Trout Wrestler?

Ever have one of those fishing encounters where you land a monster and no one is around to see or help? I had been stream fishing a spot by a small waterfall a few times in a row with no major catches for a few trips. This particular trip proved to be quite successful and a giant flop, literally, at the same time. My husband was down stream out of sight and I was casting into the fall trying land one of the trout that lay in the big hole underneath. I was wading out into the middle of the stream and perched up on a mostly submerged rock with no net (huge mistake).

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I got a hit with a decent trout, got him in, took a selfie holding it with my cellphone and released it back. The very next cast, BAM! My pole was going crazy! As I got the fish closer to my rock, all I saw was this brilliant flash of silver and red, this fish was humungous for stream fishing standards. I was so scared it was going to break free, and being netless was not a comforting feeling. I slid it onto the big slab of stone and freed the lure.

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My hand couldn’t even go more than half way around it, it was angry and unmanageably large. I would easily say it was 22 inches or more. Undeniably, the largest trout I ever caught and a striking rainbow. My task now was to get this thing over to shore and get him away from the escape of the water to take a pic or hope my husband was close enough hear me shouting (I was cursing and screaming the whole time out of pure excitement and frustration haha). As soon as I took a step off the rock the water hit me and my giant fish started to flop like a maniac and I almost dropped him. I sacrificed my dry shorts to keep it in my hands.

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By the time I was a few steps from shore, I was covered in fish slime from wrestling the whole way. I had one foot on dry land and was just a few steps from my camera the other foot in a big watery hole, not the most stable position. I figured by now the trout had to be tired and would have given up his fight. I was wrong, with one big strong wiggle, the trout was out maneuvering me. I was completely off balance and he fell into the shallows. I was cursing again at the top of my lungs like a trucker at this fish, and was happy no one was around to see the circus that was going on. I was chasing his floppy body across the edge of the stream and putting holds on him only seen in the ridiculous rings of WWF.

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Eventually, the trout found his way to an escape route in the deeper water and I was left soaking wet, out of breath and slathered with a smelly coating of fish slime. The feeling of defeat was only doubled, when just as I regained my composure, my husband came into view with all our gear and a NET! At least I know I caught it….. here is a pic of my less impressive first catch.