay bank under the overhanging grass. I had only about a four-foot drag to bring my spinner through. Just as my spinner neared the sandbar closest to me at the end of the retrieve a huge brown trout charged over, its back out of the water, and grabbed my spinner.

I set the hook and the battle was on! About a minute later I landed and measured the 23" wild brown, a trout that held the position as my largest trout ever for quite a few years.

A few years later a photo of it was published in TROUT magazine.

I still have the spinner.

It was a very memorable moment.