went after the big female trout that has taken the majority
of fishing times in the last month.
tonight I went after her and was disappointed.
She didn’t show her face.
I did land about an 18 inch fat male brown with really big
alligator teeth.
I unhooked this really nice male without even appreciating
his nice hook jaw and alligator teeth until after i released
him.
i need to step back …maybe a time out is in order.
I usually get so into my float trip that I miss the scenery…
I think I know exactly what you mean. We have been taught (or have learned) that in order to be successful at something difficult, we have to focus, focus, focus. All too often that results in tunnel-vision, and we miss many of the really important things in life. There’s more to fishing than fishing.
The other problem there isthat our tunnel vision can often make us miss the little things that also help our pursuit. If I’d have noticed those flowers over there on the stream bank, I might have also seen the ants that were all over them and blowing off onto the water occasionally. Very rarely do I take a break from the fishing to just look around and appreciate what’s around me without being rewarded for the effort.
There’s been times that I knew a big one was in there, and left just hooking up with a couple of little 7 or 8 inch fish. And I went away happy. A day out, some success, and looking forward to tne next trip. That’s what it’s all about for me.
OK, you are on a time out.
But instead of standing in the corner, you have to sit on the shore, sip coffee, and watch the fish rise and jump for their breakfast.
You have to learn to see the waters, and not just the fish. To hear the splash as well as the birds songs and the bugs buzz.
You have to sit it out a time or two. Maybe then, you can begin to appreciate what it really is.
Instead of being a hunter of fish and so narrow minded. :???: 
the trout that i am hunting is by far the biggest small stream brown I have ever seen.
My buddy Joe has seen it and we guess it just a little smaller than the one that the guy caught in that Big Hole article.
You can see why i am a little tunnel visioned lately.
I find hunting fish is just a very small part the whole thing, I like and offen do take break just to enjoy what is around me the smells site and the flower. It make me feel apart of the stream enviroment and catching fish is just gravy.
Ghost.
It’s odd. I’ve caught good trout while I was smallmouth fishing, and good smallmouth while I was trout fishing and been disappointed each time. You get into a tightly focused place, and anything unexpected is disappointing, even if you would have been happy with it if you were bit less focused.
Len -
Every time I see the title to this thread I just ask - Why ??
Catching this biggest brown trout that you’ve ever seen in a small stream is obviously very important to you. So why beat yourself up over the efforts you’ve made to catch it ?? Or not noticing some things that otherwise might catch your attention ?? Or start thinking about giving up on the quest ??
Now, if you are asking WHY it is so important to you to catch this large brown trout, only you can answer that question, maybe.
John
Maybe that trout has tunnel vision too. (Selective) He/she wants it a certain way, or it isn’t going to happen.
my many stops to this haunt this year has attracted
a couple other adventures. The last time I went it appeared
that their were foot steps out there that weren’t mine. I
have put the quest on hold. I think the bow hunter in me took
this trout as a “Big Buck” challenge .
This trout has been wised up and I think actually might have moved.
Going to wait until the hoppers get rolling here to give it another try.