Sorry Hugh... Rookie mistake...

[Kevin_Thomas]

Folks, I had a very interesting day inside the park. We got a late start because my friend Mark was in town and needed to go by LRO for some boots. It turned out to be a good thing. I hooked a monster Brown on East Prong somewhere around 11:00am. I didn't take a net, because I had thought we would just chase some small guys for fun all day. When we got to the park I changed my mind and decided to rig up with Nymph's. Abrams Searcher and SMBSH. I hooked it on the SMBSH and was working it and calling for Mark to bring his net. I hesitiate to guess the size of this fish (since I didn't land it), but it was around 20". It kept running upstream and I had worked it to within a foot of Mark when it saw the net. Mr. Brown did a 180 and downstream he went. I've never had a fish on the reel before, but I needed to get this one on the reel fast, because I was running out of line quick. Needless to say the flyline got tangled on the reel, reel seat, or handle and the game was over.

Anyway I whined all day, and the Fly Fishing gods must have felt sorry for me, because I landed a very dark and colorful 13" Bow on a dry. Daniel's lucky foam thing as a matter of fact. Here's a photo...

Kevin

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o286/redc4man/P1010760.jpg

[ijsouth]

I've never seen so many spots on a rainbow before...almost solid black up top. I remember a place I found, back in the swamps in college, that had bass that were almost black like that. It's amazing how much variation in colors you get with fish.

[ttas67]

awesome rainbow. man, that sucks that the brown got away!

[Hugh Hartsell]

Kevin, I'm sorry to hear that the big brown just didn't want to give it up so easily. They are like that sometimes?? Well, maybe all the time. One of the things that I stress in every guided trip, is how to land fish without a net. I know that at some time, anyone may be on the stream and forget theirs. This seems to be the time, that you hook that one big one. Even when you are doing your best, a fish of that size can just get the advantage on you. That's why it is so much fun and always a little bit of a mystery as to what might just be a strike away. Thanks for giving us that report and I always look forward to hearing about the next trip that each of you make. When you get up there on the South Holston River, you're going to need every skill that you can muster.
Hugh Hartsell---East Tn.