Big Hole River 800 cfs Jefferson River 920 cfs
Dave G. who has been fishing with me for 15 years hooked the largest trout today he has ever seen and lost him. He was only on for a couple seconds but long enough to get a good look at him when he rolled on the surface. I’m talking in the category of around 30 inches, this thing was huge. We were fishing in a channel and I had Dave get out of the boat to fish a deep run just below a gravel bar when he hooked him. It was on a large attractor pattern tied on with 3x tippet. After inspecting the tippet it looked like it was sawed off by his teeth when it rolled. Over the years he has caught several trout between 20 and 25 inches but this one really shook him up, like he said it was almost scary. We had been fishing nymphs earlier as it was hot and sunny and then a small rain shower came over and that’s when we decided to switch over.
I had a comment regarding my entry yesterday that I should not be angry at the newspaper but at the irrigators in the upper valley for flood irrigating their fields to the point they look like rice paddies. This subject had been brought up many times and their answer is by doing that they are storing water in the upper water shed that will eventually seep in to the lower. I’m not a hydrologist but I really don’t see much of that happening. To get more information on that subject, attend one of the Big Hole Watershed Committee meetings held each month at the Divide Grange Hall. I’m not sure of the date but will post it.