My Largest Trout, Ever!

My big Sea Run Brown Trout. 

If it hadn’t been for some good fortune, I never would have landed this memorable trophy. I was fishing the Rio Grande river in Chile, South America at a pool they called the Cementerio. It was so named because the area we were fishing was near an old burial ground. The river is composed of riffles, glides, runs, pools and minor rapids that are easy to wade in many places. It was widely known for its large Sea Run Browns or Sea Trout. It was common to hook fish in the 8 to 15 pound range and occasionally some that were much larger. The record for the river was over 30 pounds. 

The water that I was fishing was a long run that flowed along a high bank and then turned and emptied into a large pool. Below the pool a series of rapids extended the drift further down river. As I stepped into the water we had less than an hour to fish, so I quickly started casting a large, black, articulated leech. After about the sixth cast I started to move downstream when suddenly my rod was almost ripped out of my hands. I had a good one on and with a burst of energy it streaked down river with me in hot pursuit. I didn’t think I would be able to stop its surge of power, but after seven or eight minutes I finally got control when it paused to rest in a large pool. I had a chance if I got lucky.

I tightened my drag and began reeling down to the fish hoping to prevent it from going further downstream. The light began to fade as I continued to fight the fish. After what seemed like an eternity, I reached the pool and my guide was waiting there with the net. It was almost dark and my arms were tiring as I started to horse the fish towards the bank. Amazingly, and with a sigh of relief, the Sea Trout began to tire as I continued to work it in to the shore.  Finally, the fish submitted to the rod’s constant pressure and my guide quickly slipped the net under its massive body. I was exhausted but elated with the outcome. 

After a few photos and measurements of its length and girth the fish was released. It weighed right at 20 pounds. As we headed back I knew that without my guide, the eddy and a little luck, I probably would have lost the fish.

The Perfect Fly?

Off-the-wall dry Stonefly

Some anglers say that in order to catch fish you have to tie a fly that has to be an exact replica and size of the natural. This may be true in certain conditions, such as gin clear water, quiet pools or heavily fished streams, but in many cases larger, unkempt  patterns are more effective. I found this out many years ago during a trip on the Deschutes River. 

It was May and the salmonflies were just beginning to emerge. I was using my old standby, the Fluttering Stonefly, and fishing a good stretch of water above Trout Creek. The fishing was not red hot, but as I worked down a nice glide, I caught several decent trout. However, I had to cover a lot of water to accomplish this. As I neared the end of the run, I noticed that another angler fishing below me was constantly hooking fish. I was taken aback and felt compelled to discover his secret. I boldly approached him and said,

“Hi, mister. What are you using to hook all of those fish?”
He paused for a moment and then said, “Oh, it’s something that I just made up.”
I responded, “Do you mind if I see what it looks like?”
“Nah.” he said, “Here, I’ll give you one to try.”

When he showed it to me I couldn’t believe my eyes. It had a large front grizzly and brown hackle, a thick body of rusty, orange carpet fibers and a thick elk hair wing that was almost four inches long. I politely thanked him and went down to another hole where I instantly started to catch one fish after another. This reminded me of some famous comments about tying flies that are less than perfect.

Polly Rosborough regarding his Casual Dress wet fly said, “I just threw the materials on the hook.”

Joe Brooks on his Brooks Stone said, “For a fly to be effective it must be reminiscent of an unmade bed.”

Lee Wulff said, "Something that looks exactly like a bug is not as effective as something that may look less like one....”

Bob Wiley, my old friend, always said, “The rattier the better.”

Tying instructions:

1.  Tie the body 2/3 up the hook shank and secure it.

2.  Tie in a large clump of elk hair so that it extends about 2 inches behind the hook shank. 

3.  Select a large brown and grizzly hackle and one at a time spin them forward  toward the hook eye. Tie them off and cement the head. 

Hook Hones

Hartley Fly Hook Hone

There are dozens of hook hones on the market and most of them work fairly well. They are a valuable asset in helping you to hook and land more fish. It’s important to periodically check your hook to see if it is still sharp and intact. There is nothing more aggravating that hooking a nice fish and losing it because of a dull or broken hook. 

Below are a few popular hones.

1. EZe Lap models C or H have grooves to rub the hook back and forth to triangulate the hook point.

2. Ceramic hook hones work well, but they are fairly expensive, close to $20. They are also susceptible to breakage if not handled carefully.

3. The Hartley fly hook file is a retractable pen sharpener coated with a diamond grit and fitted with a pocket clip. It's a durable, long lasting product.

Battery powered sharpeners are not recommended because they don’t hold up well and will have to be replaced in time. Also, whetstones, files and other types of rasps are not recommended.

Properly sharping hooks just requires a good eye and a little patience. Start by rubbing the hook back and forth on the hook file to triangulate the point. Then, to test its sharpness, rub the hook point across your fingernail. If it doesn’t stick or if it slides across your nail it isn’t sharp enough. With a little practice you can produce a hook that will quickly penetrate a fish’s mouth and help you land more of them.