Surprise on the River

Reel Geezer · Post by **Reel Geezer** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 7:21 pm

The smallmouth have been very active for the past month on the river, as Roger can testify. Today I caught 34 decent fish, but nothing to brag about, UNTIL...

About 1:30, under a blazing blue sky, the thermometer in my boat registered 104. However, there was a good bite in a swift eddy on a blue black Case Jack's Worm bounced along the bottom. All of a sudden I found myself tangled with a faster fish that showed some silver flashes during the fight. When it jumped the doubt was gone. I boated this nice fish.

This rainbow trout was the first I have ever caught in this river, although I've heard of a few from others. It measured 20" and had obviously been around for a long time.

The rod is a Loomis BCR802, the reel a Daiwa TDZ loaded with 15 pound yellow Power Pro. The Jack's Worm was rigged on a 1/8 oz. ball head jig.

Post by **Brian F.** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 8:17 pm

Wow, that IS a nice fish, Phil! I like the shirt too.

Roger Schulz · Post by **Roger Schulz** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:33 am

Phil:

I am going to have to head back to Idaho if you are catching rainbows. Have you seen or heard of any reports of rainbows in the area that you fish? Nice looking fish. How did Fudge handle the strange fish? How did the fight compare to a smallmouth?

Roger

Post by **john elder** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:56 am

I'm guessing that with all those smallies around, a young trout has a life expectancy of about an hour, which may explain the paucity of big trout...I would venture to guess that one was planted? Nice catch, regardless!...and you are as tough as we all thought, Phil, if you can keep casting and reeling them in at 104 degrees on the water!

Reel Geezer · Post by **Reel Geezer** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 1:51 pm

There are no trout planted in the Snake in that area. I believe all are natural production. Some are caught about 20 miles upstream below a dam, but I don't believe many are caught in the pool I was fishing. This long deep pool is about 1/2 mile long and over 20' deep in spots. The trout was caught a the head of the pool. Surface temperatures read 68-72 at this time of year, so it is OK for trout if they can make it to maturity. The pool has smallmouth, sturgeon, channel and flathead catfish, crappie, perch, and obviously trout in it. Non-game fish I've caught are suckers and carp. What else lurks there is not known by me. This is the pool, looking upstream:

Roger learned that I call the area I was fishing "the spotted fawn" riffle. The trout was right where I waded in to retrieve my anchor when we were fishing together. I'm sure not counting on catching more trout anytime soon. As mentioned it was faster than most smallmouth, but a 20" smallmouth would pull it inside out. And for pure pulling strength, the occasional channel catfish that I catch are extremely strong.

At 104 degrees you drink lots of water, soak yourself with an ORCA wet towel, and let Fudge go swimming frequently. Temperature at home on the lake was only 87.