Heartbreak or Compassion?

[SmokeOnTheWater]

Got into a REALLY NICE KOKANEE yesterday morning prior to our three hour drive home from the Gorge. While my wife was reeling it in she wanted me to take the rod because her arms were tired after only three minutes. I said C'mon, you got to be kiddin me.

So I took the rod and immediately noticed there was hardly any line left on the spool. I couldn't feel any action so I thought we were snagged so we turned the boat around and headed back to the snag and then I felt it. Three strong tugs! I looked down into the water and saw the fish at about twenty feet then it exploded on a run straight away from the back of the boat. It came to the surface, turned and tail-walked straight back toward the boat. At about five feet, I noticed the hook jaw and straight into the waiting net. As soon as it hit the bottom of the net it did another U-Turn and blasted right back out of the net. The line broke near the top hook and the MONSTER KOKE hesitated briefly and then sped off into the depths.

Would it have been good eating? Probably not. Is it better off to spawn and complete the life cycle? I sure hope so. This fish easliy went five pounds and pushed 30". It would have definitely cost us a taxidermy fee. You be the judge, Heartbreak or Compassion.

[smokin' Kokes]

fishing is like sex. it's all in the experience and memories.

pictures and telling don't help a bit.

great fish story. I've got compassion for the netting story.

got a great netting story from 50 years ago. first time my day let me net his fish after he had lost a couple trying to net chinook by himself with me along.
50lb fall deep belly chinook just into fresh water full of spawning run fight, 3rd attempt and pass by the boat, I finally knocked it off the hook (at least he claimed that).
Dad got so mad, he broke his pole in two, headed for the docks and told me he was never going to take me fishing again.


we went the next week.

what's worth more, the experience of fishing or eating some old rotten smelly fish?

[SuperD]

Heartbreak for you and compassion for the netter. I would have said I wasn't upset but I would have been.

[froggie]

Better to have fought and lost than to not have fought at all!! It's a bit of both for sure- heartbreak for losing it, but the story will be there forever.
Froggie

[Kokaholic]

Froggie summed it up pretty good. Thats fight she will always remember. Thats why we call it fishing!

[halojm]

hey Tom that fish didn't have an RMT Dodger and Green Squid hanging its mouth did it. Same thing happened to the wife up there friday in the wind and chop. Had it on for about 15 minutes it stayed deep except for the last 20 seconds or so when it finally came to the surface. Getting banged around in the waves it finally made one last dive and it an everything attached was gone. This might be the fish everyone is calling the Flaming Gorge Monster.
Cheers my friend.