Getting Broody on Merwin Reservoir (video)

I've been stalking Merwin Reservoir once or twice a week for the past month. Mostly this is to get mileage on my legs and the mirage drive but also to tune my kayak and stock my friends freezers.

Today was a particularly chilly start with heavy freezing fog setting in over my house in Ridgefield and in the Lewis River Basin. I started out late this morning and still had to contend with some slippery roads as I careened through the not-so-subtle curves leading to the Speelyai launch on the reservoir. After some work to thaw the transducer I successfully launched by 9:30 AM. I was kept busy by the fervor of feeding chinook smolts and the occasional dink koke but my persistence paid off around 11 in the morning when a 21.5" fatty brooder rainbow latched on to my spinner-hoochie and corn. This is my largest bow on this lake to date and I was pretty excited to nail such a fish (which is evident by my wide grin in the video).



I also wanted to say happy holidays to everyone and it was nice meeting a number of you the other day in Portland. I hope I can contribute to this forum in a meaningful way and appreciate all the advice and support your have offered to date and into the future.

Best fishes to everyone and to all a good fight! Tight lines...

What a great start to Christmas you're having. Again, awesome Tyler!

Nice bow!

That was an awesome bit of video storytelling!

-Spot-

That was an awesome bit of video storytelling!

-Spot-

Agreed, I really liked the short cuts intermixed with you fishing out on the lake.

Oh, and the fish is pretty nice too. I can see why you had the perma-grin.

Very cool. 

A Very Merry Christmas indeed!


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Well done.  Thanks for that.

Wow - great video, as Spot said, good storytelling, but that fish... that's ludicrous! I don't think I've seen a rainbow that big caught in OR/WA before!

Wow - great video, as Spot said, good storytelling, but that fish... that's ludicrous! I don't think I've seen a rainbow that big caught in OR/WA before!

Then you aint searched the archives much.     I thought I was a badass with an 8lb'er till Rawkfish caught a double digit brooder....

-Spot-

Then you aint searched the archives much.     I thought I was a badass with an 8lb'er till Rawkfish caught a double digit brooder....

-Spot-

http://aoty.northwestkayakanglers.com/catches/923

Can you smell what the "rawk" is cookin? ... Smells like trout.

Wow - great video, as Spot said, good storytelling, but that fish... that's ludicrous! I don't think I've seen a rainbow that big caught in OR/WA before!

Thanks! I knew immediately it wasn't a kokanee and had to crank down the drag a little but my heart did a little flutter when I got my eyes on it the first time. Fought just like a steelhead with fast explosive runs into the deep. It was a really fat fish and a lot of fun to catch.

Pretty sure that zombie brooder smelled like things other than trout....

Pretty sure that zombie brooder smelled like things other than trout....

She smoked up just fine.... 

Awesome catch and I love the video! The editing is a nice...I hit subscribe.