THE MONSTERS IN GRASS CREEK
Fished with new buddy Tommy for the first time last night from 5:00 – 8:30 last night. No hits until about 6:30. Same pool Tommy landed that 25 a week a go my first cast into the top of the pool she hit again. I had her on and a good hook set. Raised the fish and saw the whole thing out of the water. My medium-heavy rod was bent in half. I had 10lb braided and my drag set tight so fish would not get into undercut banks. Line held but the swivel clamp did not. Live and learn. I have been burned several times now, I’m tying on direct.
Tommy got into a few in the 15-16″ range. Our luck started to pick up around 7:00. I landed a beautiful 20″ brown, the first 20″ fish of the year for me. At first I did not realize how big she was until she fought like hell and Tommmy was having a heck of a time trying to net. I kept yelling “Net that fish! Get that fish Tommy!” Tommmy scooped her up. What a beauty. We first thought maybe that one hit on the 25″ was the only action we would see.
Then at dusk we hiked back to the pool where the 25″ hit. Upstream of the pool is another deep run. Tommy cast a PM in there and had a hit. Tommy told me to cast further down, see if fish would hit my spinner. He hit like a freight train! WHACK! Apparently my #9 gold PMD was the perfect meal ticket for this big fish. The fish ran all over the place zigzagging from size to size jamming itself into the undercut banks trying to free itself. Right at my feet the fish was wrapped up below in undercut bank. I hopped in the crick and that spooked the fish back into the main current. A few runs up and down, Tommy netted the beast. Even 23″ male brown. PERSONAL BEST![INSERT GIANT SMILE]!! Wow was my heart racing. Fish lost some blood. Was not deep hooked or gill hooked. Just one treble holding her honestly. Took some reviving but fish swam away. I kept him in my big Frabil net to make sure he did not tumble downstream, regain strength.
Tommy’s Fish 
My 20″ Brown
My 23″ Brown 
