See Bigger Photo

Rainbow trout are angry. They are angry at everything too. Things such as bald eagles, logging trucks, people, drifts, leaders, and most importantly flies. They are always playing games. They hate Jeremy and myself to say the least. So it all began when a trip to Salmon country changed into chasing wild Rainbow Trout. We show up to the river and no one is there and the trout are rising. Jeremy had told me all about these trout. Their pickiness, their fuss with dirfts and flies, the way they fight. Everything. Basically, if you could fish for these trout successfully, you could master almost any trout situation out there. Jeremy immediately catches a small fish that day, along with a nicer 14″ trout that almost spooled him. Still no fish for me, but I’m not worried.The Day of fly fishing here passes. Our next fly fishing trips would be equally as frustrating and we would go through the same routines. Waking up at 3:00 in morning and getting on the water as early as possible. Basically, with every attempt to trick these wild bows we were getting beat up more and more. They were tearing us up inside. They still do. A few small trout were caught by Jeremy and I was now starting to realize what I was dealing with.The big rainbows were tearing us apart. We were consumed by them and with every attempt to catch them we were shut down. Until today.Every single fish in here fights like a monster due to the daily surge of water they get from the hydro electric dam. They are truly all muscle. Its hard to imagine a 15″ trout taking you into the backing but it happens. But, you have to work for it. Catching them is near impossible and landing them is just as hard. So today we get to the river especially early. Some fish are rising but good luck catching them. They change every day so there really is no code to crack. The only code is a size 18 elk hair caddis with a 12 foot leader.We get on the gravel bar and fish where there are several fish hanging. Absolutely no luck. We are cold, tired, and miserable and geez its not even sunrise yet.The sun finally comes out and Jeremy and I just stand in the middle of the river feeling so small and worn down. What have we done? We must be crazy. We are getting hammered by the wild bows.Afternoon goes by and we get a bite to eat and go to the local fly shop for some information we could use when the fish are not on top and when the water levels rise.We are back on the river and at 4:00 and it starts to heat up. 1 rise, 2 rise, big rise, small rise. I switch back to my #18 elk hair dry fly caddis and while switching a nice trout sips an emerger 20 feet away out. I know he is not moving and I have all the time in the world. I make a cast initially just trying to get the line out of the guides. The fly is a mere 12 feet in front of me, and I said…”aww, what the heck, i’ll let it drift through there. Wouldn’t it be funny if he took it?”WHAMMMMM! The trout comes out and inhales the fly. I set the hook and release all the excess line I have into the air. the fish is on the reel and jumps 3 feet clear out of the water. This thing is huge. Jeremy can’t believe it and he can’t stop laughing. I run over a gravel bar and back up into the water, the fish is running fast and I’m immediately 60 feet into the backing. Jeremy just can’t believe that I actually hooked a trout of this caliber and neither can I. Jeremy had very big doubts that I would get a good trout from here this year (meaning over 14″). We are slap happy. The rod is quadrupled over and we land the fish after an epic battle. This was the most rewarding thing that has ever happened to me and all the hours and days spent fly fishing for these fish were paid off. We snap some pictures and the fish measured to be 22″. So far this is my best fish ever.I am haunted by wild Rainbow Trout.