20 inch Brown Trout Brodhead Creek, May 23rd, 2013

Today was overcast, humid, and had scattered thunderstorms. I took 2 hours off work early hoping to catch a rainy day hatch. I fished from 3-515 pm. I stopped at McMichael's Creek first but it was blown out with coffee stained water and much debris. I thought the Brodhead may be running clearer since it doesn't have the "dirt banks" like on MCC. The BHC was night and day difference from the MCC. The water was clear and running normal. I didn't notice any hatches and I had luck on big streamers a few weeks earlier so I tied on a #6 hares ear slumpbuster. I had a LARGE fish roll out of the water when the streamer hit the water once and I missed a couple of others. I caught a rainbow and smaller brown with a BH olive wooly bugger with a split shot on top of it to get it down. I tried the slumpbuster again before I left hoping that the "Big One" would strike again but it didn't. I started to see a couple of rises so I figured I'd try a dry for a few casts before I left. I decided on a big march brown as I figured they have been hatching the past week or so and the trout were probably keying in on them when they were out. I spotted a recent riser less than a foot from the opposite bank over 2-3 different currents. My first 2 casts failed with drag but my third cast had a nice drift and the riser sucked the MB in. After I set the hook, I could feel the weight but didn't think it was a biggun until it started taking drag. The "Big One" that rolled my streamer looked bigger than this one but who knows. I was lucky to get my hands on him and take a picture as you can see from the excessively bent hook below. No net again today. If I start taking my net, I won't catch any more big trout.....! I've never caught a 20 inch brown in daylight hours before. This took place about 1-2  hours after a thunderstorm rolled through. Maybe the big browns are more confident to rise during daylight (overcast) hours after a storm. I know I'll keep that in the back of my mind during the next Tstorm.

1st 20 incher of the year

Won't be using this fly again!