Anyone got any GENUINE(!) good tales of lost monsters-doubles on the Derwent?Giants at Grafham?Monsters at Manningford?

Hi Mowgli, i've got a couple.

I lost a salmon in Iceland a couple of years ago. he took a hitch tube off the surface in a small 'hole' in the rapids. for about 10 mins he just plodded around the pool, while i knew that if he got out, and into the rapids, i'd be fuked. the fish jumped right at the head of the pool, about 10 feet from where i was standing, and i could clearly see he was a very large, fairly red, cock salmon. He then got into the rapids as i'd feared, and despite me getting out of the pool; and waddling down the bank, he took all my line, backing, and straightened the hooks. Guestimating his size, i'd have said 30-35lb.

I also lost a 28lb brownie in Dever Springs a while back. hooked him after stalking him most of the day, and he just shot straight through 3 weed beds. I could see him shakiing his head on the other side of the lake while towing far, far, far too much weed for the line to cope with. Inevitably the hook came out...

I had a fish at lechlade once just swim and swim and swim, he took about 75 yards of backing before the hook straightened. I don't think he was foul hooked either, the swim was slow and deliberate rather than the frantic dash they tend to do when foul hooked, shook his head too...

Possibly not what you class as a monster, probably not a very good tale and definitely not from any of the listed Lakes, but as it happened recently, here goes.......

Fishing Caistron Lake in Northumberland a few weeks ago, fishing from a boat, I decided to have a try with a 10' #4 rod as most fish are around the 2lb mark.

Hooked into a fish which took off as if it was a nuclear sub.....I played it initially by hand, then got it on the reel and controlled it's many runs by hand pressure on the spool rim rather than using the drag.

10 mins later, got it near the boat - I can only describe it as about 30 - 36" long, shaped like a salmon, i.e. muscly and fairly lean (not a bloated fish).

Heart thumping, I went to get my net but as I hadn't set the drag, I hooked my finger round the reel handle to stop the fish running (doh!.... how stupid can he be I hear you ask).

Suffice to say, that a single shake of it's head later, the fish was away on it's own sweet way with one of my wee nymphs as a memento having snapped my 4lb tippet as if it was a thread from a spiders web.

The Fishery Manager told me later that he had stocked 40 fish earlier in the season of between 12-18 lbs. He reckoned this was undoubtedly one of these as only 11 had been caught.

It would have been my biggest trout ever by a mile.

Never mind - an enjoyable experience to remember, all the same..and i did end up netting seven (2 kept for pot) - best bag of the season.

W

Great stories chaps! I too have vivid memories of losing great looking fish close in by p1ssing around with the drag.

One fish that sticks in my mind was years ago on Chew, it was a baking summer day and had fished really hard all day with nothing to show but a couple of lost fish, then just when the light was fading I switched to the biggest Muddler I could find in my box on the back of the old man going on and on about what a good fly it is (don't believe it personally). First cast I hooked a fish that came and moved A LOT of water when it took, turned and dived and just went and went and went, absolutely unstoppable. Eventually with most of my backing out it popped off without showing itself again. Thinking about it now I guess it was probably more likely to be a moderate size pike than a monster trout but for a while at least I thought all my dreams had come true!

Took my father to lechlade for his 50th in the hope he would catch one of the monsters in there or well at least a double. He had 3 around 5 ot 6 lb and learned a lesson with bank fishing to watch your feet.

He lost a very good fish after playing it for 5 or 6 mins went on a steamtrain run and pulled the hook when he was standing on his own fly line and couldnt give any more line out to the fish.

But good lesson to learn in the end, still hope he will one day catch his biggun.

earlier this year i took a trip to caistron lakes in northumberland.
this is my local venue and rate it very high. usually i fish the main large lake on the boat, but the wind was up so i took a walk to the smaller lake which normally only worm anglers go due to trees 5 ft behind you. anyway i started roll casting out and spotted a few fish rising and managed to get my dry fly out to them. all of a sudden i could see a very large fish hammering flies but there was also a few smaller ones nearby. i decided to change my fly and put on a large grey wolf, and cast it out. straight away the large fish came up and smashed into it. the fish jumped clean out the wateand it was a huge brownie, over 8lb in weight. the fish started to take off like a train and my 3lb leader was my main concern as it was very weedy. fighting for about 2 minutes my line started screaming out again and ping, the fish snapps the line. looking back i realise how big these wild brown trout are at caistron. over 10lb and wild. its usually the big ones you losse, but if you got every large fish in the net it would be no fun. still fishing at the same place waiting for a big brownie to surface.

Always listen to old peoples advice thats one thing i always do , and he wasn,t far wrong ive caught many wild browns with a size 14 white muddler ( especially in a nice wave ) one of my fav flies ..

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[SIZE="4"]BRITISH BY BIRTH , SCOTTISH BY THE GRACE OF GOD..[/SIZE]