Jack's Vintage Fenwick

Grandfather Livingston's Fenwick

Fritz' mouse

I had two hours Friday morning while Conor was at swim-practice and before our sail so I took out an old Fenwick 6wt Grandfather Livingston had given me just before he passed away in 1992. I believe it was the primary rod he used in his later years, a full-flex fiberglass rod that must have brought him a lot of joy & fish. As I approached the creek I saw a 16-17 incher lurking under a log just to the right of where we hop in.  I moved upstream and tied on an old #4 Green Popper with (Grandfather Livingston vintage ) a black streamer as a dropper.  I flipped the combo 20-inches in front of the largemouth and he rose to the popper as it settled toward him.  He took slurped the popper gently and I set the hook.  I failed to appreciate the difference in flex from a modern mid flex rod (that I usually use) to an older full flex rod and the hook set suffered accordingly, I had him for about 2 seconds, then he spit the hook.  I cast in a different direction for about 5-minutes until my friend trundled back to his off-current bend.  I tried a 2nd cast to him and he rose again to take the popper, this time I set the hook hard, felt it bite (I thought) in his jaw but he spit the popper on his first run.  I pulled in the popper and saw that the problem (one of the problems) was that the hook was dull.  I cut off the rig and put on a mouse imitation that Fritz had tied for me a few years ago.  Instead of heading downstream I headed upstream to check-out the 150 yds before the bridge.  I had thought that the flat water was shallow...I was wrong.  There were 4-5 nice holding areas above the deadfall that normally defines our upstream limit. I fished them with Fritz' mouse and had two 15 inches and several 12 inchers

Mid-sized Largemouth with great green color

clobber it as it rested and twitched across deep water. I definitely won't over look this upstream section again. On the way out I decided to try for the lunker in the bend again and this time tied on a #8 green damsel dropper.  This time the bass rose for the mouse then turned and inhaled the damsel, I set the hook hard and the sharp damsel set in his jaw.  The Fenwick almost completely doubled-over as it strained against the bass and finally won the battle. I thanked the fish as I revived and released him back to his pool...what a wonderful fish and a great morning outing.