The parkway was already attracting Hex enthusiasts as we prepared the boat for the drift. The river at the launch down to within a half mile of takeout is gorgeous fish habitat with lots of woody structure, overhanging cedars, and crystal clear water running over deep holes. Fisherman were already staked out along the banks at ideal looking Hex water. One guy referred to his spot as the meat hole, claiming to have taken two twenty inchers there the night before. We decided to stop where the river began changing form to the slack water you see at the bridge in East Jordan. We were hoping that it might be an ideal location to entice a laker moving into the river to gorge on Hex. The waiting vigil began with small fish feeding occasionally.
The hatch did not begin in earnest until about 10:30 but soon blanketed the river with a spinner fall. I hooked one small brown but the big fish were feeding above a log jam upriver. I eventually worked my way up to the jam and began the difficult task of casting over the brush which would eventually eat up four of my flies, including two glowbugs Dave McIntyre had given me to try. By midnight the action had slowed but I was still casting to a persistent fish when Eric waded up to see what I was doing. Just then the water erupted over my fly with what Eric described as more like a log hitting the water than a rising fish. I was fast onto a very big fish that settled to the bottom of the hole for a few seconds until he realized he was caught, and then made a mad dash upstream peeling off line into the backing. He finally rested far upstream just before the river made an abrupt turn, and with so much line out I was able to horse him a bit, but when tired he came quickly back downstream toward the jam which I feared would be the end of our fight. Just before hooking the fish I had run out of 12 pound tippet and had tied on some 2x, so I was concerned that he would easily break off. I made my stand as he headed into the jam, holding the line and rod firm against his rush downstream, putting my new six weight Sage rod to the test as it doubled over. In the end the tippet held and as the fish came into view we were both struck with the awesome reflection the fish made as our lights peered into the river. Neither of us had a net big enough for this fish. I walked upstream so that Eric could attempt a netting downstream. With his back to the log jam Eric thrust the net below the shadow and in one memorable lunging motion managed to bring the fish up headfirst in the net with his massive tail hanging out. And then we realized that my trophy was a white sucker and had a hardy laugh. We released the fish and walked back downstream to the boat. It was after one o'clock and time to call it a night. It was a beautiful float down. A pleasant temperature with a light breeze under bright moonlight. It was a night to remember, made even better by the big fish that didn't get away.
Weather: 90 degrees, sunny and cooler in evening
Access: Rogers Road at East Jordan
1 comment:
This was quite an evening and I suppose yhou really did have to be there. Approaching my father just prior to this massive strike I set in near the river bank to observe the epic battle of man against fish. Aengus has become quite a masterful fisherman and I must say was very impressed by his working of a fish that was by far more substantial than the light tackle used to land him. Just another lesson passed on from father to son. What a night.
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