First, we get out the other day to a "secret spot" downriver of the village to see what we can hook. The day goes very well, actually...right up until I let Dave's monster pike roll right out of the net and vanish forever...that may be all I write about that.... We'll see.
Anyway, before and after the incident described above, we had a marvelous time. The weather was GREAT, the fish were biting, and it was a "life is good" kind of a trip. We finished the day with a quick succession of good-sized fish too right before heading home, which is always a good way to finish. Somewhere in there this photo was taken of what, for me at least, was a good Northern. After Sarah and Sam put me to shame last year during the moose hunt, I was glad to at least have caught one over 14 inches, heh heh...
To add to the fun, on the way home we came across a smallish black bear trying to swim the channel:
This is my favorite shot of the little beast, hind legs flailing for more speed....
But though I should have had enough reason at that to make a new post, the trip we had the other day would not even come close to the day we had yesterday. Oh, no. Not even close.....
It began innocently enough with us determining to have a contest between Jason and Tracy's boat (which included Dave and Cooper) and our boat, which held me and Sean, otherwise known as "Forde" Below. The prize: A Mountain Dew for First fish, one for the Biggest fish, and one for the Most fish. and so it began. As I am learning is the usual case, the JTCD team was slaughtering us in numbers right off the bat with three fish in a hurry (I think it was three....) to our none. Crap. There went a MDew for first and most.... A short while in, Forde Below and I were tucked in close to some submerged trees when the "other" boat came over into voice range to taunt us yet again. They asked us how many we had, and out of shame I lied, "One." Immediately after the laughter subsided, I came clean. "I lied", I said. "We have Zero".... And as I spoke.....
The rod began to feel as though I had hooked into the tree our boat was all but bumping into. I turned my head, expecting to see the worst, and then...the rod pulsed and the line streaked from right to left. I reared back on the handle, reeling to take up the slack, as Jason hollered, "Oh, it looks like you got one now....". And suddenly it felt like maybe it was a good one. Then the tail came up and created a boil that looked like the one created by the Titanic on its way down. I learned later that the "other" boat thought at that point it was a good one, but couldn't really tell. Then the reel started to scream. And it felt even more like a good one. I seem to have trouble gauging the size of hooked Pike until I can actually see them...anyway, the fish started coming toward us, and the huge freaking tree growing up out of the creek, and I began to worry for a moment about my line. An instant later the fish showed me I had reason to worry. The head showed itself a foot under the stained brown water and Sean later told me it was like Shark Week on the Yukon.....The fish torpedoed up out of the water nearly four feet (you'll find out how I know this later) right INTO the damn tree branches, and I heard some of the twigs snap under the weight...and there suspended in the air in front of me was the largest Pike I have ever seen that wasn't on someone else's fishing show. How the entire length of the fish came out of the water I have not a clue. But it did. And then it swapped ends (after raking the tree limbs) and dove straight down. In hindsight, I think the fish was trying to frighten me into losing it. It almost worked. But amidst (or despite, I don't know which) the cries of "DON'T HORSE IT!!!!!!!" coming from the other boat, I started to think we just might get him in. After three or four blistering runs in and around the submerged trees, he rolled up to the side of the boat on his side. Fighting my better judgement, I reached down next to his massive mouth and grabbed the spoon. I remember thinking that it seemed as though the fish was never going to stop coming out of the water as I kept hauling and hauling to finally get the brute into the boat. Team JTCD was making their way over to help us out with a net, as we had none on board, but after the traumatizing experience outlined in the beginning of this post, I wanted nothing to do with a net....
Anyway, Sean and I were happy to see the monster finally flop down into the boat. Victory! After a little pandemonium and the passing of the shakes that set in :), it hit me how big the sucker really was. I grabbed the De-Liar measuring tape and Forde and I measured him. Any guesses?....
Which is bigger, the smile or the fish?.....
...if you guessed 45 inches, you guessed right. And he was sporting a 19-inch girth. Using the Pike weight-calculating formula (provided by Jason) of Length x Girth x Girth x 1.33 divided by 1000, we come up with a weight of 21.6 lbs. The largest pike I have ever caught by more than double.... But it didn't stop there. Dave followed with a 38.5 incher, and Cooper threw it down with a 41 incher!!! One after another..... An absolutely unbe-freakin-lievable night of fishing! Here's a few more money shots from the expedition:
How's this for a photo?
Some more fun...
One to remember....
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