Vivid Memory

[Driftless]

 

I came upon this hole the first time I ever fished this stretch. It was late September.  I had a tradition back in the day to end my season each year with a new stream way up in the head waters in the boonies in search of brookies.  I took the photo after I had fished the hole.  The photo is taken downstream.

I had fished the hole from below first and caught a leaf about every cast.  I dismissed the hole and looped around it because the top of the hole looked good.

I obviously was less than stealthy and spooked a couple fish out of the upper part of the rock wall.  I saw where they went to and decided to hold in place for a while and let them calm down.

While i was motionless waiting i stared at the 2 forms in the shallow leafy mess.  I was certain I could see their fins and they were red with white accent.  These two fish were a couple of big brookies.

After standing still for 15 minutes I cast at the two forms.  I let the spinner drop to the bottom to avoid the leaves and then retrieved. They both began to follow my panther.  The smaller of the two attacked it and I was hooked up.  This fish had shoulders and wasn't giving up without a fight.

Then something weird happened.  The other fish that had followed began shadowing the trout on my line.  It wasn't attacking the fish...it was matching its battle and keeping the trout company.

I landed the fish on my line.  It was a crazy fat male brookie.  The other fish held in the leafy shallows not more than a rod length out.

 

 

I snapped a couple photos and sent him on his way.  I guess him at 15-16 male brookie and the fattest brookie I had ever caught.

 

 

When I released the portly brookie it went back and swam up to its mate, a massive female brookie and they swam back into the leaf covered mess.  It was the last day of the season and I had to think and dream of that huge brookie all closed season.

 

 

I went back at least 20 times during all different seasons trying to catch the huge female brookie with no luck.  Photo above was taken in June when the leaves were reasonable and from the bottom of the hole upstream.

Below is a comparison shot of another brookie and blimpo I caught in this leave hole.

 

 

Now visualize a brook trout that makes Mr. Blimp look small.....Picture is clear now and vivid.