Best Fish of 2022

wcosner2

wcosner2

Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2020
Messages
48
Let's see em! (or hear about them if you didn't manage to snag a picture of that "30-inch" brown). Unless you are like me and are still holding out hope for an epic end-of-the-year fish.
 
Biggest: 21” Rainbow caught on the South Branch of the Raritan in NJ last January. Clearly stocked with a jaw tag removed probably from Shannon’s Bubba contest. God bless Jim Holland…RIP.

Best: a West Branch of the Delaware wild Brown caught in July during the tiny Sulphur season. So happy fooling a WB Brown during the toughest dry fly time of the year up there.
 

Attachments

  • 2C466148-2776-403C-8453-6920E4666A89.jpeg
    2C466148-2776-403C-8453-6920E4666A89.jpeg
    204.1 KB · Views: 72
  • 1DCE3B50-B223-4FF4-AB67-99B8B67F3776.jpeg
    1DCE3B50-B223-4FF4-AB67-99B8B67F3776.jpeg
    592.2 KB · Views: 74
Doesn't really count but I'll tell the story anyway.
In June I ordered a 7' glass 3wt. I got it in July. Water temps were close enough that I just waited. When the water finally cooled a bit I fished it. First 2 times out were rough. I didn't catch anything.
The 3rd time out was going the same. I'm on a very local stream and get to a big pool just after a 90* bend with weird currents. It's very difficult to get an accurate drag free drift through the pool. I fish this stream often and have never had a take at this particular location. I guess this is a good time to mention I almost exclusively fish dry flys. Nothing was rising that day. I'm too stubborn to give up or try something else.

I arrive and see a decent looking fish steadily rising. I cast down and across in a narrow riffle trying to get enough line out to reach into the pool where Mr fishy is. It's like magic, everything lines up, I get the drift I wanted, and a brown casually sips it. I set the barbless hook and begin to gently strip line in. The fish doesn't spook and allows me to slowly pull it closer and closer. No fight at all, it just glides toward me. Once it's at my feet I see it's a very nice brown, probably about 16-17" and decide I need a picture. I get my phone out of my pack, get the camera up, reach for the fish and it finally spooks and pops right off.
So yeah, I didn't bring it to hand, no pics, but I still feel that was my best fish in 2022.
 
phiendWMD said:
Doesn't really count but I'll tell the story anyway.
In June I ordered a 7' glass 3wt. I got it in July. Water temps were close enough that I just waited. When the water finally cooled a bit I fished it. First 2 times out were rough. I didn't catch anything.
The 3rd time out was going the same. I'm on a very local stream and get to a big pool just after a 90* bend with weird currents. It's very difficult to get an accurate drag free drift through the pool. I fish this stream often and have never had a take at this particular location. I guess this is a good time to mention I almost exclusively fish dry flys. Nothing was rising that day. I'm too stubborn to give up or try something else.

I arrive and see a decent looking fish steadily rising. I cast down and across in a narrow riffle trying to get enough line out to reach into the pool where Mr fishy is. It's like magic, everything lines up, I get the drift I wanted, and a brown casually sips it. I set the barbless hook and begin to gently strip line in. The fish doesn't spook and allows me to slowly pull it closer and closer. No fight at all, it just glides toward me. Once it's at my feet I see it's a very nice brown, probably about 16-17" and decide I need a picture. I get my phone out of my pack, get the camera up, reach for the fish and it finally spooks and pops right off.
So yeah, I didn't bring it to hand, no pics, but I still feel that was my best fish in 2022.
Click to expand...
That counts!!!!
 
20220415 142149052 iOS
I don't take a lot of fish pics, and these certainly were not my biggest, but definitely the most memorable of the year. I was fishing the narrows on BFC, had a double nymph rig with a caddis larve and an emerger. Felt a tug, set the hook, then all the sudden it got super heavy. Managed to land this double.
 
dudemanspecial said:
View attachment 1641228030I don't take a lot of fish pics, and these certainly were not my biggest, but definitely the most memorable of the year. I was fishing the narrows on BFC, had a double nymph rig with a caddis larve and an emerger. Felt a tug, set the hook, then all the sudden it got super heavy. Managed to land this double.
Click to expand...
Wow! A double!!!
 
This year was kinda blah. Not sure I had anything that I could consider fish of the year. Minimal fishing, mediocre catching, many nice fish but nothing that made me all warm and fuzzy. Good news.... spring 2023 is coming and I can fix it 😁
 
JimNovo said:
What is that fly???!
Click to expand...
Double Gonga. Store-bought, I haven't worked up to tying articulated yet. That fish absolutely slammed the fly. I'm not convinced articulated is the way to go yet. I miss so many hits. But it's proven very good at locating nice fish I wouldn't draw out otherwise. This fish was just so set on eating that the hookset hardly mattered.
 
It's not the biggest fish of the year but it is an Islamorada bonefish.
15885
 
Each and everyone of the few I managed to catch in the past year. Different species, different tackle, but each a thrill and a trophy to me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Montana Angler Fly Fishing
Montana Angler Fly Fishing
Harman's North Fork Cottages


Real Time Data From
the USGS Site

Share this page

Back
Top