# UP Trout Report - 3rd Week of August - Heavy on the Pics.



## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

If your Internet connection is a bit spotty, or you're trying to save on bandwidth or data, _now_ would be the time to close this report because there are a ton of pictures about to load...

My buddy @Big Medicine and I spent the 18th through the 22nd chasing Brookies in the UP.

We were on our way to the first spot when we decided to take the advice of @B.Jarvinen and forget bushwhacking and fish a ditch right by the side of the road. On his first cast my buddy latched into a solid Brookie. I didn't even have time to finish rigging up a spinner and he was yelling that he needed a net. As you can see the car door is still left open. 



















Next time we drive by I'll just have him park a bit closer to the culvert and just open the car door and aim a slingshot cast at the ditch from the comfort of the vehicle...

We arrived at the spot we intended to fish for the afternoon and within about 5 minutes by buddy was on to a fish that had him pretty excited. He was so excited I think he might have had a slight case of Big Trout Fever and was unable to get his net untangled from the back of his float tube. So I gladly paddled over to help him land his fish. When I arrived I was thrilled to see when netting his fish he had just realized a dream of his – catching a Master Angler class Brook Trout.










It measured 18 inches long and was such a beautiful specimen that he made the decision to have it mounted. I couldn't blame him. It was the fish of a lifetime!

Here is another view of the fish. (Sorry Jim, I didn't want to take any chances of the background being recognized.)












The following day we decided to fish a stretch of a small stream and hike a half mile to the confluence with a larger stream. This is a classic example of picturesque Brookie water.












After the hike through the Cedars and Pines we came to the confluence and fished the hole as the two streams merged together. I ended up catching two 13 inch Brookies. They were both beauties.































The river we traditionally like to fish when we travel to the UP was still beckoning us to come and fish it. So we spent the day of the Solar Eclipse fishing our favorite river. I decided to do something different this trip and fish the _opposite side_ of the river than we normally fish. My buddy wasn't too keen to do this so we split up, each fishing opposite sides. The reason he wasn't keen is because he isn't _an idiot like me_. Sometimes I just like to do something different. Even if it is the hard way. The bank I was attempting to fish from is incredibly steep and about 150 feet climb to the top. The whole stretch is littered with huge fallen White Pines and Cedars. Trecherous, arduous and dangerous are adjectives that spring to mind.

If I wasn't trying not to fall into the river or break a leg I was looking out for creatures like this:










This spider was seriously 3 inches in diameter. For scale I could shove my arm into the rotten knot hole. I touched the spider with my rod tip and he barely moved. After a bit more prodding, he finally sauntered into the hole in the log and allowed me to pass.

There was a destination in mind and a method to my madness though. The famous triangle of logs that is home to the giant Brown Trout we named Heraclitus. The same trout who broke my rod in half a few years ago when I hooked into him. You can read that account of that day here. https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/threads/have-i-ever-mentioned-heraclitus.583964/

Well long story short, I finally made it to the famous spot after a lot of difficult hiking. And I'll let you know just what kind of a friend my fishing buddy is; He reached the spot well before me and instead of fishing it, he waited for me to arrive to make the first cast. (He chilled on the bank fending off the bugs for at least 10 or 15 minutes.)

I made the first cast and watched as a seemingly decent sized trout emerged from the logjam to attack my spinner. It was in the exact same submerged stump from which Heraclitus inhaled my lure. I was slightly disappointed that it wasn't Heraclitus and I just figured it was a decent brown trout. After I hooked it, it took about 2 seconds to see the flash of color that changed my mood instantly. “It's a Brookie!”, I yelled to my buddy.










It measured 15 inches long and felt like quite an accomplishment for catching it in a river. I think my buddy would have preferred _it _to the giant he caught at the start of the trip.










There is just something special about catching a Brook Trout that size in a stream as opposed to a lake. And I know it's been an ambition for the both of us. I decided to have it mounted but after a few pictures and a bit of deliberating,* I decided to let it go.* I know where it lives and so does my buddy. Maybe we'll catch it again one day.





















Since it was caught during the Solar Eclipse, we named him Helios. To go along with the Greek themed Heraclitus.

So with my buddy on the opposite bank and no easy way to cross the river or even get to the spot I had hiked to, I broke down and did something I have never done before.










I posed for a selfie. (_Sickening, I know_.) But this was a special fish and called for an exception to my self imposed prohibition on selfie taking . (I'm generally a bit camera shy. That's why my reports rarely have pictures where I feature in the frame.)

I think I'll end the report here but if you're interested in more Brookie pictures, here's the link to the album here on M-S where there are several more to view from this trip. https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/media/albums/up-trout-report-3rd-week-of-august.7929/


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## Quig7557 (Dec 31, 2008)

Nice fish, you guys cover some ground. The hike to the confluence of the two creeks looks cool.

The 18" brookie is a lake fish?

I'm hoping to get up there after Labor Day weekend.


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## Quig7557 (Dec 31, 2008)

The link isn't to your pictures


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## stickbow shooter (Dec 19, 2010)

Great report and awesome fish. Thanks for taking us along.


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## zzcop302 (Jun 29, 2013)

Hey PT,
Great post and pictures!
Glad you guys had such a great trip and good time here in the UP.
Hope you can make it back up soon!
Meanwhile, I'm hoping to try the salmon and trout in Superior with some dandy spinners I recently came into!


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

Quig7557 said:


> The 18" brookie is a lake fish?


It's really more of a pond but clearly has great biomass for the trout. Same one from last years report. Don't tell anyone but I saw another fish the same size still swimming around. 



Quig7557 said:


> The link isn't to your pictures


Not too sure what's going wrong on your end. It works for me. Maybe greater minds (Mods) will make adjustments if needed...


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## brookies101 (Jun 23, 2008)

Awesome report, appreciate you sharing it with us!!!


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## PERCHGILL (Feb 19, 2012)

Great report! Reinforces my thoughts of a U.P. camping trip instead of going up into Canada next fall.


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## NEW HUDSON WALT (Jan 11, 2009)

Hey PunyTrout that is a great report and I love "ALL" the pictures , but I am surprised
you didn't take YOUR OWN advise "Hurray ! Obscured backgrounds are BACK BABY! "
In a couple of those pictures...I'am sure some locals know where those spots are.


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## Pinefarm2015 (Nov 29, 2015)

If you guys could catch a brook trout from the car, hanging out the passenger side window while casting, that would be the greatest fishing story ever! Nobody would believe it, but it seems entirely possible.


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## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

Looks like an awesome trip. The brookies pictured are not only large specimens, but great looking fish. Congrats to both you and Big Medicine on the successful trip.


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## Pinefarm2015 (Nov 29, 2015)

NEW HUDSON WALT said:


> Hey PunyTrout that is a great report and I love "ALL" the pictures , but I am surprised
> you didn't take YOUR OWN advise "Hurray ! Obscured backgrounds are BACK BABY! "
> In a couple of those pictures...I'am sure some locals know where those spots are.


You're making the assumption the locals have electricity.


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## slabstar (Feb 25, 2009)

Where is this "drive through " brook trout stream..... "I'll take two slab brookies to go.. supersize!" Lol 
Great pics and report. Thanks for sharing.


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

Pinefarm2015 said:


> You're making the assumption the locals have electricity.


The irony of this is that the surrounding area of the Drive By Ditch is primarily an Amish community.


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## zzcop302 (Jun 29, 2013)

Pinefarm2015 said:


> If you guys could catch a brook trout from the car, hanging out the passenger side window while casting, that would be the greatest fishing story ever! Nobody would believe it, but it seems entirely possible.


I'm thinking not only could they cast from the car but also TROLL.....just find a nice long stretch of road that parallels the creek and using a long rod and properly setting the cruise control speed you would be all set !


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

NEW HUDSON WALT said:


> but I am surprised
> you didn't take YOUR OWN advise "Hurray ! Obscured backgrounds are BACK BABY! "
> In a couple of those pictures...I'am sure some locals know where those spots are.



Believe me, there is a whole cache of pictures I chose not to include for that very reason. It's not the locals I'm worried about. It's the Lurkers and other Trout Bums you have to consider...


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

zzcop302 said:


> I'm thinking not only could they cast from the car but also TROLL...


*BOOM! *You're a funny bunny Kurt. :lol:

You're gonna have to give those spinners a try. I caught a nice Splake in Lake Superior off of the dock right near your neck of the woods. Go git em.


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## Pinefarm2015 (Nov 29, 2015)

zzcop302 said:


> I'm thinking not only could they cast from the car but also TROLL.....just find a nice long stretch of road that parallels the creek and using a long rod and properly setting the cruise control speed you would be all set !


Trolling? I love it! That would be awesome.


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## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

PunyTrout said:


> Believe me, there is a whole cache of pictures I chose not to include for that very reason. It's not the locals I'm worried about. It's the Lurkers and other Trout Bums you have to consider...


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## Pinefarm2015 (Nov 29, 2015)

Trout King said:


>


I happen to know these two fellas quite well. Just because others find the same water does not translate that others will have similar results.


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