Today's Bragging Rights

[JohnScott]

The rules are : ( 1 ) the fish has to be caught on one of your own original patterns; ( 2 ) you had to tie a fresh example of that pattern today; and ( 3 ) you had to fish that fly and catch a candidate by sundown today.

I'll start off with a 19 and 1/2 inch West Slope cutthroat from my home water caught this afternoon on an FEB Hopper tied this morning.



This is the biggest West Slope cutt that I have landed in four years of fishing my home water. I have had a good number that were just at or a bit over 18" and one that I figured to be 19". Last summer I lost one that I think would have gone 20" if he hadn't gone bye-bye.

John

P.S. I know, I know. I pretty much slanted the rules in my favor. But I did start the thread.

[zaxaca]

Helluva nice fish!

[JohnScott]

Part of the story is that I caught this fish in a stretch that a new acquaintance told me about several weeks ago. At the time, the river was still deep and ripping, but it looked like it would be really good water when the river settled down post runoff. Just one of those many places that I noticed but never got around to because I was fishing "other water."

I did fish this stretch a couple times recently and had really good fishing with some nice fishies in hand.

Yesterday, I had to go a bit out of my way, but I made the opportunity to thank my acquaintance for cluing me in to this spot.

Generally, I consider saying "thanks" its own reward. But it was nice of the river to give up one of its own.

John

[Rick Z]

Tied the fly lst night and fished it early this am.

Picture of some of the fish.


Lots of fun.

Rick

[Uncle Jesse]

I must admit I am a little more jealous of Mr. Scott than I am of Mr. Ziegler, until the grease get hot. I am hoping the crappie come back at what used to be my only crappie lake. Great fun to catch and there is no fish better than crappie filetted, rolled in corn meal with appropriate spices and dropped into hot oil. IMHO

[KeatonsDad2]

Nice Fish John! That is a beast of a Cuttie! Now I will need the GPS Coordinates for my trip through there this weekend.

[quivira kid]

Rick, those look to be around 12"? NICE mess of slabs! Is it bad that my mouth started watering when I saw the pic?

Jezse, come visit me this winter and catch some crappie on a 2 foot long rod! Not much better than feeling "that thump" in the middle of winter!

[Uncle Jesse]

Jezse, come visit me this winter and catch some crappie on a 2 foot long rod! Not much better than feeling "that thump" in the middle of winter!

Zac, I have a rule for winter; "Don't go anywhere colder than where you are, unless absolutely necessary." I had a business associate take me ice fishing in MN. It was a lot like looking at a hole in the floor. To each their own.

[JohnScott]

Zac, I have a rule for winter; "Don't go anywhere colder than where you are, unless absolutely necessary." ....

Jesse -

When you live in Montana, about the only place you can go for trout fishing on moving water that is colder is Idaho. So I stay in Montana for my winter fishing.

Between the two states, I've only missed one month of fishing out of the past 115 months - August of '07 when the water was so warm and low from a long, hot, dry summer, starting in April that year, that it just didn't seem right to bother the trouts.

John

P.S. Rick - thanks for your entry. No doubt it will win over the frying pan crowd.

[Rick Z]

One of the reasons I keep the fish is that here are so many.
Did not show the four that were not worth filleting.
Very thin as compared to the others.
Could not get fish to come up for hopper patterns. Then did not come up for real hopper either.
Lovew your pictures of fish.

Rick