The Oak Brown Buck

 

The Oak Brown Buck

11/10/2021

 

 It was early Wednesday morning and we were fishing Oak Orchard Creek. We got our spot along the creek just before daybreak. Bob was down to his usual spot and Gene was downstream from him about 30 yards or so. I was upstream from both of them about 100 yard or more. We have been fishing for the brown trout that follow the King Salmon in to eat the eggs as I’m told. Some years I’ve been told when the browns come in you can hook up with them pretty often. Since Monday this hasn’t been the case. Though we could see the King Salmon in the water not that many browns have been following them or they just aren’t eating what us anglers have to offer. There hasn’t been much catching the past few days. Bob had hooked now and then sporadically and Gene not as many. But when they did hook up the browns were impressive.

 One of Gene’s browns

 One of Bob's browns

 

  I myself would hook up occasionally but wasn’t able to get them in the net for some reason or another.

  It didn’t appear to me that the fish were moving up creek. The fishermen and woman along the creek down and upstream weren’t hooking up very often either. I figured that the fish were just holding in one area so I decided to try and find them by working my way downstream towards Bob. I slowly fished, while casting sucker spawn, wading downstream.

  My indicator went under about 2 rod lengths out in front of me. I made a quick upward wrist hook set and the line started to move outward toward the middle of the creek with the rod bowing towards it. Once I put a little more pressure on the hooked fish he decided to counter with his own pressure and the battle was on for the moment. He came to the surface briefly during the battle and Bob evidently heard the splash and looked my way. I nodded to him and he waded out to get the net and help me net him. In the meantime I didn’t want to put too much pressure on the brown, which I was able to see him when he splashed right below the surface, until Bob showed up so I just let the brown scurry around some still keeping light pressure on the arced rod and tight line. The brown decided to hold right across from me within vision about a rod length in front of me. I had the rod facing upstream so the brown didn’t have to fight side pressure. I suppose it looked like I was holding a dog leash while the dog in front of me was taking a crap. The brown held there fine until Bob showed up and stepped in the water just downstream. The brown gave a sharp heavy head shake and took off like a scared rabbit. I put the butt of the fly rod in my gut with the rod angled upward. The 8 weight tip section was bowed well in the middle of the rod and my drag might have been set a little on the lighter side as the brown took line.

  Being I reel in right handed, even though I hold the fly rod with my right hand, I’m able to adjust the reel drag without any problem as I fight a fish. True I have to switch hands when I reel the fish in but it has become such an instinct I don’t even think about it anymore.

  I clicked the drag a notch or two tighter but I truly didn’t think the brown noticed as he still took line downstream. He finally turned upstream and I battled with his head shaking and muscle tugging trying to wear him down. The rod tip section pulsated with his head shakes and the tightened fly line and tight leader jittered like a ships guy wire in a gale wind storm.

  I had lost a couple of fish earlier before getting them to the net so I was again hoping I could land this one safely. Sure I had high hopes. I could feel my heart pounding like a jackhammer, “just one big one in the net” I thought.

  It was a struggle getting the brown towards us as Bob stayed downstream from the fish as it drew nearer. We missed him the first time as the brown took off across and downstream when Bob had the net ready. I got the brown turned back upstream for another try. I had the brown where I wanted him, just in front of Bob, and I let Bob know I was going to try and raise him to the surface so he could get the net under the fish. I raised the rod and I could feel the extreme tension I was putting on the line and fish by the arc in the rod within my gripping hands around the cork. (Afterwards I looked to see if there were finger indentations in the cork handle). The brown rose and Bob was able to finally net the big fellow. I was relieved and took a deep calming breath after that intense battle. The fish was a beautiful male brown with a nice noticeable kype and a burnt orange belly.

 

  Till afternoon it was slow. I think I might have hooked up a couple of quick times but again whatever they were weren’t on very long. They could have been kings or heavy browns but I just couldn’t get them to me.

After noon we went and fished the Burt and it was pretty slow there also. Most of the fish I did see caught were foul hooked, came in tail first or sideways. Most of them were smaller browns. I did hook up with one smaller brown on a Yellow sucker spawn before we took off to the cottage.

There were 3 more days of fishing left and I was hoping of having my turn of landing more browns.

~doubletaper