For over ten years I have been hunting for a 20+ lb mirror on the big C. I have seen exactly two caught, a 21 and a 23. I have hooked one myself, and lost it at my feet in one of the more heartbreaking moments I can recall while fishing the big C. Today, I found her...24 lbs to be exact. She was tailing on the edge of a gravel bar, perpendicular to me. Unfortunately there was a small fish between me and the mirror, and that little fish made a cast impossible. She was slightly in front of the tailing mirror, so any cast would have loved the small fish. I took a look around and realized my only angle was from the deep water. I waded out chest deep, and closed the distance to the mirror. Now I was directly behind her...not an ideal shot, but one I knew I could make. Remarkably...I didn't screw it up. The flies landed, I did a little drag and flip and the big mirror ate the hybrid like she had been waiting ten years for that fly. Remarkable moment, one I doubt I ever forget.
The rest of the day is a haze of takes...some big fish (4 over 20 on the day) and one stunning fully scaled mirror, but that one moment is all I can really think about right now. I have been looking for that fish for a long long time...the only thing better than the moment she ate was watching her swim away.
Posted with Blogsy
5 comments:
Congrats my friend, that is a gorgeous, remarkable fish.
Amazing capture, the effort required increases the reward
gtfoutta here man, THIS BLOG IS TOO MUCH. So sick.
Beautiful fish John!
As you play with the streamer keep in mind that any fly will always attempt to rest directly below the fly rod tip.
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