Ending Winter Night Trouting Big and Ugly

I kind of expected my winter night fishing to improve when the state began stocking. At least in terms of numbers, not quality, I'll take holdovers over freshies any day regardless of size. Last year, in March, I able to catch stockers at night more or less as soon as they were dumped into the TMA's, so I had no reason to think anything would be any different with fresh stockers going into the river in February. I was wrong, I've continued to catch fish but not as many as I was when there were literally hundreds fewer fish in the river. Is it odd that the freshies wouldn't be into night feeding? Only a little, given that they were in fairly similar conditions in March last year. Is it odd that the holdovers became harder to catch? I'd say no to that. If it was just you and 3 other family members living in your house and suddenly somebody dumped 25 idiots in through the roof, you'd probably freak out too. The only improvement was with mousing, but that wasn't happening after dark. It's been a strictly daytime method thus far this winter.

I slogged through hours of no takes on the night of the 24th, just hoping for something. It wasn't happening. I fished spots that have been productive at night this winter and spots that I hadn't fished at nigh but had done well in during the day. I fished places I knew trout had been dumped in just days before. I hooked and lost one fish that, because it spent a lot of time airborne and though was clearly not more than 15 inches took me on a downstream shuffle, I'm convinced was a fall holdover. But I went a good two hours without so much as a nudge that wasn't definitely the bottom. Then I hooked up. At first it was just heavy, then it was on the surface rolling around all lazy like. Before I even turned a light on it I knew it was just an ugly breeder and almost certainly one I'd caught already, possibly more than once. That was exactly what it was. 

Unfortunately, that's how my winter night trout season is going to end. With a big, ugly, 3rd time recapture broodstock rainbow. I wish I could have devoted more time to night fishing wild trout water this winter, but what little is close enough for me to visit regularly doesn't lend itself to safe or productive winter night fishing. It's all small, fast flowing, bouldery freestones. Next winter I'm committed to catching some wild browns at night, I don't care what size they are. 

Until next time,

Fish for the love of fish.

Fish for the love of places fish live.

Fish for you.

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