The Un Nettable Brownie

[Greg Huff]

a couple of years ago,my good friend and i went to taneycomo to do some troutn.i usually just troll,and can almost always limit out on rainbows.not trophies by any means,just good eaters.i pull 2'' rapala browns and raimbows just off idle,works well.we had a couple apiece then...i thought i had one.then decided it was probably a stick or some larger debris.with the boat in neutral,im hurrying to get reeled in so i can get back out.thats when i felt a fairly strong pull,then nothing again.confused allmost i keep reeling,about 10' from the boat i finally see what i've hooked.not a log or debris,a brown trout like i have never seen outside an aquarium,and for that matter not allot of biggers ones in bass pros aquarium at lake front.this brown was honestly right at 24'' honestly.i about crapped my pants,grab the net i yelled,got him right next to the boat,my friend tryed to net him twice.my grandfathers old net is only maybe 12'' across,there was more fish hanging over the net than in it!!he shouldve scooped him i know i think couldve had him if i was netting.but what do ya do,i didnt curse him but wanted to sorda.after the second attempt to net this beast he straightened out one of the hooks on the rather small hooks on those sized rapala's,and was gone.made me sick.the spots on him were huge like half dollar sized it seemed,beautiful fish.never forget that day,still got a limit of rainbows tho right!that was the only sunnyside i could come up with.i have since bought a bigger net,he might still be out there.i know i will be.iwouldve thought that a fish of that magnitude wouldve pulled my boat around,it was like he was lathargic,but he snapped to life at the boat!!!