06/07/2026
Craig with a giant on the dry fly!
5x tippet, size 18 dry fly hook, that’s what it’s all about man!
We had a rainy day off at the Lodge so we had to hit the water. We had a killer PMD hatch come off in the afternoon so we started looking for some bigger noses on the surface. As we rolled down the river we saw him. A huge head sipping mayflies near the bank. I held the boat up while Craig threw some shots at him. The fish was in an awkward piece of water, so a perfect drift was tough to come by. After a couple of shots, we finally connected.
Fighting a fish this size on 5x is tough, add in the fact that he ate a size 18 dry fly, we were in for a battle. At the beginning of the fight he headed for some rocks, but we were able turn him out in time. After the close call, he headed straight downstream, jumping three times as he drug as down the river. We shoved the boat downstream, on his trail, until he finally showed signs of tiring. After a couple attempts to lift his head up, we finally got him to the net. After a couple of pictures, he swam off hard to find some more bugs to eat. What a bruiser!
