Strange Morning on Brodhead Creek

[Millsertime]

I've been targeting and missing the same trout on the Brodhead in Monroe County for the past 2 weeks. He would take a dry fly 2-3 times before he would permanently hide back in his hole. I normally have a good hookup/miss % but I've missed him over a dozen times the past 2 weeks. This morning I finally landed him and I saw what the issue was. He either had a deformity or he's been caught way too many times and lost part of his mouth. It's a stocked brown in ATW so hatchery deformity or treble hooks could be to blame. Anybody else have a similar experience?

Also, I landed my first swallow today on a BWO emerger. I guess swallows can't tell the difference between an emerger and a dun as all of the other intelligent swallows were picking at duns. The fly was deep and the swallow had tippet wrapped all around it. I really wanted that fly back as it was producing so I had to make a choice. RIP swallow.

 

[turkey]

That swallow looks stocked

 

[Dcap240]

Had a similar experience with a baby duck who really wanted my sulphur spinner. He lived but with a sulphur lip ring.

 

[Chaz]

Swallows fly incredibly fast, just try to photograph one in flight, you will often see themcatch bugs on the water, or just fly down to take a drink in flight. I've fished streams with heavy flights of swallows so often I'm surprised I haven't caught a swallow yet.
To answer the question about deformed mouths on trout, yes, it happens, both as a genetic deformity and from hook damage.

 

[blueheron]

Probably had it ripped off by a hook, pretty resilient fish.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Looks like there's some evidence of scarring, so that leads me to believe it was hook damage. Tough fish!

 

[NedZeppelin]

Put him back and leave him in peace - that salmo has paid his dues!

 

[Millsertime]

Tough fish indeed. Survived 2 weeks of 80 degree water temps last month and if he had issues taking my fly, I'm guessing he struggled surviving with naturals as well.