Trout Love

I got "decorated" by my three daughters before departing

Met the crew for a half-a-week of chucking and ducking big flies, camping, and the inevitable beer drinking. Weather was ideal for fall streamer fishing minus the cold. Rain I can handle. Cold water temps, the "dude don't abide." I also learned that I don't like to be ejected from the back of drift boat for an impromptu swim in 48 degree water.

It was a long drive once again. Michigan gets further and further away every time it seems.
But when you are targeting 20 inch plus sized brown, you gotta get there somehow.

Anyway, We did a few floats, pounded the banks and caught some very nice trout. Wasn't the best of fishing, but the fish that ate were hooked, landed, photographed and let go.

Still can't crack the 24" mark on my rod. I can get to it though.

...So, I'm in the back of the drift boat, as I just got off the oars. water was a little skinny in some places, so we got stuck a few times. In one riffle, we beached, but man, the water on the bank looked so good. I remained standing, hucking line to the bank and the boat broke free. Joe, on the oars, gave a swift left oarm, spun the boat around and I didn't even get a chance to grab ahold of anything. "MAN OVERBOARD!" It happened so fast- I dove straight over the side, rod in hand, right into 2-1/2' deep water. I thought I broke my arm, shoulder, wrist and rod. I got up, made it over tot he bank, shed my wet clothes and "dried off" in the rain. Not good. It was cold too. Luckily, Mark had a spare jacket and it was dry. After checking me over, we decided we could laugh it off, as nobody was seriously hurt, the rod didn't break, all I got was a little wet.
I checked my underwear too, and was all good there as well.

Back to fishing.

The last fish of the day was this brute. 22", but his left side was a mess. Osprey? Heron? something else? He was really scarred up and it looked recent too. He seemed to be OK, swam off hard and other than his "tough guy" looks, was all in tact.

...his good side...

...and his bad side...

I also have a new addiction.....Swinging streamers for big trout. There is nothing like a 20" brown charging down a racing swung streamer. This type of fishing is a heck of alot of fun. The rod I was using is my favorite switch rig- the Red Truck Diesel series 11' 7wt switch. Whats cool about the swing is the line tension when a fish eats. Any good fish nearly buckles the rod in half coupled with the weight of the river.