On the day I caught this beauty it was chilly and there was a wind from the north. My girlfriend Patty and I were the only ones on the bridge. (Others decided to stay in camp, warm and cozy by the fire!) Patty and I had been fishing for about an hour using "ruby eye" lures with a herring attached as extra incentive. The talk was all fishing, lures and our equipment. It is recommended that you have a full spool of at least 10 lb. test line as it takes quite a bit of line just to reach the water below. So I had my reel re-spooled the previous day with the recommended 10 lb test.

We were talking about heading back to camp and getting warm when both our rods took a bend for the river. I couldn't believe that both of us, at the same time, had a hit this strong! Patty yelled, "I got one. It's huge!" I yelled the same. We both laughed and automatically started to walk off the bridge. I yelled at her to keep her drag set snug but give it some play. "Make it work. Don't let that line slacken. You are barbless!"

Seeing my spool start to empty, I wondered if, even being full, there would be enough line to get to the shore. Patty was right behind me. What a great moment this was! Two great friends doing what we so love to do! My thoughts were, "I hope I can land this one; Keep the line snug; Make it work hard to run; Oh, I have to tire this fish out!" My spool was looking low now. I walked faster, reeling in, watching it run the line out again. Turning, I saw Patty, her look disappointed. She had lost her fish.

"Keep going" she yelled, "Don't loose yours!" By now motor homes were stopping on the bridge to watch. My ears heard them, but my thoughts and total concentration was on landing the biggest trout I have ever caught. As I turned to go down to the shore the line went slack; I reeled with the speed of light. This fish was not going to get away! Then he ran again. Again my reel was starting to look thin. I set more drag, thinking nothing could pull that much with that kind of friction against it! I was wrong. This fish had a lot of power in it. People were down on the shore now, all watching. I thought of just the fish. I heard nothing but mumbling behind me.

Again he ran, but now I knew he was getting weak. I started to pull, when all of a sudden he jumped out of the water. I thought my eyes went with him! What a catch! Oh.. What a catch! The fight was getting less and less. Then, as I started to reel in, he finally started to come with the pull. His fight was gone now. The battle of wills was over. Soon I had him on shore. Oh My! This is the most beautiful lake trout I had ever seen! How proud I was, feeling that I had played the game fair and won.

This lake trout weighed in at 12lbs 3oz. I did not have the length measured. The record fish caught that day (on the water not the bridge) was 27lbs. Patty and I have since fished the Taggish Bridge. The take has not been like that since, but there is always this spring.............