Thursday, May 03, 2012

The Cork Has Been Slimed

In flyfishing, there is a tradition, when one purchases a new fly rod, of sliming the rod’s cork grip upon landing of the first trout taken with said fly rod.  The cork grip of the bamboo stick I recently mentioned here, was properly slimed last week, while I was North, with the slime of a number of trout caught and released, with the below trout, a 14 inch brown, providing the most satisfaction in performing this tradition.

image

I took this trout to my hand at around 3:45 in the afternoon, about 100 yards downstream of Shep’s Bend, on a Hendrickson mayfly, tied in the comparadum style with a trailing shuck, and the trout took the dry fly with gusto.

The brown is actually the perfect eating size, fried up in a cast iron skillet with butter, salt and pepper, but I predominately practice catch and release, so after the photo op, I gently gathered the brown in my hands, knelt with him in the water while he re-acclimimated himself to his natural environs, and watched him swim upstream with vigor and purpose from my hand.  We may very well meet again in the future.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/03 at 10:01 AM
(2) Comments • Permalink