#5... Jaws and The Black North

Once upon a time Morin and I had never been to New York.
We'd heard the stories...
Rivers black with fish....you could walk across them.....a fish on every drift...
Yah Sure...
But there is nothing like a good fish story.
I can't remember the circumstances surrounding our first trip. I know it was fueled somewhat from a FF.Net thread rife with fish porn...and to be shamefully honest it was surely inspired at least in part by a roe shortage.
I don't think either of us can kill a fish from our river but ...and I sincerely hope this doesn't offend anyone, it is not that much of a strain on my conscience for me to take a fish from a river which it,

A. Has ZERO chance of spawning in
and,
B. Has Mutant Hatchery origins
and,
C. It is part of a push of fish that is literally so thick that most of the fish have no place to hide

I don't believe that even with the outlandish trip that we had that we would've thrown over our little trib unless the conditions there were crap as well.
It seems to me that everything was flooded.
The Oak is a tailwater fishery that has the wonderful reputation of never being blown.


It also has the reputation of being the premier Lake Run Brown Trout fishery in the world. The roe from these fish was also rumoured to have magical properties that even Steelies with Lock-Jaw could not resist
LOL
How do these things get started??
Regardless...To make a long story short we did keep a fish and the Brown Trout roe does work.....but so does the roe we buy from the hatchery...
Mostly what works is a well presented bait and some patience.

So Morin and I drive through the night against ridiculous howling winds and sideways rain. We arrive at the river with little hope of water clarity or the chance of a drift that is even remotely presentable.
In this regard the Oak is a wonderful place. It is for the most part well shielded from the wind and even with the water on the high side had more clarity than even I could've hoped for.
We started fishing right at sun-up. There were quite a few people but it couldn't really be classified as a circus.
Unsure of where to begin we just sauntered up to the waters edge and lobbed one in.
The float didn't make it 2 ft.


This went on for two days.
I have never been around fishing that easy before.
The bite would taper off somewhat but with a quick change of location it would pick up again with the same intensity.
Oddly enough most of the fish were Steelies.

The big rains of the previous week seemed to have ushered in some ultra fresh fish and we'd timed it just right.
Landing fish at the Oak is a real trick. It is my only gripe about the place. The trees line the rivers edge making it almost impossible to move with a fish.
Brian found one little sweet spot on the river where the rather swift current broke around some submerged timber.
The Steelhead were stacked in there and we took turns losing fish from that location for about 2 hrs. LOL

It was pretty hard to walk down with a fish as the water was at least waist deep and really trucking so we would put as much pressure on them as we'd dared and if the fish wouldn't turn we'd be re-rigging.
This is where I hooked #5...The Largest Steelhead of My Life.
Brian had lost interest in the mission impossible run and had just disappeared around the bend upstream when I set up on one that I knew was special.
Now here I am up to my waist in fast moving water bracing myself against a submerged log and this thing comes out of the water about ten feet from me.
BIG FISH.
Heart pounding...
I don't mind taking my time with a fish and for the first little while the big fella just sounded out in front of me....if anyting it was heading up stream.
Just when I had considered the possibility that I may get lucky and beach it right there the fish made another outstanding leap, turned and headed down stream at the speed of sound.
Oh well...fuck it...
I am going after it.
So as my float reel is still spinning in my hand I am trying to climb over the giant log that the current has me wedged against while trying not to lose my balance and end up floating downstream!
Nice.
I finally caught up with the fish in a section that was quite a bit slower about 60 yards downstream. This little area was occupied with two fishermen who were shocked to see me wading downstream in a river that was unwadable.
One was a guide and the other his client.
(BTW...who the fuck hires a guide on a river that gives up 50 fish a day?)
I think they were a little pissed at me.
"Sorry guys"..."this one has some shoulders and I had to chase it a bit"
Just then the fish breached and everybody in sight gave a collective "HOLY SHIT".
In the calmer water it didn't take me long to turn it and when it finally slid in to the bank I just about fell over.
The 'guide' said it went 15 lbs easy but he was drunk.
He was kind enough to tape it for me and take these terrible photographs...
Fucking Morin!!!!
Where the hell were you?????
POS
Anyway..fishy went just over 32" in length.
#5

Fresh clean fish without a mark glittering in the sunshine...
Hoooahhhhh!!!
Nice fish anywhere and it dwarfed anything else we caught on that trip.
I think that I shut 'er down after that. Morin couldn't be dragged from the river...because he is deeply disturbed.
Finally as dark settled we hit THE BLACK NORTH for some of the greatest french fries I have ever tasted and beer.
Day two was almost as productive but nothing will ever compare to the magic of that first day.
I catch myself occasionally relating my NY story to people who I can tell just can't believe it.
LOL


I had Advanced Taxidermy do me up a very nice replica mount of my #5 fish. They didn't have much to go on and the girth is a little on the thick side. This fish was more like a torpedo than a tank but whenever I look at it I remember that day.