Fourth Base

Amelia & I had fed streamers to a big fish all summer. The last 3 trips in a row we’ve rowed below the boulder outcropping, past the leaning spruce tree, slid over, then held beside the sunken boulder beside the larger on shore. In the trough between we used to catch a few browns through the years. It’s a little deeper, a little slower these days. Each time we’ve floated, we’ve launched the double streamer set-up. And each time something grabs, runs, and breaks us off. On our 4 wt floating lines we’ve had some neat moments of “what was that!?!?” as we find ourselves again tying on new streamers.

Yesterday we found ourselves fishing that same beat, doing exactly the same approach, same flies, same everything. That is, everything except Amelia deciding at the start of the float to toss streamers on the 7 wt rod with the Deep-6 Line, 20lb to the first streamer, with the trailer tied on with 12 lb mono.

And as we slid into the same spot we’ve been owned the previous three trips, we wondered if we’d be so lucky as to hook up. Better, would we be able to conquer the big fish that was sitting there.

Sure enough. AJ cast in and hooked up. Clockwork! And this time things went our way. To the net! And an obvious explanation to the lost streamers. We finally rounded the bases with this one!