A worthy fish to post for 2009. Took six weeks, but I got the dinkfest skunk off my back. A respectable rainbow, unmeasured, likely in the 8-9 lb. range.  Note the full kype and he's dripping with milt.  Early spawner for sure.

Top Notch!

What a beauty!

He was alright by local standards, but it was good to finally hook and land a fish bigger than the 12" dinks I've been getting.

Great fish! Fly of spinning gear?

Gorgeous fish!

Nice fish!

Thanks all.

Great fish! Fly of spinning gear?

I use casting gear.  My buddy is a pinner.  Unless you're running weight on your tippet, you're not getting down to the fish.  To me wight on a fly rig isn't really fly fishing.  In other words, its the wrong tool.  The right tool is a float rig, and depending on the depth, the terminal gear can run to lengths over 8'.  

At any rate, a drag free drift is what you're looking for, centrepins and baitcasters are ideal for this.  Spinning flat out sucks for it, though I keep a 9'6" spinning rig in the car when spinning makes more sense.

That is one absolutely beautiful fish.

Good job.

Thanks Big Tom.  Spawning males are quite the spectacle.  I really love the colors on spawning brown trout bucks.

BUT, if they look like this fresh chromie, they are great for the smoker:

If you like those colors, here's one of the prettiest 'bows I caught last fall:

Trout are among the most beautiful freshwater species.  And you really have some great pictures.

We have them stocked here in Kentucky but they are pretty much just walleye food.  A lot of people fish for them but they never reach the size of those in your pictures.  

If we had streams like that, I would not be nearly as bored in the wintertime.  

Thanks for showing off more pictures.  That must have been hard...lol.

Thanks again.  Spring won't come soon enough.  A quick April for the spring run, and its back to the green and brown fish.  

Here's one for you, a big old Salmon River stud, taken on the pink worm.  We picked at least a half dozen flies from his pectoral fins.  Too smart for the flyrod/long mono/split shot snagger goons, LOL.

Very cool J. Congrats!