Lake Run Goodness Part II

Today we stuck to the game plan and floated the typical November water out of Rainbow.  Red was nice enough to captain today and give me the casting platform at the bow.  The morning was your typical overcast late fall day with hints of winter in the air.  The river traffic wasn't too bad but it was Monday morning and the Rut is in full swing.  We were cautiously optimistic as we started our way down the float from the ramp. 

We fished our first spot hard and were pulling anchor when my float dropped long into the drift and I was hooked up.  The fight was a-typical of a hot November Steelhead and I was once again thinking a Coho when the flash of gold adorned in leopard spots told the tale...Lake Run Brown.  Last fall Red and I were lucky enough to boat a beauty.  Red caught that one but this time it was my turn. 

Although it was not a monster it was a beautiful specimen and my first Lake Michigan Lake Run Brown.  It was a great way to start the morning and set the pace for a nice float. 

We worked all of our usual haunts hard and were drawing blanks until late in the float a nice shaker found my offering only to be long distance released after a few acrobatic jumps.  We crossed the river to the next pileup of logs and worked it from the top down.  After about 4 drifts through my float was long into the bottom end of the run when it dropped again and I set up to a hard and deep thumping.  There was no mistaking this fish was large and proved it when it jumped from the river.  We had to pull anchor and give chase. 

The first log jam hazard was eliminated and the beast was still running for the cover of the next.  It was looking like we had things under control when the rod went dead and the line limp.  I have to say it kinda stung a little.  It was one of those fish...you know...the ones that will haunt you for a while.  I worked very hard for that opportunity and with all of the odds against me it was looking like we were going to pull it off when the rug was pulled out from under us. 

LOL!  I shook it off and carried on but not without thinking of that fish and the episode every so often.  We failed to find any more players until our way back when we stopped at a run that should have given up a fish earlier.  Red quickly hooked into a small shaker Steelhead on the first drift through and I a football sized Rainbow.  Not the giant Steelhead we had hoped to end the day but we at least we put a nice bend in the rods on the way back. 

It was not a banner November outing but certainly was another great day on the water in the Hyde.