It had turned hot again and that is the kind of weather it takes to get my wife, Jan to got out fishing with me anymore. It is usually about 2-3 times a year that I can twist her arm and get her into the boat.....1) when the Grandsons are up and want her to go......2) and when it gets way over 80 degrees and she is comfortable. That is what we ran into last Thurs. when the weatherman called for 96 degrees and got it right.

We arrived around 3:30 and trolled our way along to target the browns as they move up this time of year. My buddy, Chuck Jones, was easily recognizable in his orange sled with the jet on the back. He is usually always vacationing at this time of the year at Wickiup. It is always good to see him! He hadn't stuck anything really big but was giving it some good licks the last couple of days.

We were doing a little casting and suddenly I saw Eric Cole heading our way. It looked like Allan in the back of the boat but I couldn't tell for sure from as far away as we were. Sure enough, the "Old Man" ( an endearing term I like to use on my friends over 60) had just arrived and was going to be fishing for the next several days. We exchanged greetings and they asked how it was going. I had just caught a nice hookjaw around 6 LB.+ and right before they got there, a nice chunky native red side rainbow that was close to 4 LB. She jumped about 3-4 times right at the boat to entertain Jan and I with her aerobatics.

With three boats working the area, it was probably a little too much pressure for the fishing to be what we all wanted to see. Alan and Eric pulled out and then a little later Chuck made a move and it was just Jan and I again. Right after they were gone, I had a follow from a nice brown and then on the next cast, I had a sweet hen of around 5 LB. grab my plug. Since Jan wasn't doing well, I asked her if she wanted to play the trout. After a couple of short drag screeching runs, she had the brown near the boat. Right as I netted it the phone rang. I was too busy so didn't answer. A minute later it rang again.....this time I answered and it. Turns out it was the infamous "burn call" as we like call it. Eric said his Dad had got one (that translates to a brown of over 10 LB.!) I could hardly believe it.....they hadn't been on the water for much over an hour. That is number 31 for those of us who are keeping score. After Allan got on the phone and relived the event, I congratulated him and then chastised him ( just kidding) for coming into my back yard and catching another brown over 10 LB.! This isn't the first time and probably not the last. On the Brownbagger list, he now stands at 31 and is right behind our friend, Jim Bringhurst, who has 32. I believe that they will both probably pass Rich Reinwald,who just passed away at the end of 2008 with 34 browns of over 10 LB!

When the bite slowed for Jan and I, we decided to stop by and hear the story from Allan on our way back in. Eric said that it was his 3rd time he has netted one over 10 LB. for his dad......he is still waiting for his first. My guess is that it won't be long with the training and genetics he got from his dad.

Tight Lines,

Rick