High water seems to be epidemic around the US this spring. Even though we fish predominantly a tailwater here, we certainly have had our share of it. When busy schedules permit fishing, a fishing you go come hell or well, high water. Such was the circumstance last Saturday, massive unmelted winter snowpack combined with three days of ninety degree weather resulted in some very, very fast water. A great day to put our BYS Fly Rods, M60 reels, and new fly line to the test.
The set up consisted of the above, plus our Big Y Fly Co leader 5x, and eidolon flourocarbon tippet, and # 10 BH aggravator, and a #16 BH caddis pupa tan. Although the raft was filled with novice fishermen, including a couple of wided eyed youngsters, and the day was about teaching some basics, which meant safety on this day. There was a special river section reserved for putting the rigging to a test, and what a passing grade it all received.
This stretch of water, a classic deep lagoon island hole bordered by fast water, which results in a very productive fast seam, the targeted water was about eight feet deep, double than normal, at first thought to be too fast to hold fish at this level. Twenty minutes of skunked flogging had me almost pullng up anchor, the crew wasn't gong to spectate forever, especially the young ones, when thrilling whitewater lay below.
On the famous last cast, the real one, not the five fake ones before the real one, a strike was felt. A good strike, and the fish frisky with spring, and fat with food took off. What lay down river was white water for two hundred yards, there was no more then 30 yards to play the lunker. Wanting to test the gear and put on a good show, for the crew and now the cars gathering on the road across the river, (we were anchored on an island) I begin to play the fish even though I knew the ultimate conclusion to this battle would be to lose the fish or break the 5x.
Pursuing down stream, I held the rod parallel to the river, kept the fish as close to the bank as possible. The 5 weight rod shold have been over matched with the heavy trout and fast current, but manhandled the fish while, allowing me to feel it's next move before it occurred. Climbing up the bank and back into the water, the M60 reel didn't hiccup, as the fish pulled off the line and I thumbed the reel testing the tippet past any reasonable breaking point. It was a good ten mintues of heavy current, and steady pressure, before I realized I had a chance to land this beauty which I had thought previoulsy couldn't be bigger then 15" for the tippet would surely have broken, but at first sight, one could tell this was a full twenty inch trout with impressive heft.
The camera was requested from the dry box, as thoughts to landing the fish became reality. As I reached into the now swift current, I carefully lifted the robust trout out only because the release needed to be in calmer water. At this point I discovered the only equipment failure in the whole unlikely ordeal, dead camera batteries. The fish was revived, released, it made a hurried retreat for deeper waters, I'm sure to marvel at the opponent it just battled.
We take our product testing seriuosly, and are proud of our commitment to quality and affordablilty, no glitz, no snobbery, just darn good fly fishing equipment from the fly to the rod. To our tyers and our partners in gear development, great job. Big Y Fly Co Inc. is proud to sell your wares. To the person responsible for putting batteries in the camera, well your probably are an overworked ex-fly tyer who should just remember how utterly satisfying fly fishing is to pass on to the younger generation. And maybe gloat just a wee bit. Ok back to work, don't you see those orders piling up?
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