I hiked in along a cornfield for about fifteen minutes until I came to a pasture section. At one deep wide bend I decided to cross so I could cast from my right to the upstream pool. This pool had a nice big downed oak tree hanging in the water. Looks like a good place to hide. Yet as I crossed, it was like quick sand, I kept sinking in about two feet each time I made a step. I kept thinking this does not look ideal for trout.
Fishing crawlers I would catch one 3-5” chub after another on a #8 hook. I kept a few and chopped their heads. I threw on a weighted bobber set four feet down with a tiny split and a #2 hook connected to a 3” chub tail right below the dorsal fin.
My first cast upstream into the pool, to the left of the downed oak tree. My bobber is motionless. Not expecting much, I decide to drink some iced tea. All of a sudden out of the corner of my eye I see a small wake coming towards my bobber. My bobber does some light twitches then goes under. I count to four and do a light hook set tug to my right side. Fish on! She was pulling pretty nice. I could tell nothing huge but all of a sudden I see a silver and long figure. My first glimpse I though I had a northern pike. Interesting. Yet as I reeled her in and hoisted into the weeds I realized I had a chunky rainbow trout. Nice!
This sized rainbow HAS to be a holdover. That or it grew really fast since the hatchery truck dropped her off at the beginning of the season. Chunky and 14,” she is one for the frying pan.
