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HWY 12 Roadside Lunch
Post 23 Sep 2022, 06:19 • #1 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/23/18
Posts: 614
Location: Eastern Wa
I took my son to Rainier a week ago to hike to panorama pt at sunrise. He wasnt up to make it all the way but the scenery was spectacular.

On the way home stopped at a lake next to the road i hadnt fished in over 20 years. It was glass smooth and there were several fly fisherman there. I had to go back so a couple days ago i took another retired buddy of mine and a couple kayaks. There were plenty of brookies and surprisingly some big bows which i didnt know and didnt remember were there 20-30 years ago. Anyway brought my 8.5 ft 5wt Fenwick and using a variety of standard flys like scuds, woolybuggers, some streamers etc caught a bunch of brookies and several of the large rainbows. Most were by sight fishing. Kept a few small brookies for lunch and released the rest. It was well worth it. With a handfull of some scarce local billberries/blueberries made some hotcakes and crispy fried brookies for lunch. Retirement is good.

Thanks for looking!













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Post 23 Sep 2022, 07:05 • #2 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
brook trout stud


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Post 23 Sep 2022, 07:53 • #3 
Guide
Joined: 01/31/18
Posts: 221
Location: Holly Springs, NC
Wow, looks super nice and relaxing. I had to look up what a billberry was, hadn't heard of them.


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Post 23 Sep 2022, 09:08 • #4 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 05/22/16
Posts: 1760
Location: SJC
Sounds tasty !

I have fond memories of Rainier; have been on the mountain twice and summited once, via the Kautz Glacier route in 2006. Used to live in Portland in the 90's, and when I visited Seattle in the springtime the sight of the snowcapped volcanoes was always a beautiful sight.


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Post 23 Sep 2022, 10:12 • #5 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/18/12
Posts: 1712
Location: Bozeman, MT
That is one heck of a Brook Trout!


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Post 23 Sep 2022, 10:27 • #6 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/23/18
Posts: 614
Location: Eastern Wa
Odonata wrote:
Sounds tasty !

I have fond memories of Rainier; have been on the mountain twice and summited once, via the Kautz Glacier route in 2006. Used to live in Portland in the 90's, and when I visited Seattle in the springtime the sight of the snowcapped volcanoes was always a beautiful sight.


Glad you went up the Kautz route!! Nice route. I did the Kautz route as a teenager in '84 and slept in the crater. Also made the round trip up/down disappointment clever on July 1 1995 when in my best health. Hopefully my son can do it some day.

I really enjoy reading your hard core fly fishing adventures!



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Post 23 Sep 2022, 14:30 • #7 
Guide
Joined: 02/05/15
Posts: 262
Location: Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
A Fenwick, Medalist and nice fish...doesn't get any better than that.


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Post 23 Sep 2022, 14:55 • #8 
Master Guide
Joined: 01/04/18
Posts: 397
Location: Belair Maryland/Swanton Maryland
My lord that Humpback Brookie!

Mike you are hands down the best Catch and Cook angler I’ve ever seen!! (online at least :P )

I wanna know what your secret is ??
You retired early if you were a teen in 84..
You have the most killer vintage rigs ..
You catch some great fish in sweet spots..
And as a former Sous-Chef I can plainly see you’ve got some serious frontier style culinary SkillZ !!
I know you sent me your recipe for bluegills ..
But could you send me that recipe for life ??
Keep inspiring us !!
Scotto


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Post 23 Sep 2022, 18:50 • #9 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/23/18
Posts: 614
Location: Eastern Wa
Scotto
Thanks for the kind words. Made my day. Glad to hear you are a chef! Never have been a chef but one of my favorite "hobbies" is cooking and eating especially wild stuff.


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Post 23 Sep 2022, 19:14 • #10 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/07/18
Posts: 428
Location: US-MA
Wow, those are some fish! Enjoyed the write-up and pictures - must have been a blast!


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Post 24 Sep 2022, 08:49 • #11 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 05/19/14
Posts: 3924
Location: USA - Illinois
Holy Cow what a great adventure! Assuming an FF83?


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Post 24 Sep 2022, 09:19 • #12 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/23/18
Posts: 614
Location: Eastern Wa
jhuskey wrote:
Holy Cow what a great adventure! Assuming an FF83?




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Post 24 Sep 2022, 10:43 • #13 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 05/19/14
Posts: 3924
Location: USA - Illinois
I've never seen one of the bigger Fenwicks with the shorter gripped cap and ring seat - awesome Mike! Thanks!


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Post 25 Sep 2022, 09:46 • #14 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/18/09
Posts: 5561
Location: Relocated to the Drought Stricken West.
The FF855 is a 3digit version of the FF84, and very well appointed as a trout rod. At one point I was misguidedly trying to thin my Fenwick collection and getting rid of my 3-digit Fenwicks to focus on 2-digit models. I sold off my FF805, FF855 and FF755. I have repurchased an FF755. The FF855 is the one I would want back next, if I didn't already have too many 8.5' 5wts.

Mike, those are some wonderful fish and a shore lunch of western brookies is a great thing. I would never think about eating Brookies in their native range, but out west, they seem to be the fish I like to keep and eat.


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Post 25 Sep 2022, 11:57 • #15 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/23/18
Posts: 614
Location: Eastern Wa
Thanks Carl

Being non-native as you are saying Washington has no limit on brookies so eat them up if you like em! Surprisingly the state has no limit on walleye and smallmouth too on the columbia river (non native of course). They had strict rules on them many years ago. I havent experienced any effects of WDFWs rule change on the fishing for these species on the Columbia here in the 33 years i have fished it. In fact it remains one of the best locations to catch trophy sized fish of both species.
I can imagine back East that small streams and lakes must preserve native species like the brook trout just as they do here with west slope cutthroat, red band trout and other native species i catch over here thank goodness.

I have a pair of 855s with different handle designs but the tip is broken on one (sliding ring sample) so i use the one intact tip between the two bottom sections. Of course i like the sliding ring version most.

Ive have a beater brown 84 missing a hookkeeper and an older pumpkin colored 84 in perfect shape so i usually use the beater 84. I like the slow feel of the 84 just as much as the brisker feel of the 855. FYI I once did a unofficial backyard accuracy test of a dozen or more vintage and modern fiberglass 4-6 wts and i was surprised my 755 sample came out near/on top despite not liking the feel of it as much as many of the others so i decided to keep it.


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Post 25 Sep 2022, 12:03 • #16 
Master Guide
Joined: 03/20/07
Posts: 849
Location: US-TX
Dang. That might me the most muscled Brook trout I’ve ever seen….
Thanks for sharing


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Post 25 Sep 2022, 12:09 • #17 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/18/09
Posts: 5561
Location: Relocated to the Drought Stricken West.
The FF755 falls into the sweet spot for glass and is a "point and shoot" rod. The ff84 requires a bit more patience and I like the feel more, but as a fishing rod, the FF855 is more versatile. I need to find myself a good brook fishing stream


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Post 25 Sep 2022, 12:34 • #18 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/23/18
Posts: 614
Location: Eastern Wa
Couldnt agree with you more Carl!


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Post 25 Sep 2022, 23:10 • #19 
Sport
Joined: 11/01/20
Posts: 36
Such a complete experience.


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Post 26 Sep 2022, 10:41 • #20 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/20/11
Posts: 1880
Location: US-MD
Yep one titanic Brook Trout!


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Post 30 Sep 2022, 17:14 • #21 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 07/11/14
Posts: 1784
Location: urban Colorado
that brookie looks like a largemouth bass.. wow


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Post 01 Oct 2022, 16:02 • #22 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/09/05
Posts: 2524
Location: US-CO
Awesome post Mike! Beautiful pictures and gorgeous fish!


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Post 01 Oct 2022, 18:06 • #23 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 01/02/12
Posts: 1859
Location: Gig Harbor, WA
Great pics. I have a pontoon boat I haven’t used for some time. Your adventure may be the catalyst! Care to share the name of the lake or let me know next time you go.


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Post 01 Oct 2022, 19:52 • #24 
Master Guide
Joined: 09/23/18
Posts: 614
Location: Eastern Wa
retiredfisher1 wrote:
Great pics. I have a pontoon boat I haven’t used for some time. Your adventure may be the catalyst! Care to share the name of the lake or let me know next time you go.


If you look closely you will see some of the ski runs in the background. Get that ole pontoon boat out and give it a try!


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Post 02 Oct 2022, 07:46 • #25 
Guide
Joined: 08/25/13
Posts: 151
Location: US-FL
What a great trip! With some stout trout


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