Biggest fish is the one you didn't catch

 Today I spent few hours on known trout river near my town. I took tenkara rods only, no fly rods with reels, to avoid temptation to use it when i can't catch anything. In my bag were Dragontail Hellbender, Daiwa Expert LT36, and my new all-red shiny Tenryu Furaibo TF39.

The first thing I usually do on the water is "prospecting". Spotting where the fish are, insect activity, signs of fish feeding on the surface or subsurface. I spotted big brown trout from the bridge. About 55-60 cm. It was hanging in shallow water, about knee deep or less. I also spotted another 2 trout, slightly smaller, but they were hiding under sunken tree. This big one stayed in the open water.

I watched this beauty for few minutes, before decided to descend to the water.

Due to this trout size, I rigged my "big fish" rod - Dragontail Hellbender. First thing I started, I cast slowly sinking kebari fly subsurface, on level line and long tippet. I tried to do "fly first" presentation as much as possible. Fish ignored my offering. Then I tried small nymphs (size 18), and progressively bigger. No reaction. I also tried dry fly.

My patience ended, and I walked to another place. When I returned and looked from the bridge again, the fish wasn't there. Probably it was in the hideout - under the log nearby.

I walked half of kilometre to other location. There's wide run with faster, waist-deep main current, and slower water near the banks. I worked through the run with nymph, first small, then changed it to #12 and 4mm bead. By the way, I changed rod to the Tenryu Furaibo TF39. It's much softer action than Hellbender.

I worked through the hidden deep slot in the current, near the bank. The fly snagged something. Whaaat?! It's slowly moving. Not snag, it's a fish. It was probably big trout, because in the beginning it was like dead weight and not moving. Then fish started to move upstream from me. I used my new rod TF39 for the first time. The rod bent almost to the handle. It's not a big fish rod, pretty soft. But it is also a good thing, because it protects thin 5,5X tippet. I hold the fish in the current, and it tried to run away upstream, which was good (for me). But due to long line and tippet, I can't effectively steer fish to the net. So I grabbed the line with my free hand. This was enough for fish to self-release, because it's a barbless hook . Damn! It was a chance to "christen" my new rod with big fish, but it didn't happen.

I fished through river section again and again. Finally, I got trout. Not big fish, but quite OK.

The rod TF39 is so flexible, that it bends deeply even from such fish. Now I did everything correctly, captured line with right hand holding the rod, and grabbed it with landing net.

My rod is now officially "christened". The nymph I used looks sort of weighted kebari. Grey body with soft partridge hackles.

Later in the evening, I returned to the bridge. The big trout was there again, in the shallow water.

I descended to the river, and started with dry fly (caddis fly). There were caddis hatching, and I precisely matched the size and color of insect with the fly from my box. No luck. Then I switched to small nymph. Nothing. This fish left it's hideout and hanging in the run for what? I guess for feeding. But no idea what is it feeding on. Definitely not on adult insects. Maybe there's tiny larvas or scuds in the mid-water, i don't know. The "boss of the run" is not easy to fool.