what is your favorite fish memory

[fishpimp]

what is your favorite fish memory or trophy,they don't have to be big but i am sure there is a certain fish that comes to mind often , i would love to hear the story and see the fish
 i am in need of some fish porn and some good fish stories.

i was thinking today while tying jigs that i have a handfull of fish that i have caught that i think about often. there are 3 inparticular. i would have to say they are my favorite fish 2 of them are special because they were caught with people that are no longer with us. i was a sturgeon with my buddy drew who was like a brother to me and he has now passed on. and the other was a 23lb steelie caught in the snow on a stupid cold day with my buddy haymore who is no loger with us either. i think the company and there memory is what make those fish special and i often look at the pictures and remember them and the fun we had.{ yeah i am long winded and like to ramble so back to the subject of my favorite fish }

my favorite fish  i think would have to be a tiger muskie i caught with my bass partner last year on 6lb test and no wire leader .i have always wanted a muskie and i finally tried for them and was successful.we hooked 6 landed 3 in 4 hours. i think i enjoyed it alot because it was so new to me and something i have wanted to do my whole life. we got a big write up in the olympian newspaper for it from chester allen. i have that fish picture framed in my office and look at it daily. it was one more thing i got to cross off my list of things to do before i die. i am sure i have posted it before but here it is again.

so now that i have rambled so much, lets hear your stories and see some pictures of your favorite fish!

[cuttstosteelies]

My favorite all time fish would have to be the first steelhead I ever hooked on a red/white bobber / beau mac jigalou jig on the Salmon back in, heck, I don't remember...  I'll never forget seeing that bobber drop and landing that spawned out hatch buck.  I took it home and can remember it tasting rather "dry" but I'll certainly never forget it.  A close second would have to be the 25+ beast I landed on the Queets back in 02.  As the fish got close I reached for my digital to find the batteries dead.  At that time I hollered to another fella downriver who goes by the name of winterrun on another board that came running up with his camera about two minutes too late.  While the camera didn't function, it was certainly the greatest memory with a fish that I can ever remember.  I've lost many of fish that would rival both those buggers but that is a distant memory.  First and biggest for me....

[chad wallin]

My first steelhead

[Luv2Fish]

That is an awesome fish Steve.. here is my favorite story and one i wont forget. i took my son out to see if we could hook him up with his first steelhead.. he had never caught anything other than a some trout.. well we were plunking and he gets a hit on his pole.. i yell at him to grab his pole.. he takes his pole and the fight was on.. a few other people gathered around and were watching him.. 10 lbs test and a nice steelie on.. few minutes into the fight he is telling me his arm was tired (he was 9 at the time). I told him to keep going..after several runs he is darn near begging me to take the rod which i refused to do hehe.. the guys gathered around start encouraging him to keep at it.. we finally get it to the bank and in the net and everyone standing around started clapping and whooping it up and patting him on the back and saying what an awesome job he did.. man my boy was just glowing with pride.. his whole attitude had changed and i honestly think he became a young man that day.. I was so darn proud of him i almost had to wipe away a tear.. 15 lbs steelie on 10 lbs line.. he made his old man proud that day. he carried that picture with him to school and showed all his teachers and anyone that would look at it.. well thats my story.. hope you all like it..

[Chum Man]

mine would have to be on the nisqually on 1994.  my dad was down at the river fishing for jacks with his buddy, and he had my rod and gear in his car.  i got my mom to drive me down there and i got into dad's car and grabbed my rod(left the vest in the back), and walked up above the trestle.  first cast, i nail a king around 25lbs, mom starts freaking out! otherwise all goes well until i've almost got him beat, i drop the rod tip and drag him up the beach about 5 feet and POP, my 15lb mainline breaks and it flops back in the water.  i couldn't re-tie so we walked a ways down below the handicap to tell my dad my story, i'll never forget the look on his face when he sees my busted line, all the while my mother is still hysterical.

[fishpimp]

dave,
that is a great story, there is nothing better than a kid catching a big fish.{especially if it is your kid   } it was probably hard to tell who was happier , you or him.

[iwantchumluvin]

I like the topic. Well done pimp.

Mine would have to be a fish that I never got a good look at. It was about ten years ago. I was fishing Chambers Creek up in the canyon in early July. Myself and a few friends would often go down and catch the cuts in there on single salmon eggs(I know, not the best for the resource. We atleast knew enough to release them.) Anyways, my first cast into a deep hole, which had never been a consistantly good spot, my line seemingly hung up on bottom. I pulled gently with my ultralight trout rod and four pound test for a second before the snag began moving across the creek, shaking it's head gently in attempt to be freed of the tiny egg hook.

It was then I realized the size of the fish that I had hooked. Also, it was then that the fish realized something was amiss. It took one swirl on the surface and bolted upstream. There wasn't much room to give chase and even less time, but I had never hooked a fish like this before in this stream and I had to do something. I ran to the top of the hole and jumped into the creek fully clothed up to my waste in water. The fish was already 30 yards or so ahead of me and never stopped. I couldn't wade much further upriver. I did my best to coerce the brute back down to me, but he had already weaved his way through countless logs. I didn't stand a chance either way.

For a while it bothered me that I would never know what I hooked that day, but as I look back I think that's what makes it all the more special. I know the fish was in excess of four or five pounds, for all I know it could have been ten or more. I have heard of a few late winter runs in the creek. I guess it could have possibly been a downstreamer. I don't know if the hatchery releases any early kings into the upper portion of the creek. Maybe that's what it was? No matter what, it was the fish that I have wondered about more than any other fish over the course of time. It is a memory that won't soon be forgotten.

[rathierry]

My first Rainbow Trout with my my Dad and Granddad Around 1977. I was 5. I will never forget the look of pride from them. Kinda the same look I gave both my kids when they got their first fish.

[younggun]

my first steelhead. i was 11 and was fishing the capilano in late may, looking for bluebacks. Gone to the old favourite pool and started at the tailout looking for fresh fish, made my way across the tailout, and way on the other side under a sweeper, my float jiggles and then goes down. I had been there for about 15 min and the other guy there was kinda choked about me hooking a fish right away while he had been there for a while. i set the hook and had a tug-a-war for about 10min, i have never had a coho fight like this and didn't know what it was, i get it close to shore and my eyes light up, i could see it was a steelhead, he was just starting to turn kinda dark but there was still silver on him. I ask the guy to tail the fish, and just as he does the leader breaks right at the hook, what are the chances? I get to the fish, quickly revive the 10lb buck and he's on his way. Now the good part. the gentleman that landed my fish is about to leave with his partner, and i make one more cast right back under that branch, and once again the float dives, this time i know its a coho but it felt big, it was twisting and turning all over the place and you could see the flashes from the fish. So the 2 men walk down the trail again and help me land the fish, aproximatly weighing around 9lbs. I was done for the morning, i had no time left, see what 45 min on a river can do. That school day went by way to slowly as i was back in there that after noon.  my first steely and a 9lb hoe to boot. not bad for an 11 year old. Sadly i had no camera, and i dont even think digitals were made in those days.

[Steelie Maniac]

My first chetco hawg

When I hooked it i thought it was like a lil dude but when it got closer and we saw it, we started shaking especially me.... The guy that was rowing for us said if i dont land the fish i get thrown in the 50 degree water and so i was shaking like crazy and i finally got it in and this was that fish

[ROCK FISH]

Took the toon down a local river and half way down the river blow's out.Went back up river above the reason it blew out for a few casts and hooked into the biggest steelhead I have ever caught.Now I left my camera in the truck and now am kicking myself  but to my surprise a nice lady was waching her husband fish and just happen to have a new camera that took video too.So now I have proof in pics and video.I will never forget my float going down and this buck having it's way...for awhile.

[One More Cast]

I think all of my best memories were fishing with my grandpa when i was little.  He was really the one that introduced me to fishing on rivers.   I can't remember when i got my first salmon or steelhead but i am sure they were on the puyallup.  I was on the river with him almost when i was 3 or 4.  Of course i only reeled in the small jacks with his help.  We have a picture somwere of me holding those 6 jacks on my grandmas wooden spoon in the kitchen. 

One of my most memorial fish was my the largest hatchery brat i have ever bonked.  it was 18lbs.  Got it on the cowlitz with my brother in law Matt on a 4 day up a dawn, fish all day madness at blue creek.  After i bringing it in we maybe fished for about an hour more before we left.   I showed it to my grandpa and then hit to sack to catch up on all the sleep that i missd over those four days.

Onother most memorable was watching my first bobber down on a jig.   The fish was nothing special but i never had confindence with them before that.

[brewer]

i'm reading a book right now by howell raines.  one chapter is entirely on lost fish...   being that its the big fish that are lost that seem to be burned or etched into a fishermans memory.   he has quotes from very famous and long dead fishermen who wrote about fish they had lost.   i tend to agree with this thought.  i have 3 very memorable battles of 2 steelhead and one king that i lost.         to painfull to repeat here.   :'(

[younggun]

got a new one from this weekend, my first jig caught coho, lost the slab but a memorable moment. Clear water about 8ft clarity, low water. Fishing this little trough off to the side of the main run because guys are pounding that spot, i spot 3 fish move in, so i give them a nice look at a spinner, nothing. Then a nice roe sac, nothing. finally i take off all the weights and float and put on a small dink float, and use the plain bobber and jig technique that i picked up from here. I see one of them jitter when the jig passed by. I give it another pass and i see the float go down, then i look and see a fish shaking its head. Set the hook, this fish goes nuts and starts spinning like a mad man. i get him in close i'm using 10lb mainline and this fish was a solid 15lbs. No slim coho, just a thick beast. (Ive hooked and landed two 20lb coho in my life, this fish was pretty big) He starts tearing up and down the slot, spooks the other fish, and he's peeling line, the other guys on the run look at me not know what i have on. My fish goes airborn and everyone is staring. I get the bugger near shore, and ask one of the guys help land it, it was a wild fish and was goin to release it anyway, but i wanted a quick photo. The guys grabs the 6lb leader and the fish pulls and the leader breaks.

I have confidence in jigs now, and to make the moment even better, i hooked it on one of my own creations

[dardevle]

Cool story younggun, sounds way fun.  Reminds me of many memorable battles in the inbetween water with float and jig!