It was a long time coming but I got my first wild bow. It took a skated EHC stimulator. I wish I could say that it was due to meticulous presentation but it happened accidentally while I was crossing the stream with my line hanging downstream. Fortunately, the action didn’t stop there.
I caught bows, brookies, and browns on Saturday morning, a healthy mix of stocked and wild fish. Nymphs worked great early on, but later in the day I took a few more on dries as well. The wild bows were comparatively paler than their stocked counterparts and they fought much harder. One 5 in. specimen even took line off the reel!
If you haven’t gone out for wild bows, I would highly urge you to try it. They grow larger than brookies and provide a good change of pace due to their wild runs and jumps. Be sure to concentrate more on the fast and broken water!
Nicely done, Ashu! The coloring on that wild ‘bow is amazing!
Thanks Jo! I agree, these wild fish get colored up really well
I have yet to catch another non-sea-run salmonid that fights as hard as a wild rainbow. They are tough cookies.
Actually, scratch that. Wild tigers fight harder.
I agree, they are tough cookies for sure! I’ve never caught a wild tiger before, its on my bucket list
Congrats on the wild bow, Ashu! My understanding is that they are quite rare here in the Northeast. Beautiful fish.
Thanks Sam! From my knowledge, they are limited to a few tributaries of the Deerfield, White River (VT), Upper Connecticut River, Androscoggin River, and the Kennebeck (ME). I’ve heard great things about the latter 2 and their ability to produce monsters well over 20 in.!
Very cool!
Thanks Will!