My Largest Brown Trout {pics}

[buckhunter14]

I had the oppourtunity to travel to Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula to our cabin for a short weekend trip. It is a 6 hour drive and tough to go up on a Friday and come home on a Sunday, but I love th place and go whenever the chance is given.


I was hoping to fish more than I did, but violent storms had been ripping through Michigan and I only had one chance to fish around 11 AM on Sunday.




I had a special location in mind. I had been checking it during my time there (during the storms) and it was still being pounded by fisherman.

I choose to switch locations and take a LONG hike to one of my favorite spots. As you can see, and island splits the river and creates two incredible runs with rock ledges under the water.


This was the results of my first drift through the run in the picture. Rainbow.


I made a little comotion and figured I would let the run settle down, so I tried the run on the other side of the island. I don't have a picture, but it is merely the same idea as above.

My first drift through and some ran with it like a brick wall. Thank goodness I had a light drag, and the fish just ran into the heart of the hole. It kept its nose down and I couldn't gain anything on the large fish in the heavy current. When the fish came up, I knew it was something special.


The largest Native German Brown I have ever seen taken out of the river. The pictures do the gut justice, but not the length.

[buckhunter14]

The fish measured 19.5 inches. I didn't have a scale to measure the weight, and I didn't even think about getting a girth measurement. I guess excitement got the best of me.


After a self-time photoshoot.





I then picked up and got the fish back in the truck and moved to a smaller river on the way home that I knew I could access much easier.

The third drift this pretty thing slammed it on the end of the drift.



To end the day, another Brownie was landed.


I left the rivers with a huge smile on my face, and a very relaxed soul. Not because of the beautiful fish that I caught, but the memories that were made and the time I could spend expepriencing the great outdoors.

[marlin30/30_drabe]

nice fish my biggest brown was 14in and he tasted great too

[Gangly]

Fantastic Catches Buckhunter! Looks to be a beautiful place to fish.

[Chuck7]

Gorgeous..he would have gone in my skillet..LOL

[buckhunter14]

I really wanted to mount this fish... I just have a thing for trout.

My taxidermist does Bass for $10 and inch. I thought it would have been reasonable, until I heard that trout was $15 an inch.

He will end up in the frying pan too... Tough to swallow, but it'll be good.

[Chuck7]

yes sir..I'm diffently not a catch and release on trout..too good eatting..my biggest Brown is about 14 inches but i only fished for them 2 seasons when I lived in Maryland..You can't beat freshwater trout.I'd rather catch five keeper trout than a 6 pound bass...

[buckhunter14]

They are great eating, and plentiful around here too. Do you butter them up and tinfoil them on the grill or what? Wish I could send you some.

[Chuck7]

Thanks Buckhuner

Since they are so good..I scale them..kind of tough very small scales..gut them..lightly flour them adding salt and pepper.....and pan fry in oil or butter whole..about 1/8inch deep in the skillet..once they are nice and brown I would put a lid over { Covering them 85%} to ensure they are cooked through .yet not steamed,,,

I used to work in a seafood restaurant..We would cook our pan sized Rockfish like that..Rock fish are Striped bass which I'm sure you know.

If I had a place to trout fish I'd sell my bass stuff and become an advid trout fishermen..{-:

[Pygmy]

Buckhunter..
Those are absolutely BEAUTIFUL wild brown trout..

The rainbows are pretty too... Thanks for sharing the stories and the pictures..

I have the privelege of fishing some rather obscure, unstocked streams here in western NY that have some nice wild browns also, albeit the streams are not as big or as beautiful as the creeks you have posted pictures of..

Over the last few years I've been lucky enough to land a few fish in the 18-21" range.. They are always special...
I feel guilty about killing a lot of these gorgeous wild fish, but I always keep a few each year, because they taste so good..Much better than the stockies that the state puts in many of the local creeks and rivers..

Usually I keep a couple of fish to eat, and then after that I release them, unless they are hooked deep and I feel they won't survive..

What bait or lure are you using..??.. My favorite method is to drift live nite crawlers using light or UL spinning gear..