Our favorite lake for big tigers came into shape much earlier this year due to the drought in the west. We hit the reservoir early in the morning armed with 2 untested rods, a Fenwick FF807 and a Phillipson custom built on a blank by an unknown builder.
We were using buggers and a double nymph set-up under a larger bobber/indicator. Tried dries for a while but to no avail.
The Phillipson is an 8' 2 piece rated for line wt 6-7 and is a really beautiful rod. It was paired with an Orvis Battenkill III reel with Cortland 444 5wt DT peach line. It took a bit of getting used to for me, mostly slowing down and throwing it side arm versus overhead but soon I was casting it as far as the Fenwick and it was a lot more fun. Boy did those tigers put the bend on it. Super fun to fish with.
Some closeups of the rod:
And here's the Fenwick FF807 paired with a brand new Orvis Battenkill III reel and Orvis Hydros WF6 line and it performed perfectly.
I knew we were in for good times after pushing off in the tube only 10 feet out from shore and as I make my first short cast a nice 17" fish takes the bugger and off we go.
The author himself, caught in a short anxiety attack, ponders the real possibility of having to return to work after a 3.5 year retirement. He quickly dismisses the subject and picks up the Phillipson for another cast.
A big tiger putting a big bend on the Phillipson.
And finally, a close-up of the colors on these fish. In the morning they moved into the shallows to feed where the water is 3-5 feet deep. A couple hours later they moved to deeper waters. What an exciting 2 mornings of fishing. My buddy and I each caught 20-25 before 11:30. Back again in a couple weeks, I hope..........
Posted: 01 Jul 2021, 12:02 • 
