# UP Brookie



## Magnet (Mar 2, 2001)

This 14" Brook Trout was caught by a friend of mine behind my cabin in the UP. It was caught during the last weekend of trout season this year. 14 inchers are not too uncommon out of this stretch of river. I've caught them up to 16" in this river. Still not "Master Angler" size, but nice trout just the same. This one made it onto the film because this was the largest Brookie that my friend had caught in Michigan and there was a pretty good story to go along with the photo.










My friend hooked the fish while fishing in an old deadfall from the bank of the river. Since he was fishing in all the tangles, the trout became wrapped on some branches that were underneath and downstream from the deadfall. I heard his cries for help from the cabin so I proceded down to the river. Once at the river I could see that he had a mess on his hands. When putting pressure on the fish, the branches that it was tangled on would bend up towards the surface and the fish would become visible. As he released pressure the trout would disappear back into the depths. After quizzing him about the trout, he told me that it might be his biggest Michigan Brookie ever. So I headed back up to the cabin to grab my waders and a net. When I got back down to the river the situation had not changed. I waded out to where the trout was tangled up. He pressured the trout until I could see it coming into view. I scooped the trout into the net and at the same time reached in with my other hand to clear the line of the snags. This is all while the trout is still 18" under the water. Once I got the line loose of the snags, I brought the net and the trout out above the water and had to break the line to get the fish to shore. The look on my friends face would have definately been a great Kodak moment. This same picture is now framed and hanging on the wall in his den where he spends time playing with his fishing gear.


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## jfink (Nov 19, 2002)

Thats a beautiful pic of a brookie good story too


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

That's a sweet lookin' male, nice fish!


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## secondgear (Nov 19, 2003)

Sweet, What river? Can i come and stay for a couple of days?


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## Whit1 (Apr 27, 2001)

Thanks for the report and the most excellent photo. A male brook trout in full spawning regalia is awesome.


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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

That is one beautiful fish, thanks for sharing, but please don't share the river name.


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## steelslam (Apr 8, 2001)

that brookie would be on my wall. master angler or not. thats one fine looking trout. congrats to you


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## flyrod4steelhead (Mar 14, 2002)

Beautiful Brookie. Nice pic as well.


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## MSUICEMAN (Jan 9, 2002)

all i can say is wow.... one of these years i'll get up there to do some flyfishing and spinfishin for them guys.

steve


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## patcheroo (Jan 3, 2003)

Great story and great fish!....Patch


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