The one that got away

[kemper]

The perfect drift... The water was a tinted green, conditions just right. I had the whole pool to myself with anglers all around in other holes. The drift was slow, right in the sweet spot and I knew this was the one. Float goes down, and the hook is set, the fight is on. This was a battle never meant to be won, a massive fresh female steelhead against a mere mortal. Five minutes go by and after countless manouvers I get the fish to a spot where it could be landed by a fellow steel hunter. The fish is in his hands, and the unthinkable happens, a slippery rock seperates myself from my trophy! And my personal best (by far) is gone just like that.

 

Theres my story for the day, thanks alot to the angler that helped me out, without you that fish would never have even been close to landed, and I dont blame you at all for the loss. In fact, I count it as a fish landed, although there was no picture taken it was in hands, a beautiful specimen of a trout it was. All in all, a great 1 hour of fishing, with me landing a personal best (albeit unmeasured) and losing a personal best brown. Hopefully the conditions are the same tomorrow, because I have a bone to pick with a large steelie!

[Rizzo]

congrats on the personal best! If its any consolation, my personal best musky also was released sans photo or measurement.

[PatrickGG]

I had a similar situation happen to me last year except i landed a nice hen "rainbow trout" and went to pull out my digital camera and the camera slipped out of my hands and fell into the river so don't feel bad it happens to all of us one way or another i am pretty sure the next opportunity will be a bigger fish and you will land it.

Edited March 26, 2007 by PatrickG

[FinS]

i had it happen to me also but with a pickeral and a pike of a lifetime

Edited March 26, 2007 by FinS

[Frankypro]

Congrats kemper! Main thing is you know you got'em.

Edited March 26, 2007 by frankypro

[kemper]

Thanks guys, wish me luck as I will be searching for the beast's best friends all week!

[GbayGiant]

Hey, who cares if you didn't get a physical picture, you still got to see the fish out of water and will never forget it. I didn't even have a camera until late last year and released 95 % of my fish without telling anybody the story, but I also just got my first computer 2 years ago, so now I have to start showing them off.lol. That's if I catch any.

Edited March 26, 2007 by GbayGiant

[xrap]

Sweet report. Atleast you got a look at it and knew what it was. That happened to me at a small creek a couple years back but didn't stop peeling drag and i lost it, never seen what it was.

[motv8tr]

Great report Kemper, sounds like a great day....you don't need photos or measurements to remember a fish of a lifetime, it'll be imprinted on your mind forever.

 

Maureen

[ccmtcanada]

Way to go Kemper! I had a situation like that a few weeks ago...had the thing half beached and out the water. I went to pick it up and my leader broke...as it turned to swim away, I was able to clutch it, but once in the water, it ruled...LOL. No worries....congrats!!