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Posted By:
Hal Brown
Date Posted:
Aug 31, 2009
Description:
There was a famous movie not that long ago where the character held a Rainbow a little smaller than this one and said: We have all been blessed today, its just that one of us was blessed more than the others! This 27” Bow is my biggest thus far and was making me feel pretty blessed. Although they get much bigger than this (usually in October) the fact I even have this picture is a blessing
That back pack on my back is holding about 20lbs of fancy camera gear. There are lenses for this and lenses for that, but one important item was missing…… the battery. I knew I was going to be into a lot of big trout and big bear, so I put it in the charger the night before to top it off for the big day. I was topped off alright when I realized I had left the battery back at the B & B.
I was catching big fish all morning…. it was a great morning, but each time I landed one, I would curse myself for leaving that cursed battery. Then as I have this big boy on, we hear a couple fishing around the down stream bend announce “bear”! Crap……. I am going to have to cut this guy off! My guide is watching down stream while I am tussling with the healthy Bow who was pulling me into the backing and towards the oncoming bear. It was not long before the fisherman and fisherwoman came around the bend. They were doing the bear walk where you don’t want to appear to be running away, but you are steadily keeping your distance from a one ton brown furry eating machine.
As they reach us they inform us that the bear is just around the tall grass heading this way and he is the “big guy” we all saw earlier in the morning. Great!!...... my trout is not hearing any of this and would not care anyway. Every time I get him near the shallow gravel, he makes another run pealing off line that sprays a fine mist of cool mountain water on my face. My guide looks over the tall grass to get a fix on the bear and returns with a concerned look on his face, but I can tell he wants to see this trout too. We both watch this wild Bow make another run.
The guide subconsciously locates his clippers in his right hand as he turns to get another fix on Yogi the party crasher. I can tell the guide has been in this situation many times before and will not hesitate to cut my line if he thinks Yogi sees our fish, but Yogi has still not made it around the bend. Then it hits me. I ask the young, attractive and intelligent looking Fly fisher if she happens to have a camera in her waders. She does and patiently listens to the short version of my battery story while we all watch for Yogi’s entrance down stream.
The great news of an available camera gives me keen sense into my tussle with the trout. I begin working him for every once of my thin tippet. I also started putting angle on him as if I was fighting a 150lb tarpon. I was determined to land him or break him off in the fight. I was blessed, and the tippet held the extra weight brought to bear (no pun intended) by palming the reel.
Astin, the fly fisher, executed the photography while I corralled the fish into position and the guide made another check over the tall grass. The guide returned with the “that’s it” look. We both hesitated only a second to admire the big Bow and with a flick of his wrist, the guide dislodged the hook and the rainbow immediately began pushing through the clear water not even deep enough to cover its back.
The rainbow pushed hard through the shallows, did a 180 degree turn and launched itself back on the mud bank. We’re expecting a very large grizzly around the corner any second and now we have a large trout flopping around in the mud at our feet…….. not good. The guide goes for the trout and aligns him with his universe again while our fly fisher friends begin doing the bear walk. Our trout began pushing through the shallows again just as I noticed movement in my peripheral vision down at the bend. I can remember thinking, if that trout does another 180 and launches itself back on the bank and that grizzly sees it and begins to run towards us, I am going to have brown trout in my waders!
Mr. Trout had his bearings straight this time and pushed into deep water without being noticed. The guide washed his hands real quick and we began doing the bear walk to catch up to our fellow fly fishers. We reached a point just up river of where we figured Yogi would cut through the grass and jump ahead of us. We all stood there watching this large brown bear lumbering up the bank. When he reached the area where Mr. Trout was having a mud bath, he paused and sniffed the mud. It’s well known that bears have a very astute sense of smell. It was right about then that I realized I don’t remember washing my hands after releasing the trout.
The grizzly looked around the mud bank briefly and continued our way. He reached the point where our guide calculated he would turn and to my relief he did just that and began to cross the river. He did stop in the middle and put his nose in the air as if he had just caught the scent of something good, but then continued his journey up river.
Alaska is truly an aviation state and full of big adventure. As seaplane pilots, you owe it to yourselves to spend a week there taking it all in.
Date Taken:
Aug 31, 2009
Place Taken:
Brooks River, Alaska
Owner:
R. Lee
File Name:
Lee_Trout5.jpg - Photo HTML
Full size - <img src="/show.php?splash=SZRPK0000h">
Medium - <img src="/show.php?splash=SZRPK0000m">
Thumbnail - <img src="/show.php?splash=SZRPK0000s">
Category:
385, Alaska
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Read what others had to say:
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Frank A. Carr - Aug 31,2009
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Awesome tale Robert. Watch out Dan, there's competition around. This story belongs in Field and Stream or <br />SPA Magazine or whatever. Thanks for sharing.
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Don Maxwell - Aug 31,2009
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Good story, Robert. I can just see you doing the bear walk, sniffing your hands, hoping you were downwind...
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Dan Nickens - Aug 31,2009
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Now that is a great fish tail, Robert. I would like to see a video of that bear walk....maybe to the old 'Thriller' sound track?
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