O'Shay's Trouting Adventures!!!

[Ric O'shay]

Got bit by the inland small stream trout fishing bug, this is my 4th season.
I seem to catch a decent amount of Brookies, which are my favorite. My best is an 18" which is pretty decent for Wisco.
However until yesterday I was unable to crack the 20" plus mark on a Brown.
This guy had some good shoulders, cool blue cheek, and the start of a kype mouth. He was 24"+/-
I run solo so no great photo, but I snapped a pic, and got him back clean.
Fall is here so I hope to catch his dad, or fat mom.

 

[Fig]

That is a beautiful fish and a beautiful stream!

 

[Ric O'shay]

Easy to see why I go "Accidental Swimming" a few time a year.

 

[atepointer]

If you want a riot of an experience in that little space get yourself a fly rod and find out what the hatches are......nothing more insane than watching a brown bust on a dry.....shoot really anything on a dry fly is my fav. Hope those browns don't wipe out your brookie population.

 

[BCP]

Nice fish.

I think we used to catch browns in lake almanor years ago.

Fishing in little ponds, creeks, lakes is one of the things I miss most about california. Arizona is the desert there isn't much fishing here lol.

 

[Fig]

'cept fishin' for all the poontang on the Salt!

 

[Ric O'shay]

Hey 8, I trek back miles into deep stuff. I can barely get a cast off on most places I go for Brookies. Plus I find big trout like to eat frogs. Green Crank baits work well for me.
Regarding the Brown Vs Brook. Brookies seem to migrate around all summer. The Brookies seek small streams and cold water and the Browns are less fussy about water temp. Seems to make for a healthy population of both.
But yes I get it, surface action is fun.

 

[atepointer]

Hey 8, I trek back miles into deep stuff. I can barely get a cast off on most places I go for Brookies. Plus I find big trout like to eat frogs. Green Crank baits work well for me.
Regarding the Brown Vs Brook. Brookies seem to migrate around all summer. The Brookies seek small streams and cold water and the Browns are less fussy about water temp. Seems to make for a healthy population of both.
But yes I get it, surface action is fun.

All the more reason to consider a fly rod. Tons of different casts that will take up less space than a spinning outfit. A basic roll cast could work anywhere on that little pic above plus a good 3 piece fly rod will pack up in a backpack for ease of transport on your trek in/out.

Either way have fun as long as you have a tight line you are in the game!

 

[MtnCreek]

Ultalite spinning with 4# mono is a ton of fun. Flyrods are the devil.

 

[Ric O'shay]

I think the Fly guys have good intentions.
One funny thing though. I have had many fly guys try and convert me. I have not once heard a spin cast guy try to convert a fly fisherman. Seems like most people equate trouting to fly fishing. It's all good, I seldom see another human when fishing.

 

[atepointer]

I think the Fly guys have good intentions.
One funny thing though. I have had many fly guys try and convert me. I have not once heard a spin cast guy try to convert a fly fisherman. Seems like most people equate trouting to fly fishing. It's all good, I seldom see another human when fishing.

I think it depends where you live partly. I won't touch a fly rod here in FL it's almost exclusively live bait pitched at snook, reds, tarpon etc. simply b/c you cannot compete with live bait on a volume game. There are times I grab the jig rig, but not often b/c competing with live bait in season is brutal...when they want the sardines or pilchards.....that's it. When I'm out west British Columbia, Idaho, Montana I would never touch a spinner b/c of the same. I see guys losing their minds on the shore with spinning outfits as we are floating by with double hook ups all day. When the hatch is on that's it.....feeding frenzy! Last trip out to BC b/f wuflu we had couple of 100 + fish days on the Elk River b/t my dad and I all dry flies on Eastslope Cuttys. No day less than 30 each was total insanity! But I do admit I'm partial to dry fly fishing if I never catch another fish in the salts again in favor of standing in a mayfly hatch or something....i'll take the bugs!

As long as ur having fun that's what it's all about go get em!

 

[Redmanss]

I think it depends where you live partly. I won't touch a fly rod here in FL it's almost exclusively live bait pitched at snook, reds, tarpon etc. There are times I grab the jig rig, but not often. When I'm out west British Columbia, Idaho, Montana.....I would never touch a spinner. I see guys losing their minds on the shore with spinning outfits as we are floating by with double hook ups all day. When the hatch is on that's it.....feeding frenzy! Last trip out to BC b/f wuflu we had couple of 100 + fish days on the Elk River b/t my dad and I all dry flies on Eastslope Cuttys. No day less than 30 each was total insanity! But I do admit I'm partial to dry fly fishing if I never catch another fish in the salts again in favor of standing in a mayfly hatch or something....i'll take the bugs!

As long as ur having fun that's what it's all about go get em!

A 10wt in the back bays and flats is where some real fun is at in FL. I even hooked blacktop on a fly there.

 

[The D]

Mmmmm…he looks delicious

 

[Ric O'shay]

Montana...the promised land. On my fishing bucket list.
I would probably be stubborn and throw some meat at them.

 

[Bantam1]

I enjoy catching browns on the jerk bait in the small creeks here in CA. One day I'll get one of the giants. I fished the white river from the shore while working a Bassmaster event. We hooked a few but lost them in the current. Managed a few smaller rainbow and browns.

I have caught a few rainbows in the Kern River with a fly rod. My first time fly fishing was all thumbs. I learned how to cast but nobody showed me how to set the hook when you get bit. I'm a saltwater and freshwater bass guy mostly. I have been fortunate to fish all of the country with my job, but the fly thing was pretty cool. I had WAY more strikes with the fly for trout than I did using lures for those river fish. I can easily see why people enjoy it.

 

[atepointer]

A 10wt in the back bays and flats is where some real fun is at in FL. I even hooked blacktop on a fly there.

Many many years of pitching Lefty's Deceivers, crab and shrimp fakies at Reds, snook, permit and tarpon. It was cool to do it, but I long since sold all the 10 and 11 weights. All I keep now is a quiver of 3, 4 and 5 weights for out west.

 

[atepointer]

Montana...the promised land. On my fishing bucket list.
I would probably be stubborn and throw some meat at them.

hey man as long as you are having fun there is no wrong way!

 

[VVhoisJohnGalt]

Da

All the more reason to consider a fly rod. Tons of different casts that will take up less space than a spinning outfit. A basic roll cast could work anywhere on that little pic above plus a good 3 piece fly rod will pack up in a backpack for ease of transport on your trek in/out.

Either way have fun as long as you have a tight line you are in the game!

Dabbling, bow and arrow cast, roll cast, side arm…I used to tell my clients when I was guiding that you could fish inside a VW bus with a fly rod.
Plus you can still fish spinners and rapalas with a fly rod if you want…short flip casts
Floating rapalas down stream and then mending your line you can change up the retrieve etc…and work the rapala into undercut banks.
A fly rod is superior to a spinning rod on small streams in every way. Fight me! Haha.
BUT it takes work and effort to get good with a fly rod on small streams…and that’s the problem.

 

[MtnCreek]

Fishing small eastern creeks with a flyrod is an impressive skill that I don't have. It's like fishing a tunnel made of laurels and hemlock.

 

[Dunraven]

And thanks for not killing that beautiful fish. It's hopper time here in Wisconsin. Good fun.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Nice fish. A few years ago I caught a 26 inch Rainbow in the Frying Pan River in Colorado. It was a big fish for no bigger than the water was. I was way upstream from the bigger water. Fly fishing has been a huge enjoyment over the years. I have fished all up and down the Rockies. I, like you, prefer small streams. It lets me get away from anyone. I hit such good fishing outside of Duboise, Wyoming last year that after awhile I was bored and quit. Haven't flipped a rod since. Maybe next summer.

 

[91Eunozs]

Posted in the Pit, so I was half expecting some kind of German scheize video, or an outtake from the ‘show us your poop’ thread.

Disappointed.

4/10… would not read again.

 

[Ric O'shay]

^^Yeah, the Pit is my home turf, 4 of 10 is rather good for me.

 

[Riverlife87]

Nice!

 

[chevy_man]

Montana...the promised land. On my fishing bucket list.
I would probably be stubborn and throw some meat at them.

Don't bother, the streams are already full of idiots...


I drive past rivers and streams clogged with drift boats. I can go to any number of small ponds and catch a limit of 18"+ trout in an hour with a silver spinner or maybe a small flicker shad. All the while guys spend all day catching each other on the stream.


Instead I go to the Missouri and catch walleye or bass. A 5lb small mouth is so much more fun than a 5lb trout. When you catch the random 30lb Pike it gets real interesting.


Maybe it's just the tourists and the attitude that surrounds fly fishing, but I drive 2 hours to ft peck before I walk 2 blocks to a trout stream.

 

[Riverlife87]

Don't bother, the streams are already full of idiots...


I drive past rivers and streams clogged with drift boats. I can go to any number of small ponds and catch a limit of 18"+ trout in an hour with a silver spinner or maybe a small flicker shad. All the while guys spend all day catching each other on the stream.


Instead I go to the Missouri and catch walleye or bass. A 5lb small mouth is so much more fun than a 5lb trout. When you catch the random 30lb Pike it gets real interesting.


Maybe it's just the tourists and the attitude that surrounds fly fishing, but I drive 2 hours to ft peck before I walk 2 blocks to a trout stream.

Smallmouth is the way

 

[Ric O'shay]

I have a buddy that is obsessed with smallies. We have the Bay of Green Bay which is a world class spot for them, Musky and Walleye. But I would need a boat.
Something about fishing small streams for large trout that got me hooked. Plus getting to them here is work, which is why I seldom see anyone.
Most guys here are stacked up at the landing to troll for Walleye, seems kind of boring when I can be fumbling through the brush in search of a new spot.

 

[Riverlife87]

We do alot of skinny water fishing here in jet boats for smallys and musky. All you see is occasionally a kayaker or another boat

 

[Ric O'shay]

^^That sounds fun!

 

[MtnCreek]

I have a buddy that is obsessed with smallies. We have the Bay of Green Bay which is a world class spot for them, Musky and Walleye. But I would need a boat.
Something about fishing small streams for large trout that got me hooked. Plus getting to them here is work, which is why I seldom see anyone.
Most guys here are stacked up at the landing to troll for Walleye, seems kind of boring when I can be fumbling through the brush in search of a new spot.

Small brook in tiny creeks is next level fun IMHO. Want more excitement than that you'll need to camo up and sneak into a flyclub.

 

[nockhunter]

Nice

 

[NovaHunter]

Nice!

 

[n2ishun]

When I was a young kid I caught a 9 lb 10 oz rainbow off the docks at CottonWood cove on the Colorado river.
All the "good ol boys" were sitting in front of the tackle shop and lost their shit seeing it.
I was using a thinfin shad lure on 4 lb test, worked a treat.
I was very long haired then being it was the 70s and that made all those old guys even madder.
I know my pic hung in that tackle shop for a long time....dunno about now though....what with the river running dry ?

 

[chevy_man]

I have a buddy that is obsessed with smallies. We have the Bay of Green Bay which is a world class spot for them, Musky and Walleye. But I would need a boat.
Something about fishing small streams for large trout that got me hooked. Plus getting to them here is work, which is why I seldom see anyone.
Most guys here are stacked up at the landing to troll for Walleye, seems kind of boring when I can be fumbling through the brush in search of a new spot.

The secret is your buddies boat, and trolling is for drunks. At least around here, everyone I've fished with that insisted on trolling just wanted to float around and drink beer.

We hit all the submerged rock piles. We just drift in a circle around the rocks vertical jigging.
If they're up shallow we toss cranks and plastics into the rocks by shore and drag them out. Nothing beats a smallie smashing a jig .5 seconds after it hits the water.

It's always a fun time hitting a little rock pile and pulling up a 10lb walleye, and tormenting all the guys trolling that you were jigging bass.

 

[n2ishun]

Did someone say smallmouth ?

 

[Dunraven]

Don't bother, the streams are already full of idiots...


I drive past rivers and streams clogged with drift boats. I can go to any number of small ponds and catch a limit of 18"+ trout in an hour with a silver spinner or maybe a small flicker shad. All the while guys spend all day catching each other on the stream.


Instead I go to the Missouri and catch walleye or bass. A 5lb small mouth is so much more fun than a 5lb trout. When you catch the random 30lb Pike it gets real interesting.


Maybe it's just the tourists and the attitude that surrounds fly fishing, but I drive 2 hours to ft peck before I walk 2 blocks to a trout stream.

Fishing small eastern creeks with a flyrod is an impressive skill that I don't have. It's like fishing a tunnel made of laurels and hemlock.

Calls for a 2-weight.

 

[Dunraven]

Smallmouth is the way

I tried to go After Labor Day. Different world.

 

[Ric O'shay]

This guy took the Rapala deep yesterday and did not make it.
Put up a great fight, 5-6 jumps some right out of the water.
So having harvested this big boy, I need the Pits advice.
I am a experienced griller, but not well versed in smoking.
I have a electric Master Built that you add the wood to in a tray.
Being he is an older Brown my plan is to smoke him up and make Smoked trout dip.
I seek advice on how to properly smoke him, and if anyone has a good recipe for trout dip, that would beat searching the web.

 

[Sean the Nailer]

And nobody has brought up "Chironomid fishing" yet? Wow.

 

[akmike47]

I didn’t get a measurement, but I released some brown trout this morning. Very satisfying

Wish we had trout streams here(stocked a few hours away) but I guess I’ll have to settle with lakes full of double digit large mouth, huge catfish, and marshes full of reds.

 

[Colt45guy]

30 years ago on the Naknek River outside King Salmon, AK. There were 4 people in the boat, and we caught about 20 of these lunkers each. It was the only time in my life that I've ever stopped fishing because my arms were tired.

3/8 oz lead head jig with black maribou/silver flash--just bounced it off the bottom near Preacher Rock and hold on.

 

[Maser]

The 2nd pic in the OP looks literally like a painting you would see in someone's living room above the TV.

 

[Ric O'shay]

What no advice on how to smoke him? Usually the key words like smoker, bourbon, taco, grill, tits, cooler, reticle, 6.5, cigar, glowie, brisket, beer, and so on get the advice flowing like Niagara Falls.

 

[MJF]

I smoke trout, salmon & steelhead by placing it on a grill mat. I set the smoker on lo { 190-200*} Season it generously and place thinly sliced lemon on top.

 

[vinniedelpino]

What no advice on how to smoke him? Usually the key words like smoker, bourbon, taco, grill, tits, cooler, reticle, 6.5, cigar, glowie, brisket, beer, and so on get the advice flowing like Niagara Falls.

I’ll play.

Don’t smoke him. Wrap him in foil with good olive oil, s/p, lemon and the herbs of your choice. (Dill, parsley, rosemary and or terragon.). Throw it on the grill and consume.

Keep it simple. Trout is the best tasting fish there is. Get creative with shit fish instead.

 

[Ric O'shay]

^^That is true. I usually only keep fish that fit the size slot, are Brookies, and I am going to grill them that day.
I thought being this Brown was older and much larger than my typical keep I would need to jazz things up for him to taste good.
Perhaps I am overthinking it and I should just grill him as normal.

 

[Fig]

It's hard to hot smoke fish. It's best to brine them in a pretty strong brine first. They stop taking smoke at a very low temperature, so you have to keep it under about 150 if you want it to take any smoke. When the outside temp hits 180 the flesh won't absorb anymore. The only way to really do it is to cold smoke them. If you're going to eat them right away it really doesn't matter, but if you are making smoked trout dip, or want to actually preserve them you can't do a hot smoke.

The ones I got in the middle of the summer were so big it made sense to fillet them (something I normally don't do). With those big fillets I have really started to like blackening them. I think it like it's better than any other fish blackened. I have one of those lodge cast iron griddles and I throw it on the grill, get it up to 500, and they cook in about a minute blackening side down, and than another minute on the skin side.

 

[vinniedelpino]

^^That is true. I usually only keep fish that fit the size slot, are Brookies, and I am going to grill them that day.
I thought being this Brown was older and much larger than my typical keep I would need to jazz things up for him to taste good.
Perhaps I am overthinking it and I should just grill him as normal.

Store bought vs. wild caught makes a waaaay bigger difference in quality than size or age. I doubt you'd notice a difference due to size alone unless you eat trout regularly. I think the further north you go (colder) the better the quality of fish too. Same with venison. On the east end of NY there are small wineries all over the place. I had a buddy with a nuisance permit that used to hunt the deer on the wineries and I swear, that was the best tasting venison on earth. The venison down here in the south tastes like crap.

Whatever they feed those farm raised fish definitely screws with the flavor. Diet matters. A lot.

 

[Ric O'shay]

Alright!!! I am going to grill him as normal as I have that down to an art. Been meaning to try and do the trout dip, so If anyone has that mastered please let me know.

 

[Fig]