What are the largest fish.....

[SJDrifli]

....you have caught on a flyrod! Be species specific! What was the most difficult or satisfying one fish, you have caught? I should have said, what is the largest fish, sorry, my English degree kicks in at the strangest times.

[Gottrout]

SJ -

I have too many years flogging the water, but these two are the most memorable.

The biggest 50+ lb King Salmon in Alaska. Most satifying 24" Flat Creek cutt on a size 24 BWO Priceless:D . This fish was in 15' of water and just attacked from the depths. Then just casually sipped the fly. For the rest there's Master Card.

Good Day

[Dana Parmelee]

26" Corvina - White Chartreuse Clouser/Fenwick Woodstream 6.5' 6wt - Puerto Penasco - (Biggest)
22" Brown - Gold Zonker - Same Fenwick - Lake X (Most satisfying - caught in 6" of water while feeding on shiners, came completely airborn several times and then dove down deep for a 20 tug-o-war)

I tried my hand at Steelhead fishing on the Hoh River in Washington but to no avail, I've yet to get into the bigger species like many of you.

I've caught bigger fish on spinning gear but that wasn't the question was it?

[Dana Parmelee]

The Shiners were quite tasty.

[dbltea]

The largest trout was a fat 24" rainbow on my first trip to the San Juan back in 1992 ...caught on a San Juan Worm in the Texas Hole.

The largest smallmouth was a 4lb smallie caught on the Gila River on a pack in trip. I was throwing weighted helgammites ...actually slamming them against a rock wall and having them drop into the water. It wasn't pretty but I pulled about a dozen smallies out of this one hole.

The biggest largemouth was a nice 3lb'er while fishing for smallies down on the Devils River north of Del Rio. It was satisfying also due to the crystal clear spring water I spotted him cruising and caught him sightcasting.

The most satisfying trout caught was not one that I actually caught. It was watching my 9 year son catch his first ever trout on a fly rod ...from a tube ...at lake X. One of many proud papa moments.

Hopefully the largest fish gets updated this summer while in Alaska!

[Flats Man]

Top 3

1. In 1999 I got a 125lb. Sailfish released out of Haco, Costa Rica on a billfish popper I tied. I then jumped into the water and watched it swin away with my mask on. Absolutely priceless...

2. In 1998 I released a 28.5'' rainbow in the Whites on a #18 scud and 6x tippet. I hooked her on my 3 wt. and released her about 15 minutes later... Largest rainbow I have ever seen in person or caught myself.

3. 15.75 lb. Coho Salmon taken last year out of a tributary flowing into the Cook inlet. I faught this fish down about 75 yards of river on foot...

4. This coming weekend on the Rogue, the Umpqua, and the Applegate for Steelhead... fingers are crossed!!!

Thanks everyone for sharing your stories. It's so cool to relive others memorable fish stories.

[tailingloop]

Had a couple of 120lb+ tarpon on.....they scared the hell out of me!! :eek: Never landed though, you really need to jam that hook in.

Biggest on a dry is a 24" Brown.

Biggest Brown....12lbs; lake run fish
Steelhead.....10lbs
Salmon....32lbs

[mjl]

I haven't been at the game too long (less than a year), but here they are...

Rainbow trout:
20" 3 lbs, caught on a size 18 brassie I tied.

Brown trout:
18" and hefty on a size 20 BWO dun - first brown!

The other trout species I've caught are not of a size worth mentioning. :)

And I caught a 14" 2 lbs crappie at Lake Pleasant a month or two ago. It was a bit of a suprise because I didn't know they get that big. I thought I had caught a bass...

I've still got plenty of species and size to chase!

[CHIEF]

San Juan- 27" rainbow
Whiskey Lake- 24" rainbow
Tsaile Lake- 25" brown
Silver Creek- 26" rainbow
Showlow Lake- 22" rainbow
Horseshoe Lake- 25" brown
Hawley Lake- 27" brown
Christmas Tree Lake- 24" Apache
Sunrise- 25" rainbow
Big Lake- 25" cutt
Cresent Lake- 18" brook
Reservation Lake- 26" brown
Pacheta Lake- 27" brown
Tonto- 28" rainbow
Becker Lake- 20" rainbow
Green River (section "A")- 25" brown
Madison River- 24" brown
Yellow Stone River- 22" cutt
Henry's Lake- 24" cutt

and there it is: ONLY TROUT, I WILL NOT FISH FOR OTHER SPECIES but that is my preference.........

CHIEF

[Westy]

Lake Fork, CO - this was a memorable fish...I was all tangled up and sitting on the bank while my cousin was reeling in 18-22" Bows/Browns from the same big pool on this stream - I was very frustrated being tangled and watching this show put on, but I finally got straightened out and walked up to the riffle that lead into the pool, first cast with a BH Pheasant tail in about 10" of riffle water yielded a 25" bow...I could see its back surface as it came after the fly...landed it after fighting with it for a good while in the pool below.
I pulled this same stunt on a stream last year in the Whites that netted me another large bow in the riffles...

My father and I had a ridiculous day a few years back on the X-Diamond. We pulled 3 fish (2 rainbows/1 brown) all over 22" long out of one large pool while fishing with Bob Pollock. Cloudy/overcast/rainy days on X-Diamond have always been the best there...its something else.

[Green Weenie]

Atlantic salmon!!!! after fishing without touching one for 7 years....got 2 in one weekend. 10 lbs. each

[Kevin Krai]

15lbs 32" Steelhead on an egg from Elk Creek Pa.-1993

5lbs 24" Smallmouth on Red Popper from French Creek Pa.-1996

5lbs 25" Brown on Cicada at Chevelon Canyon-2003

Waiting to start my Saltwater career and get some really big fish...2007...

[SJDrifli]

I started this so I better chime in

Rainbow trout- 32", 15lbs Luce Reservoir outside of Cody WY

Brown trout- 22 or 23" JD Dam and Newton lake, Cody WY

Cutthroat- 20" Slough Creek, Yellowstone

Brookie-19" or so, Sunrise

Smallmouth- 13" some small lake in Colorado

Largemouth- 5lbs Arivaca

Crappie- 16" San Carlos lake

Lake trout- 37 1/2" Taylor Park Reservoir

[ThunderMountain]

SJ, any pics of the Bow and Lake trout you could tease us with?

[Iluvmyfly]

I hooked a ten foot hammer last year in the keys. No way I was going to land it but it was kind of fun. He came into our chum slick and pushed around a couple of 7 foot bull sharks! I hooked a couple of 60lb spinner sharks and a jumped a few 150lb +/- tarpon.

I had a customer last year hook and land an honest 30+ inch brown on Oak creek. Biggest brown I have ever seen, even in the mags. That was sweet!

Me and trout: probably a 21 inch bow at lake X. I don't have the big fish luck like some of my buddies.

Thunder: I have seen Dri's pics of that bow: Insane!

T

[SJDrifli]

Let me see if I can figure out this scan thing and I will post in Photo Gallery! I actually have pics of the rainbow and the lake trout. Unfortunately, the Lake trout went into my belly, didn't know better back then. I did release the rainbow though.

[SJDrifli]

Thundermountain, I posted pics in the photo galley of the laker and rainbow, both kind of crappy photos though, but you will get an idea at least. Enjoy!

[Dana Parmelee]

Who's the dude holding the fish? Just kidding.
Is that a Cowboys hat in the pic of the Laker? Will you still get me on fish knowing I'm a Redskins fan?

[SJDrifli]

I must have found that hat, I have no idea what you are speaking of. I was a tad bit thinner back then eh?

[Dana Parmelee]

A closet Cowboys fan?
Beautiful fish there brother, thanks for sharing.

[SJDrifli]

Na just kidding, I think at the time I was, but not anymore! I'm a closet Cardinals fan!!! (ya right) Heard they signed Edgerrin James, is this true? He will help them out alot if I heard right.

[Dana Parmelee]

You heard right... and in a stadium of their own??? Could be a turn around season for the Cards.
As much as I'm not much of a Cardinals fan, I will miss the excitement the games brought to Tempe.
Nothin better than sitting on the patio at Casey's watching the Tempe talent.

[SJDrifli]

Forgot to list my most satisfying fish. I was up on the St. Vrain with this guy I knew, cocky son of a buck, kept telling me all these fish stories and how he was going to kick my butt that day and how this is home river, and how he caught the biggest fish in that river, a 15" brown etc. He was starting to piss me off and I just sat there and listened and didn't pay any attention. Well I found a pattern that was working but he could not ask me what I was using as this was HIS home river. It was an orange stimi with a pt dropper. I told him what it was and he replied, na that won't work here. Cracked me up, I pulled out 5-6 stockers right in front of his face, but that won't work here. To make a short story really long, there was a log on the other side of the river right at a bend of the river, was a tough position to get a good drift. I let him try for a while. After about 5 casts he said, nothing there. I told him I saw a rise but he just trudged on down river. I yelled to him that there was a huge brown as I saw him rise. He said, ah Bolshavic, so I said to watch, first cast, the brown nailed the stimi and the fight was on. It took about 5 minutes to land the fish. Turned out to be a 17" brown. I shut him up for the rest of the day.

[N_AZ_MAN]

The problem with the Cardinals is that they usually ruin runningbacks careers. My prediction is that James will have a couple average years with the Cards and then they will trade him and he will win the super bowl or something. That is just the way it goes with the Cards but we can hope for something different......

[scottmilk9]

My largest was a 52lb king salmon on my 8wt fly rod in Alaska
Most memorable was fishing in a small lake in Alaska when i caught a 14-15" rainbow and an eagle came swooping down and stole it from me, it was beautiful.

[SJDrifli]

Scott, that is way cool. I'd give up a fish just to see something like that.

[coster]

41" White Amur from a local gc lake.
26" Rainbow Trout from Daniel's Reservoir in Utah
25.5" Brown Trout from Ashton Idaho on the Snake River
8.6lb largemouth Bass from Canyon lake

I have had a few Browns in the 20-22" range in Chevelon

[mjl]

Jesus, man! That's a hell of a bass in your profile photo! Is that the Boulder Recreation Area? Looks like it...

[Flynuts]

Been fly fishing for around 7 years now and I like catching all
species of trout. ( Thats all there is up here )
Largest bow 24.5 in. weighing in at 4lbs 7oz ( sz 14 beadhead seal fur leech )
Largest brookie 23 in. around 4lbs 4oz ( sz 18 chironomid )
Largest cuttie 21 in. around 3lbs 6oz ( sz 12 damsel nymph )

The largest bow I've ever seen caught was by my buddy, 13lbs 2oz.

Most satisfying fish was the 12" bow I caught on a local stream on my first fly. A (really ugly) renegade.

Joe

[coster]

Micah,

You got it. That was from a few years ago. It was an amazing day with lots of bass in the 5lb range. Over a weekend worth of fishing landed two over 10lbs. I went back the next weekend and could not catch a cold. Just one lucky day.