Best of the Year - 2023 Edition
- Thread starter hooker-of-men
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lycoflyfisher
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- Apr 15, 2014
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- 1,410
Looks like you are not the only one who hooked it.
Andrwhite610
Active member
This native was my first fish on the fly in February. I called out sick from work and went to a small mountain stream to fish. At that point in time a wild Brook trout was like a mythical creature to me. Ive gone on to catch many more.😁
This brown was from a Trip to the Little J. In June. It was my first time on a “big boy” stream out of my home area of Berks County. It was great to land a few fish this being the best. I was fishing a dry dropper. It was an added bonus that I was nearby some tight line fishers that I didn’t see landing any fish. A good confidence boost.
In addition to becoming addicted to fly fishing trout I became addicted to kayak fishing conventional gear for Smallies on the Susquehanna. Getting on to a morning top water bite of them busting baitfish is an absolute blast. This fish being my closest to a 20”.
I’ve become obsessed with fishing over the last year. With podcasts, YouTube and this forum I have learned a ton that really shortened the learning curve.
Tight lines 🎣
This brown was from a Trip to the Little J. In June. It was my first time on a “big boy” stream out of my home area of Berks County. It was great to land a few fish this being the best. I was fishing a dry dropper. It was an added bonus that I was nearby some tight line fishers that I didn’t see landing any fish. A good confidence boost.
In addition to becoming addicted to fly fishing trout I became addicted to kayak fishing conventional gear for Smallies on the Susquehanna. Getting on to a morning top water bite of them busting baitfish is an absolute blast. This fish being my closest to a 20”.
I’ve become obsessed with fishing over the last year. With podcasts, YouTube and this forum I have learned a ton that really shortened the learning curve.
Tight lines 🎣
wildtrout2
Well-known member
That's a monster smallmouth! Must have put up a great fight. Congrats.
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bdhoover77
Well-known member
My best fish of the year was an 18” brown trout that I caught on a grannom pattern on the LJ in April. But I didn’t get a chance to take a photo. I also hoped I would find a few brookies this year in Maryland, but that never happened. I also had dreams of catching something worth remembering on our family trip to Costa Rica in July. My son caught a snapper and a few mackerel on our charter, but I didn’t find anything memorable in the surf.
My other experience was getting up to Penns Creek for a couple days in October. I lost a really nice fish in some pocket water above Poe Paddy. He spit the hook, but it was still a pretty fun fight.
I did manage to get photos of a couple nice fish I caught on the Savage in September.
My other experience was getting up to Penns Creek for a couple days in October. I lost a really nice fish in some pocket water above Poe Paddy. He spit the hook, but it was still a pretty fun fight.
I did manage to get photos of a couple nice fish I caught on the Savage in September.
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Striperbobby
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- Aug 25, 2020
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- 100
Smallies are a great fly fishing species, try a size 2 popper an hour before dark until and hour after dark on the susky. If you are there during a mayfly hatch you can also catch big channel catties on poppers.
Andrwhite610
Active member
I prefer the morning bite🙂. I’m salivating just thinking of the late summer, early mornings and the top water action. If you come across them pushing baitfish up to the bank it’s about to go down 🤤
Andrwhite610
Active member
The Susky is infested with those 😁
MJMFlyfisher
Well-known member
My Favorite fish of 2023...... Bighorn River, MT
Didn't measure but probably a solid 20" on a #22 BWO parachute. Love the "20/20 Club" fish 🙂
One of those crawling stalk type fish being super picky in a foot of water.
You can see the fly still hanging on for dear life in the 2nd picture!
And my best rainbow of 2023..... not quite as glamorous as the fish above. #16 PMD nymph.
Didn't measure but probably a solid 20" on a #22 BWO parachute. Love the "20/20 Club" fish 🙂
One of those crawling stalk type fish being super picky in a foot of water.
You can see the fly still hanging on for dear life in the 2nd picture!
And my best rainbow of 2023..... not quite as glamorous as the fish above. #16 PMD nymph.
Kyle
Well-known member
some great fish guys! i caught my normal trout and smallies in the summer. i would say my most memorable fish of the year was catching my first ever shad on fly gear. it wasnt a big fish but still a great one to me. awesome fight they put up
caddisflyer
Well-known member
My son with a couple nice ones taken on dry flies last spring.
MM
JimNovo
Well-known member
Not the biggest fish of the year, but it sure is nice to fish a new river and catch trout.
First Penns Brown
First Neversink Brown
First Penns Brown
First Neversink Brown
ryansheehan
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- Jun 1, 2015
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- 2,533
I can't believe you didn't post the mouth chub! That was the best fish of the year, there is no close second.
discomidge
Well-known member
This may not count, but my favorite fish this year was one my 8yo son caught. We were out on an inshore trip on the OBX, my bro and I were catching specks, drum, and flounder on the fly from a dock on an island out in the sound. My stepdad was live lining peanut bunker and my son thought that looked like fun. So he put down his Nintendo Switch, asked the captain for a rod, grabbed a peanut from the live well, and put it on the hook all by himself - for the first time ever. We were all watching out of the corners of our eyes, letting him do his thing. He clearly wanted to do big kid stuff. He threw the bunker in and -BAM- instantly hooked a flounder. Fought it in himself too. He was so pumped:
I caught an albie on the fly a couple days later about 20 miles offshore. Man that was fun. I love my central PA browns but hot dog that thing was a next level line burner. I caught many fish that were much larger than this one on that trip using spinning gear, but this was the most fun by far. Probably my own fish of the year just because it was so different from what I'm used to.
And this is the 9wt rod during the fight, such good times:
No disrespect to our trout. I absolutely cannot wait to go fishing tomorrow.
I caught an albie on the fly a couple days later about 20 miles offshore. Man that was fun. I love my central PA browns but hot dog that thing was a next level line burner. I caught many fish that were much larger than this one on that trip using spinning gear, but this was the most fun by far. Probably my own fish of the year just because it was so different from what I'm used to.
And this is the 9wt rod during the fight, such good times:
No disrespect to our trout. I absolutely cannot wait to go fishing tomorrow.
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You have friends? 🙂
I prolly had my best years ever. It helped moving back to Pennsylvania and spending more time on the water. More importantly I got to fish with more people than in any year too, which was even better. Hard to even hit all the highlights: Early April caddis hatch on spring creek, Kettle Creek with college friends, Paflyfish Jamboree week on Penns, Montana in August and fall trip to Kettle. Plus a variety of days on streams all over SEPA. The bonus was the plentiful trout to hand on all the trips.
