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3. Big Dry Fly Fish

Really big dry fly fish are by no means commonplace at least not here in the United States. In New Zealand one is much more likely to see and land really big fish on the dry fly. Here are a few fish I consider to be great fish on the dry fly.

Those are dandies, Matt. I really like the big-jawed brutes in the middle! :)

Very nice, Matt. It's the spots that get me, Kurt.

Yes, and the rainbow is a classic/perfect representative of the species as well.

I think I remember you posting some of these on here before, Matt. Some big-ass trout there, especially on dries! My personal best trout on fly gear was the 18-incher I got last September, on a #12 White Wulff. Working on it, there's bigger ones in the Rifle and who knows about the Pine, there's at least one hole in there that's over my head...

Jonathon

Yep, some were on before but I wanted to show Louis that a 22" - 23" trout on a dry fly surely is a major life event. I can vividly remember where these trout were caught, what fly I used and how they fought. All of them had me pretty much a quivering nervous happy wreck by the time they were in the net. Most of them wouldn't fit into my net very well and that is why I bought a huge Brodin Gallatin with the Ghost bag. Some people I don't know make smartass comments about the net. That's okay 'cause most of them have never seen a 23" trout on their leader.

I'd acquired a few different net sizes over time too. But the most recent one was the smallest. Go figure. I think my net acquisition history has followed what Louis wrote about in his redemption thread.

I know a couple of guys that just never carry a net. Now I never carry one when fishing local waters as I know the likelihood of me catching anything more than 16" long is really remote. I would feel kind of silly wearing the Brodin (it is 24" long) on water where a 16" trout would be considered large, But whenever I am on big water and big, 20" - 24" trout live I want the big net. It just helps conclude the capture and probably contributes to the survival of the trout.

My standard net is the 20" Measure Net (http://www.themeasurenet.com/). The biggest fish I have measured in it yet was a 19 1/2" smallmouth I caught off my friends' dock downstate in Cooley Lake, back in 2010 (only smallmouth I have ever caught there!). One of these days I'm gonna tie into a trout that will overfill it, has happened before but I lost them.

Jonathon

I carry one mainly for photography purposes -using it as a "keep sack". I bought the little one recently bc I lose to many of the little buggers while trying to handle them on a short line while stuffed into tight brushy places. You'd think I wouldn't care -it's almost all C&R anyway, but when a third to a half of my hard earned little fishes come unpinned while dancing around my waders and in and out of my hand ... I'd finally had it with that.

You know, for steelhead, I didn't carry a net the majority of the time. I liked a tailing glove. Then one November day I found a pod of fresh downright behemoths in the lower Salmon River. I lost two very large ones that day. The first was a hen I estimated at around 16lbs and pretty much had her. But instead of walking her a bit shallower I tried to tail her while she was still buoyant. As I reached for her tail, she bolted between my legs and took my fly with her. She was tired and didn't go far and I reached for her again but, untethered, she wouldn't allow it.

The second was an even larger male that I estimated at somewhere near 18-20lbs! And my fly pulled free. I added a new net to my collection.

Me too, when fishing the little Erie streams that are no more than 30' wide, and relatively shallow, I either coax them to shore and unceremoniously slide them onto the cobble or slip on the mesh tailing glove.

But the Salmon river is an entirely different piece of water. Stronger currents and seldom a place to beach a big fish. Years ago inthe pool just below the Altmar bridge I hooked a really big hen. I fought the fish well and when it was finally tired I was ready to beach it but there was no beach. Luckily for me a generous fellow below me had a huge net and he thrust it into the river and I just let the big girl float back into the net. It is one of the two fish I had mounted from the Salmon River. That fish was 16# and I have a gorgeous brown, not a monster by any means, but just a great looking mount.

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Was never much of a skater. But I learned to pirouette like a ballerina on that river. Amazing what adrenaline will do.

Those are nice, Matt! Wonderful coloration on a couple of them.

I got a new net this year. It has an 18"x13" hoop. It is nice, and fit a 21" in it with ease earlier this year. On Monday I wished I had a bigger one. I ended up losing a bruiser male in heavy current after missing the net job twice.