wndeagle
11-27-2006, 03:28 PM
fished the nantahala, (delayed harvest), in the section just above the powerhouse yesterday from about 8 am to 2 pm. started out with a 10" bow, then a 10" brown taking a prince nymph. just after releasing the brown, a HUGE brown, had to be 25+ inches, surfaced cross ways to the current like a submarine, about 10 feet in front of me as if to stare me down. next pool up, i hooked into what ended up measuring a 19.5 " brown, again on the prince. it ran about 10 yards upstream, and then crossed around a rock and got hung. i was nearly in tears as i made my way to the rock, but found that it was still on. in addition to getting wrapped under the rock, the line had gotten twisted on a twig. i carefully got the line free and the brown took a short downstream run, and then into net it went. this is my biggest trout so far, and it put a grin of my face that wouldn't quit.
15 minutes later, i got one on the pickup at the end of a drift. that fish took off downstream and very quickly zipped off line just down to the backing. i was thinking "monster brown"! i chased after it, trying not to slip. i finally narrowed the distance, and the fish took a jump. i was suprised to see that was a small bow, (measured 12"), that i had foul hooked in the tail. another first for me, and a long chuckle.
i picked up 4 more bows on streamers after that, nice healthy 14-15 inchers.
it was interesting to see how much thicker these fish were compared to fish of the same length out of the elk and duck rivers. i guess diet and water conditions are everything.
i fished between the two small bridges just upstream from the power house, and didn't see anybody else there the whole time. the rocks were a bit slick, so i'll have studded soles next time there.
15 minutes later, i got one on the pickup at the end of a drift. that fish took off downstream and very quickly zipped off line just down to the backing. i was thinking "monster brown"! i chased after it, trying not to slip. i finally narrowed the distance, and the fish took a jump. i was suprised to see that was a small bow, (measured 12"), that i had foul hooked in the tail. another first for me, and a long chuckle.
i picked up 4 more bows on streamers after that, nice healthy 14-15 inchers.
it was interesting to see how much thicker these fish were compared to fish of the same length out of the elk and duck rivers. i guess diet and water conditions are everything.
i fished between the two small bridges just upstream from the power house, and didn't see anybody else there the whole time. the rocks were a bit slick, so i'll have studded soles next time there.