East Walker 18-19" Rainbow (On a broken rod!)

East Walker River Fishing

East Walker River Fishing

Did a short trip to the East Walker (long drive). It was short because my rod broke within a few hours of fishing. It was my first time using it (Cortland Competition 3wt) and I don't know if it is just a fragile rod, or that it was defective out of the box. I have never broken a rod in 20+ years of fishing, and I wasn't rough on the rod or yanked on a snag, so I think it was a defective rod. The tip snapped while I was wading to a snap, and there was no bend or pressure on the rod--it was strange. I think the slight pressure and the angle of the rod did the trick to break it at that moment. Imagine yourself walking up to a snag and preparing to grab the line with the rod about vertical and no bend in it, and you hear a snap when slight pressure is applied to the rod as you start to reach for the line.

I did like the rod from what little I used it that day. Makes Euro nymphing much easier with a 10-11' rod. Luckily they have a 1 year warranty and I returned it. I just bought the Sage Pulse 3wt 10' and it is in the mail. $200 more, but I think it will be a tougher rod. 

Anyway... fishing was tough on the East Walker at 300cfs. Wading was very tough, with the flows strong enough to knock you off your feet. I fished just below the miracle mile, and caught a few small brown trout before hooking a nice 12" fat brown, with extraordinary red spotting and very healthy looking. Not long after that brown, the rod broke. It was hard to cast so I fished only a little bit longer, and ended up with a rainbow to end the day.

The rainbow was a very soft take in some rough pocket water. I was fishing with a heavy chartreuse mop fly as my weighted fly on the bottom, and a frenchie on the dropper and the fish took the mop. It was a easy fight at first and he didn't feel that big, and I was more surprised at having a rainbow on (the EW is 95%+ browns) when I got a better look at his size near the net in the murky water, and then BAM--he took off on a strong run. I was barely able to check him from going further downstream and where I would have lost him for sure. There was no way to wade safely while fighting a fish in that current. It was a relief when I landed him--what a fish! 

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East Walker River Fishing