Snowmelt Browns

[mike_richardson]

Had a great couple of hours on Sunday. Caught my Dream Brown and another really nice trout. If you look under the smaller browns eye you can see the spot. I caught that fish in July and left her go. I caught a decent little brookie and a small rainbow as well. Coyote nymphs, and coyote beadhead softhackles were the ticket. FIsh were sluggish, and you really had to hit them on the nose. Soft takes kept things interesting.

I'm a small stream guy, and really love to catch native brookies, but a few nice browns like this every once in a while can really get the blood going.

 

[salmonoid]

What, only four pictures?!?!? Just kidding - nice to see some fish, and nice size and looking ones too. Haven't fished since two days before Christmas, so I'm itching to break the seal for 2018.

 

[Wild_Trouter]

Mike-
That is an absolutely beautiful brown! Excellent job

 

[Mike]

Yep, the bigger Browns were hitting on the Lehigh too...taking stick baits based on what I witnessed.

 

[wildtrout2]

Beautiful wild brown! Congrats.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

Good stuff!

 

[Dave_W]

No doubt - that's a real beaut!

The sudden uptick in flows and water temps has likely opened a mid-winter window of good small stream trout fishing. Most of the freestone creeks in my neck of the woods are now clear of most if not all of their ice. Get out and do some fishing if you can.

 

[bugger814]

Nice fish ! I havn't gotten out yet in 2018 but I think I may have to hit the Lehigh this weekend.

 

[sroach]

Very nice Fish!!!

 

[mike_richardson]

salmonoid I was a little hesitant to post 3 pictures of the same fish, I figured that may be grounds for 14 posts of guys complaining about seeing the same beautiful fish more than twice, but I guess 3 doesn't go over the limit.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

Nice catch! GG

 

[salmonoid]

mike_richardson wrote:
salmonoid I was a little hesitant to post 3 pictures of the same fish, I figured that may be grounds for 14 posts of guys complaining about seeing the same beautiful fish more than twice, but I guess 3 doesn't go over the limit.

Left side, right side, mouth. You're good. A close up of the tail and adipose probably would have tipped a few people over the edge ;-)

 

[salvelinus]

I didn't say anything because you just keep doing it anyway. How long was that fish out of the water to take three pics?

 

[Dave_W]

salvelinus wrote:
I didn't say anything because you just keep doing it anyway. How long was that fish out of the water to take three pics?

Lighten up.

Calling people out for fish handling when you were not present is unfair and unproductive. The origianl poster is entitled to the benefit of the doubt. The fish could easily have been photographed in a few seconds.

We welcome nice photography around here - including nice fish photos like this one.

 

[Out4Trout]

Nice fish, great job and that makes me want to get out and go after a few myself.

 

[mike_richardson]

I dipped him for a second or two in the water before I snapped each pic. Hes pretty wet in each picture. LOL I can't win.

 

[dryflyguy]

I've always kinda believed that snowmelt puts a big slug of cold, usually dirty water into the stream. And really throws the fish off of feeding for awhile.
But I guess that's not necessarily the case.
Glad to see someone else getting out and making the best of it.

 

[jacob]

Nice!!!

 

[jifigz]

That's a gorgeous brown. Congratulations.

 

[dc410]

Very nice fish!