Island Park

[Everet14]

I debated back and forth between Ririe and Island Park until I finally made a decision to go to I.P. Reservoir. I arrived at the dam at 7:45 and set up my fly rod and got out my already inflated float tube, and headed out to fish. The Reservior is very high which offered even more good water to fish. On my first pass parallel to the Dam I got a hit. The fish fought extremely hard and I thought I had lost it several times but it had turned toward me and charged. On several pulls it pulled my fly rod into the water. I fought the fish long and hard before I stood looking at a fish I did not think fly anglers could catch. I reached down and hoisted it up on to my stripping apron. There in front of me was a 17 inch Kokanee Salmon! I had the fly lodged into its jaw bone which is probably why I did not lose it, if I would have had it hooked in its soft mouth I would have lost it. This was the biggest Koke I had ever caught before, much bigger than the ones I had caught through the ice at Ririe this year.
I caught the fish on a pink rug yarn with a white marbou tail. I was using a type III full sink line. It was a beautiful day and the Salmon just made it that more enjoyable. Tight Lines!