Monday, February 27, 2012

just another day in racine

Two cars pull into the river access at almost the exact same time, one car carrying a solo angler and the other with a duo. I'm sure we've all been there, you look at the other group gearing up and can just tell they are heading for the same exact stretch of water as you were planning to fish. Sure, there is plenty of water in the park, but you have already eliminated all that other water in your brain on the trip over. The bridge was gonna be holding fish and that was "the spot" today. So what do you do? You do exactly what any other weekend angler who has been trained in combat fishing does, you put your gear on faster. Thank God you fish in hip boots and not the full body waders that the opposition is faced with. But wait, a momentarily lost streamer box puts you back to a neck and neck pace. Hurry, come on lets go!

Both groups finish at almost the exact same time and the solo fisherman looks over at the pair. "Please let them head down stream, please let them head down stream," the thought runs over and over in his mind. Sure enough, it's too good to be true. The pair shut their trunk and turn and head upstream just a few steps behind him. What does one do now? Do you quicken your pace and slide right in to the pool and risk some dirty looks?

Instead, he turns to the group and said, "Where you fellows fishing this morning?" The two turn and look at each other quite confused. It wasn't that hard of a question but it seemed to stop them dead in their tracks. After the uncomfortable silence dissipates, the reply come back in broken English, "The bridge." Sure enough, yours fears are made real. With no thought the solo angler concedes the spot, "Sure guys, have at it and I'll just move upstream." Not sure that his words were understood, the angler just turns and heads one pool up from the bridge.

For the next hour he watches these two fools from the next pool up. The duo managed to snag almost every rock with their large weighted dropper rigs and splashed through the pool with heavy feet trying to free their line. After an hour they reason that there must be no fish hanging out under the bridge and decide to move one pool down.

Finally given the chance, the patient angler slides down to the bridge pool and goes three for three on brown trout. Two nice fish and one stocker fall victim to the black streamer in the next hour all while the duo were forced to watch from the next pool down.

wisconsin great lakes brown trout
best fish caught from the bridge pool
This was just another day in Racine...

14 comments:

  1. Great job and write-up! I love catching a fish where the previous person fishing had no luck. It's the little cherry on top in the world of fishing - at least mine.

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  2. Patience does pay off. Maybe next time you should lie to them and tell them the fishing is better in the upper pool. Maybe they will go there instead.

    Mark

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  3. Blake
    Those are some nice trout, just curious what wt/length rod are you using? I was watching a Kelly Galloup fishing show last night and he said he never uses anything less than 9 ft. He was saying he can do so many more things with a longer rod as opposed to a shorter rod. I fished a 9 ft. last year for the first time and really liked the distance I can get with it---anyway those are some nice trout--thanks for the comment

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  4. Those Browns are pretty impressive! I get dressed before i leave the house if the drive is not far. This way when i get to the spot I am ready for action right away.

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    1. too bad an hour ride is what i consider close

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  5. Nice Catch! You have to love the combat fishing when it comes to fishing Trib. streams. It never fails with me, no matter what time I get to the stream. I once got in there at 4:30ish in the a.m. and there was already a guy standing in the hole I wanted to fish. Nothing is more satisfying then when you get in the hole they just trampled through and pull out a fish right away. Congrats on a fine day of fishing!

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  6. Nice job Blake, I am still kicking myself for not figuring out how to get out and hit the river with you before I moved. Keep up the good stuff.

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    1. never know, drop me a line when your back out this way

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  7. Loved this post, I have a spot where what you described happens to me all the time. I usually don't have the patience to wait out the folks to leave but you have motivated me.

    On a side note, I just signed up to follow this blog as #199... just one shy of a nice 200 follower milestone.

    : )

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