Pithole Creek, Venango Co. 5/4/11

[WetWader619]

Also fished Pithole this afternoon. Wanted to fish eagle rock road bridge down but they were stocking, and there was a large truck-follower hatch. Went upstream a few miles toward pithole city.

Saw only a few people most of the afternoon. No fish taken on nymphs or dries (little insect activity), but 5 browns and 1 rainbow taken on the ol' standby black woolly bugger on the swing.

Water was a little off color, but nice. Flow was a little high/fast. Otherwise enjoyable.

Picture is of one oddball looking brown landed...kind of a weird little guy.

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

That brown is freaky, anyone that creels and eats that should take some kind of medical test.

 

[mrchunk]

Looks like a rock bass/brown hybrid lol

 

[csoult]

WOW! That's different I wonder why it is so dark?

 

[Phish_On]

looks like it didnt grow into it fins yet

 

[WetWader619]

It was kinda hunkered down in the slack water on the edge. Honestly thought it was a sucker or something initially. Definitely looks odd. The photo doesn't show, but the head on this was gigantic. Had to look at the adipose just to make sure it was a trout!

 

[troutbert]

Freakish. Looks like it's oil soaked.

 

[jreichel]

Got to love those mutant hatchery fish!

 

[wbranch]

Isn't the goal to hook them in the mouth ?

 

[Nymph-O-Maniac]

I have that stonefly pattern. I'll have to try that one out.

 

[ryguyfi]

I caught a few rainbows that looked similar last year. Those scientists are messing with a genes a bit too much.

 

[BPS]

Maybe he's 150 years old and shrinking. lol

He came over on the boat from Germany.

 

[troutbert]

Look at the face, the eyes.

It's Jabba the Trout!

 

[WetWader619]

wbranch wrote:
Isn't the goal to hook them in the mouth ?

The goal vs. outcome can sometimes be different. I have no control over the actions of a fish when a fly is presented to it and it choses to take, or come up short (especially when the fish in question would clearly ride the short bus).

I thank you for thinking that I am such a good fisherman that I could accurately place a nymph in such close proximity to a fish's mouth while dead drifting that I could A) see the fish's mouth/fly relationship B) accurately judge that distance through the 4.5 foot pool, and C) snag a fish of this size just so damn close to his mouth that it leaves you wondering "did he really catch that trout".