Man o Man

I took a few hours the other day and hit Stuffer by myself. Water is low and full of weeds this time of year. A few large trout (20"+) were hitting dry flies in the deep pools and mostly out of reach. From the banks, these fish are impossible. One step on the bank within 15 feet or a bad cast and they are done. I had 5 or 6 trout landed in 3 hours of fishing. A few were pushing 20". All on dry flies. There was a constant blue quill hatch all day at 17 Celsius. The flies were small. I was almost to the bridge and ready to leave with a #18 blue dun dry fly on and 5.2 lb leader when I saw a tail as big as a baseball hat turn and duck under the overhanging ledge in the river. I threw one cast with the dry fly quickly, it landed perfectly, and then I saw it......a fucking monster trout head slowly, very slowly, rise up and take my fly. I instantly registered it was one of the 5-7 pounders this river hides from the world. I set the hook, he couldn't believe what was happening, he pulled back, showed himself, I raised my rod again and began the scary process of getting 10-20 feet of fly line on the reel. If I was going to land this guy I had to get him on the reel and hope he didn't get tied up in the weeds too quickly. I also instantly realized that I would if required jump out and back into the river and grab the fucker. He let me see him one more time in 3 feet of clear water and then almost laughing snapped my leader like it was fun. I have been dreaming about that fish ever since. I will most likely never see him again and or have another fish like that on my line in that river. It was a great moment between me and the fish and something I'll cherish for ever. I didn't win the battle but I won my respect for even getting the fly into his lip in a river like Stauffer.