Put and Take Trout fishing report

[Salmo trutta]

I decided to hit a local stream (Great Seneca Creek) on Sunday afternoon to see if the bait chuckers left any fish to play with. The stream was quite stained but the far bank was clear because of a tributary junction. I was walking up stream armed with only my five weight when I spooked something massive out of an undercut bank. First thought was holly s... that's a huge trout, no carp no..... MUSKY!! I couldn't believe it, 100% positive ID on a 30+ inch tiger musky, maybe 40 inches in Great Seneca Creek! It was about 4 miles to the Potomac so it's very possible he came upriver with the last high water and had found a suitable home with plenty of stocked trout to chomp on.

I immediately tried to cast to him and was too excited that I got caught in a tree on the back cast. Not to worry, he would only laugh at my #14 wholly bugger anyway. I quickly ran to the car and grabbed some heavy action striper rods and a hand full of 8 inch bombers, 6 inch storm baits and anything else I thought might imitate a trout or sucker. When I returned he was no where in site but this was a deep hole with plenty of places to hide. I wish I could have had a picture when a trout fisherman saw me through a 6 inch storm bait into a trout stream. I tried everything I had and didn't get a single follow. I later caught a few trout on the five wt and was certain the little guy would never make it to shore but I landed him unscathed. Maybe he's just had too much to eat the last two weeks. I wonder how many trout fishermen lost a fish to this guy this week. Once the water comes down I think I'll go give Mr. Musky another visit. Maybe this time I'll bring the ten weight.

[Salmo trutta]

If he came out of Little Seneca Lake than he would have to fit through that tiny tourbine. Little Seneca starts from a narrow culvert that pours through the dam or I guess he could have washed over the spill way but most likely he came up from Rilley's Lock. They stock that area heavily with tiger musky fingerlings from what I hear but you are the fishery biologist. I wonder how many more are in that section of the creek. It's almost 100 feet wind in sections and downstream from 28 I have caught and seen some monster large mouths. In a few weeks a sucker run similar in quantity to the great lakes tributaries will begin in that creek and hopeully that's why he's there. I just hope he brought some friends.