Quote:
Originally Posted by The Spank
One of these days I’m going to have to try fishing bull trout. Sound like an agressive fun fish to chase?
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Arguably, maybe more aggressive than even pike at times.
2nd story, same river but now fast forward to 2015, I bring two rods with me. One for nymphing the rocky whites and dry fly fishing for whatever I can get and a 2nd rod with a full link line and a 4-5 inch white rabbit strip streamer. I hook a RMW on a nymph and the fight suddenly increased 10 fold, usually a signal that the RMW is being chased or has been grabbed by a bull trout. I see the RMW and, yes, a decent bull in pursuit. I manage to maneuver the RMW away and land and let it go back. Grab the 2nd rod with the streamer, cast out, and strip fast through where I last saw the bull. Sure enough, grabs the streamer and it is game on time. By now I've done this successfully countless times. What makes this story unique for me as I'm fighting the bull trout when a 2nd bull trout of approximately the same size as the one on the line grabs the bull trout on the line fully on the side and clamps down....
Looks like the predator knows what it is like to be prey
Now I'm fighting two decent sized bulls. They are swimming in a circle now as the one clamped onto the other bull is pushing hard....kind of comical to watch and crazy at the same time. The 2nd bull finally lets go as I'm getting the fish near my feet.
I gave the first one hooked on the line a much longer recoup before releasing. It had the bite marks on it but seemed fine otherwise.
This underscores for me how a struggling fish, anything type apparently, triggers a predator instinct in these bull trout that is like an unstoppable force in them. They just have to try and strike. Even if it means taking on one of it's own size. Crazy aggressive!