Yesterday marked a milestone in my fly-fishing "career" and I'm tickled pink I can share it with you all. If you hate stream reports, spot burning, pics of fish and streams......click the red X and read no further.

I was going to fish the Lackawanna River for big wild brown trout. I was there 2 weeks ago and had a brown snap me off on a under water tree that was in the 25+ range. He leaped twice and disappeared into the glared abyss and I knew it was not to be. A fish like that, so many things can and always do go wrong. Still the journey I have taken on that river is bigger than the destination and while 30+ Brown in a small river is nothing to laugh about, it will always be anti climatic once it happens. I suffer from insomnia and I have a lot of stress right now, I got to bed late and woke up late. I planned on hitting the Lack at daybreak and it was now 7:30am. What to do?




What is your "ultimate" catch in your fly-fishing endevors? Mine is a 10-15 lb Wild Brook Trout from Northern Canada but I haven't gotten to take that quest yet.......so.......Second would be a 25+ Letort Brown Trout. You can catch more big fish in the West, but still that flower of a a really big Letort Brown is so rare, even though so possible. I have had 20+ fish hooked in the Letort but never landed. The biggest I have ever land was 18 inches. No camera either.

Nothing on the Letort ever happens for me the way you would picture it. I'm either broke and have no lunch, just enough gas, no toll money while out of cigs. Maybe I had a good one snap me off or landed a nice one with no camera. I swear this stream hates me, yet she can love me so much.




I started at 81 around 8:45am and worked my way upstream throwing a BWO dry around. I saw many midges, stone flies and BWO's throughout the day but not a single fish rose. The high today was calling for 55+ but once the sun and wind came out, it killed the hatches. I even left to go buy cigs and debated going to Big Spring. I decided I was going to catch a Letort Brown on a BWO so I went back to the Heritage Area. After a few hours I gave up and now was tossing Sculpins. Yes thats right, plural. A Sculpin tandem with a bass weight. I was now Jimmy Houston on the Letort and F it! I'm going for it all!

SLAM! Splash! Wave! Those flies were like throwing out a fire hydrant, totally uncastable! I came across a section with a few (4) large fish. I hooked one. A big one. When I pulled up I instantly got my rod tip and leader caught in the very end of a fine tree branch. The fish pulled hard and SNAP! I broke the tip off of my 9' Clearwater and the fish came off the hook. As typical I lose a serious Cumberland Valley Fish.

The car was a good distance away I thought as I stood knee deep in muck. I got another rod but thats a long walk! I took my pliers/cutters and snipped the rod to its nearest eyelet. I re-rigged and fished way-upstream into Bonny Brook.

I marked those fish and came back downstream to them 1 1/2 hours later. I tossed my ridiculous heavy sculpin tandem into the same hole, just one cast only. I still not sure where he came from but this fish just appeared behind the tailing fly. Move 2 feet really fast in a semi circle and inhaled the tailing sculpin. I set the hook and a fight began that lasted 1 min tops.




The big ugly male was just that, big and ugly! He had teeth that my crappy cell phone could not pick up.
I took my time taking a few pics because this is a fish I have stalked for many years. It lasted maybe 1 1/2 mintues but I earned it. Even if the quality is crappy. It was orgasmic really just getting the fish in the net




Amazingly this fish co-operated with my need for a little chest pounding. Lord knows it was the only thing that was easy during the whole thing.




I flipped him over and took one more.




I marked my rod with a knife to measure the fish, hell its already broke why not? He tapped out at 26 3/8 inch. I dont care the fish was 26 1/2 I was so excited I had to call and share the story with FishIdiot. I knew he would enjoy it. Dan, dude you should have been there! Its been a long road but I finally did it.

Finally.........

I have been trying for awhile. Here is my 25+ Letort Brown that I I took crappy pics of with a crappy cell camera. I hooked the fish twice, had to catch on a broken rod on a day I shouldnt have even been there. Just like the Letort would do to anyone!

This fish cost me 30 dollars.
I would have paid a million.

Absolutely awesome, sounds great despite all the hardship! I will definitely have to try that stream out one of these days, I've been meaning to for a while, but have not yet gotten to it. Thanks for a great post & some great pics despite a cell phone camera!

It really was el!

I cant even sleep yet because of this trip and I'm going to be up early again meeting some buds to fish. The fact that the road to this one trout has been difficult not just today, but through the years makes it even better.

Its the Big Ugly! Look at that Frankenstein!

Dislike sal posts and all of the things you mentioned. Never been happier to click the red x. gg. gn. gl.

Great story Sal. Congratulations on a fish of a lifetime!

You earned that one man. I think the battle damage inflicted on you only adds to the style points. Mount that trout on the wall in the den in your mind.

Nice!...Sal. Good for you. You earned it.

great post! awesome fish, congrats!

Very nice!

good for you sal! awesome beast you wrestled there!

Great fish - one for a lifetime of memories.

Great post and a beautiful "ugly" fish. Wish I could have been on the stream to watch the fight and see your grin.

On to your next challenge!

Dave

Fished hundreds of streams since and haven't been back to the Letort since "65" but that will always be my favorite-the great teacher.

Wow. Just wow.

Incredible catch with a good story behind it. Don't all memorable fish have a great backstory as well?