The One That Got Away: Large Fish Lurking In the High Flows of Eleven Mile Canyon, South Platte River Fly Fishing Report

There always seems to be one great fish that gets away. Whether this is more in our imagination or reality it does not matter. A great fish seems to lurk deep in our souls moving now and then to the edge of our senses. And the high flows of Eleven Mile Canyon are bringing those big fish out of their deep hiding places to the edges where we just might get a glance.  Perhaps even a hook up.

Rarely does a big fish show it self entirely. Browns seem to be the best at remaining hidden. We only get glimpses of their greatness, beauty and size. Some times, so large, we second guess ourselves; “Did I just see what I thought I saw”? I have seen glimpses of such great fish. The pond I fished as a kid. The Platte. The Taylor, Frying Pan. The Blue. The Green. The San Juan. The Arkansas. And somehow these great fish most often elude us. Some have been so big, I wish I had never seen them.

Such was the case when I was guiding a gentleman in Eleven Mile Canyon. Tom just recently had a knee replacement. A shoulder surgery for his casting arm was scheduled in the near future. But Tom was a warrior. At 70 years old he was a wounded hero of sorts stalking the Platte’s large fish.   He was here with me hobbling the banks stalking big fish.

He had caught a dozen or so nice fish, when late in the morning, out of no where the great brown struck. We watched the initial power surge of the fish heading down and across river as most big fish will do. The fish moved deeply. I did not see its true size until after several minutes Tom slowly worked the fish back toward us. And there the great fish lay regaining its strength as many big Browns will do. Then while the fisherman is sort of lulled to sleep a big brown will explode catching the hunter off guard.  

That is what this big Brown did. We tried to chase it. But there was Tom’s bad knee and the heavy water. We had almost taken a few tumbles crossing the river in some spots. So, the risks seemed too high. The fish bolted and the 6x tippit tied to a size 26 gray sparkle wing RS2 broke. And that was that. The fish that got away.

May there always be a big fish that lurks in the waters we fish and under the surface of our souls that stirs us to return again and again.