Home Forums Fishing Flyfishing 13.9 lb, 32.5" Brown in local paper, not mine :>(

Trials, tribulations of fishing in autumn sometime pay off- in a big way.

By BEN PIERCE Chronicle OutThere Editor
Fall fishing has its benefits and its banes. Frosty fingertips and frozen guides (;an be as much a part of the season as vacant rivers and hefty trout.

But for those fly fishers willing to brave variable conditions, the chance for open water and big brown
trout exists.

For Bryan Gregson of Salt Lake City, everything came together on Oct. 28. Gregson landed the biggest brown trout of his life - a 32 1/2-inch monster - caught from the Madison River just above Quake Lake. The fish had a girth of 18 1/2 inches and an estimated weight of 13.9 pounds.

"We came up for a week targeting big brown trout:' Gregson said Wednesday. "I have hit that stretch a number of times and moved some fish. It is not a destination spot, but you hear the rumors that they are in there.

"Still, we weren't anticipating that fish."

Gregson caught the trout on a Bennett's Stone more commonly known as a Rubber Legs. The fish ran upstream on him and then came straight back downstream edging into fast water.

"I had a short, stout leader on and when he ran back down past me, that's when 1 realized how big he was:' Gregson said.


"I was shaking uncontrollably for awhile:' Gregson wrote on his blog, utahcutthroat.blogspot.com. "This fish is what 1 have been dreaming about my entire life, since 1 was a kid ... 1 never thought it would happen and honestly, a part of me didn't want it to for fear that the search would end. This is a trout of a lifetime. 1 was at a loss for words then and still am now ... 1 am so stoked and on the river 1 almost cried'


For Gregson, it was the fish of a lifetime. For the rest of us - proof positive that fall.fishing is the time to catch big trout.


"Fall around here in Montana is synonymous with hunting:' said Kris Kumlien of Montana Troutfitters.
"I think (fishing) gets lost with the elk in the rut and pheasants and everything else. For me, fall has always been that time of year to get out and have some solitude.


"This time of the year, the bigger browns move out and expose themselves in more shallow water:' Kumlien said. "They cQme out of their traditional lies, which for 10-15 pound trout are at the bottom of deep holes. Unless you are dredging for them, you won't catch them during the summer:'


Those big fish will often exhibit aggressive behavior during autumn as they compete with other fish for dwindling food sources and to defend their seasonal territory. Stripping large streamer patterns can be an effective way to enticing those fish.

However, as temperatures dip with the progression of the season, adjusting your technique may be required.


'As water temperatures cool into the mid- to low 40s, I'll typically slow down the strip:' Kumlien' said. "I'll just work if with the rod tip:'


John Foster of Bozeman said fishing on the lower Madison River was productive on Tuesday. He said he caught 21 trout, some as large as 19 inches, stripping green and olive woolly buggers.

"I am not a match the hatch kind of guy:' Foster said. "I just like going out and trying to catch that elusive 20-incher."
.


"I have been testing the waters:' Foster said. "I was on the upper Madison yesterday and it was too windy up there. 1 took my son and we quit after a short float. Down here, between Greycliff and Cobblestone, you get a little protection:'

Picking your spots can be important in the fall.

And it's important to know which spots not to pick. With brown trout in the midst of their seasonal

spawn, its vital for the future of the species that fish not be harassed on their redds. Redds are the spawning beds where trout lay and incubate their eggs. These areas can be easily identified and avoided.


"The best way 1 can describe a redd to people is if you are looking at the bottom of the river, it looks like someone has gone through and vacuum cleaned it in a circular or oval shape:' Kumlien said. "Typically, (redds) are at the heads of riffles or right before you get down into heavier riffle water:'



Trout build redds in areas that provide good oxygenation, a feature required to develop the eggs. Redds are typically built on pebble to medium sized gravel,that is cleaned to a white or tan color by trout.

While it may be tempting to cast to these fish, it is generally regarded as unsporting and frowned upon by many anglers.

"I don't advocate flshing for fish on spawning beds' Kumlien said, "but if they are aggressive and moving around 1 don't have a problem throwing streamers to them. To sight fish for a trout on a redd with an egg
is different from throwing a streamer to catch a fish defending its territory:'


Finding and fishing to those aggressive trout at the right time of year with the right pattern may be the best way to catch big fish.


Gregson did it, and it's good to know that those fish are out there.


"I love to fish in the fall:' Gregson said. "Most people go hunting and there are less people on the rivers. There is nobody around and it is nice to be out enjoying everything. Getting the big fish is a bonus:

Ben Pierce- Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Beautiful, big fish, but sure doesn't look like a brown to me.....

It's spawning colors for sure. A heck of a fish!

No kidding nice fish.

Beautiful!

Just curious. Did he toss it back in??

I'm guessing he did because it says "estimated weight". This is based on length and girth.

That's a big fish all right.