The following brown trout was caught on a 13.5 foot long Amago rod, using Rigs 12 foot long Floating Tenkara Fly Line, with 14" of 12 Lb HiViz Mono added to the 2 feet of 15 Lb HiViz Amnesia on the line tip, plus 12" each of 10, 8 and 6 Lb test fluorocarbon line to finish out the leader, with about a 4 foot tippet of Orvis 5X Mirage FC tippet material. The fly was a size 16, Two-toned X-rated Ant pattern. Here is a picture of the fish
The huge brown was slowly patrolling the shore line off of a granite bluff when I spotted it, about 4 or 5 feet down deep in the water. I flipped the ant pattern about 6 feet ahead of its line of travel, and the monster slowly angled up to the surface, opened its mouth, came over the top of the fly with its snout, and headed down with the fly in its mouth. I waited a little longer and then set the hook when the fish was angling toward the bottom. Then, all hell broke loose. Some anglers complain that brown trout don't jump. But this one came out of the water in 3 to 4 foot high jumps, 3 times. Which was fine with me because I was better prepared to handle a vertical battle with it than a liner fight out into the middle of the lake with 16 feet of line and a 13 and 1/2 foot long Tenkara rod. He did make his bid for the center of the lake two or three times, but by that time all the jumping had taken enough out of him that I was able to check his runs with the power of the rod, such as it is. There was also sunken tree he could have tangled the line in that I had to keep him away from. Luckily, I was able to do it with the fresh 5X tippet. By applying light but steady, relentless side pressure, I was eventually able to tire the fish out enough that I felt confident I could hand-over-hand in that portion of the line that was longer than the rod was long to beach the fish. I wanted to beach him so his struggles would drive him higher on the ground instead giving him free reign to head out toward deep water, and it worked.

Well done, that's a great fish. I couldn't agree more that a jumping fish plays into the hands of a tenkara angler.

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John Geer at Tenkara USA

Great fish Karl, nice! Sounded like a great battle.

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テンカラのイモリ
Tenkara Mushroom

Thank you for the responses. This fish came out of a 14 acre lake located at 9,400 feet in elevation, 8 miles in from the trail head. I fished it two afternoons, the first one with out my wife's camera. The second day I had the camera a long as I wanted to be able to document that I had actually caught a brown trout in a high Sierra lake. I had caught 3 browns the day before - one on a Peacock Sheeps Creek pattern and two on the Big Two-toned X-rated Ant pattern (size 12), and the browns were running considerably bigger than the brook and rainbow trout in that lake were running size wise.

On the second afternoon, after fishing another lake earlier in the day, I landed 3 more brown trout. The biggest one was the first of the 3 brown trout but the tenth fish I had caught on the Small Two-toned X-rated Ant pattern (size 16). The last two browns were caught on the Small Two-Toned Foam Beetle pattern (size 18), along with another 8 brook and rainbow trout, plus another 5 fish that had been caught on a Black Midge Pupa, which was still on my line after fishing the earlier lake and before the wind had come up. The California Department of Fish and Game has not stocked any brown trout in our high lakes for more than 50 or 60 years. At one time it was possible to get a California Grand Slam out of this lake, that is a golden, brook, rainbow and brown trout, but I do not believe that is possible any longer as the higher lake golden trout have died out in this area. The big fish was caught on the last fishing day of a 5-day Tenkara backpacking fishing trip; it was a good trip and this is the largest brown trout that I have ever landed. I feel very fortunate to have gotten it, and the fish is still alive and doing well in that lake for you or someone else to catch it....Karl.

WOW, nice!

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My blog: Tenkara Talk
Tenkara USA Rods: Amago, Ayu, Ayu Series II, Ebisu, Ito, Iwana 11', Iwana 12', Yamame
Other Tenkara USA Gear: Tamo, Strap Pack, 3.5 & 4.5 Level Line, 10.5 ft. & 13 ft. Traditional Line, Line Spools

Incredible fish! Very well done. And, for being a lake, and on 5X, makes it all that more impressive.

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Tenkara USA, founder
打仁得流, テンカラ大使
About me and Tenkara USA