My brother Garth and I were heading out on what was now becoming an annual
fishing trip to the Big River area. Our usual camp spot at Hackett Lake was
reserved
and away we went. We usually fish at Ted's, Tara and Jet Lakes.
Fishing at Tara and Ted's was quite frustrating, almost a shut out. The last
day we
decided to go to Jet Lake. It had rained just about the whole week before,
and the
roads were quite muddy. Last year Paul Oltsher was with us and we got quite
stuck
trying to locate Jet Lake, we didn't want to make that an annual event. It
was a 20-
minute walk from where we had to park the truck. The walk didn't start as
planned.
There had been a lot more moisture this year and the creek bed we walked through
last year was now a creek, knee deep. Last year we got all muddy getting the
truck
unstuck, now we get all muddy crossing the creek. When we arrived at Jet Lake
it
was getting like reading a Stephen King novel. The exact same home made 5'
pontoon boat that was tied up at Olson Lake earlier in the year, was tied
up at Jet, with
nobody around. Hmmm.
We got into our waders and fins. Then made our way across the floating shoreline
where last year Paul fell through and almost got the proctology treatment
from a 2"
diameter stump. Another event we didn't want to repeat. As the shore is floating
and
the water is immediately 4 - 5 feet deep, you kind of have to jump/slide in.
Garth
went in first, I'm still backing up to the lake, he gets a fish on line with
his first cast,
with that I just about go in head first rushing to get into the lake.
I worked my way across the lake to where we were catching fish last year.
Garth
works his way over to the north shore and starts yelling something to me about
the
fishing jumping onto the shore. I kind of looked over to him and notice fish
jumping
but start to think he has a substance abuse problem and is hallucinating.
He keeps
yelling at me, so I work my way over there. With the floating shoreline the
fish can
swim right up to the edge and still be in reasonably deep water. The wind
is blowing
the grass over the edge of the water. On the grass are large black Dragon
Flys. The
fish are jumping out of the lake and taking the Dragon Flys off of the grass.
Some of
the time they end up on the shore and then have to flip around until they
fall back into
the lake. I spent a few minutes watching this and then remembered that I am
there to
catch fish. What fly do you use to imitate a 4" black Dragon Fly? I had
nothing close,
so I took a guess and came up with the largest darkest Emergent Sparkle Pupa
in my
fly box. I parked my belly boat about 40' from shore and waited for a fish
to do
something. It only took about three minutes for one to jump, I cast. Too bad
I
couldn't cast better. The fly landed right on the shore. By the time I get
that fly back
and under control it is too late to pursue that fish. The next jump, great
aim, but it
splashed down hard on the water. Several minutes passes, nothing happens.
Maybe
they have moved onto another food source. Then one jumps slightly to my left,
I cast,
it is short. I cast again, perfect. The fly is sitting there, 10 seconds,
15 seconds,
maybe I was too late. Then the fish sticks his nose out, sucks the fly in,
he is hooked.
This fish has fight! It is towing my belly boat, it is running, pulling my
line out,
WOW! Finally, I start reeling it in, a bit at a time. Garth gets a peek at
it as it comes
to the surface, excitedly he says "you have to see this thing".
As it gets closer I see it,
a beautiful Brown. It is up to my belly boat; great, it is too long for my
net, finally I
get it in, headfirst. I unhook it, get it out of the net, and measure it against
the ruler on
my boat. It is longer than the ruler. The ruler is 22" long, the fish
is 2 or 3" longer
than that. We will call it 24". Take a picture and back in the water
he goes. Only one
fish that day, but it was worth it.
At work on Tuesday I was telling one of the guys who loves fishing this story
and he
suggests I may have set a record for a Brown Trout. Yeah right, not me. On
the
weekend I dig out my Provincial Fishing Guide. Record Brown Trout released
is
61cm, or 24". 1 should have measured closer!
submitted by
Kelly Lardner
Fishing season 2001