Jaws

by jeff
(clarendon hills, il USA)

I was fishing the Provo river with my buddy Jeff and our favorite guide from Wasatch Guide Service (Jeremy and co). We had a fairly productive half day of fishing. I had recently purchased a Tenkara Sato rod so i brought it along. It proved to be a wise decision. It was So much easier to make it float naturally as I keep the fly line out of the water without having to mend.

We almost had Jeremy converted by the end of the day! I was fishing with my Sato at the very end of the day when I hooked into a nice fish. My buddy and the two guides were there as we all watched the creature bend my Sato rod like a Cirque du Soleil contortionist.

I had limited room to let it run and the water was too deep to move out into the stream any further, so i was left to stand my ground. I tried to follow the fish as it moved up stream but the pressure was constant and my rod was stressing so i brought it down slightly. Moby Trout kept that pressure on with an occasional tug, which was much greater than any trout i had ever fought. He/She felt and fought more like a key west permit! I tried to keep the rod high but the pressure was intense. After a minute or two the fish had me where he wanted me. The rod was fully extended and as i attempted to flex it further the creature lurched yet again, leaving me holding the butt of my rod (and the butt of many jokes).

I was in shock as i stared at my line and 12' of Sato rod floating on the water. It was pulled to the other side and just as my guide started to go in after it, the demon from the depths dove yet again and everything disappear as if he was the long lost cousin of Jaws himself, pulling the yellow barrels underwater into the sea.

Although we never saw the line or the rod re-emerge again, we agreed that Timmy the 2 ton trout must have been at least 30" or 10lbs (and we are sticking to that story).

I'm just grateful it was the end of the day and for Tenkara who helped me replaced my Rod segments so that i may fish again another day. In fact, that day will be Monday and i hope that giant has grown quite a bit in the last two years!

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” - Benjamin Franklin

"Be sure in casting, that your fly fall first into the water, for if the line fall first, it scares or frightens the fish..." -
Col. Robert Venables 1662

As age slows my pace, I will become more like the heron.