It's not every day you get to watch your friend catch a 25" Rainbow Trout. Yes, ladies and gents, this bad boy was worth every minute of the 20 minute fight.
25" long, 19" girth Rainbow Trout caught on the Animas River, Durango, Colorado
After a 30+ hour car ride cross country from Louisville, Kentucky Emily & Molly showed up ready to fish. And fish they did!
My hubby was pumped to take them down to the Animas, just a few minutes from our front door.
Pinch me! I actually get to live here! More like pinch DJ, my hubby, the fly fishing guru. He's died and gone to fishing heaven. Durango is definitely the dream place for him.
Truth be told, the picture above is my favorite one from that afternoon. Call me crazy, I know my favorite should be of that hog of a trout, but capturing Molly in her element, with a big grin on her face, is the winner for me.
After a few minutes of scoping out the water and testing out her cast, Molly hooked a big one. In that moment, we had no idea how big.
She fought that sucker good, hard, and long! A little over 20 minutes to be exact ... on a 3wt rod nonetheless! *Translation for all the none fisher types: A 3wt rod is a great rod for catching smaller fish, so the fact that Molly was able to land an 11 pound fish without breaking the rod in half is quite an accomplishment!
DJ coached her through it ... running back and forth to try and capture the monster.
Score!!!! Fish netted.
The expression on both Molly and DJ's face tells all. Priceless.
DJ pulled out that fish and none of us could believe the size of that hog! Needless to say, lots of cheering, laughing, and photos followed.
Two peas in a pod. I'm pretty sure this made the 30+ hours in the car worth it.
We're so thankful to have friends travel across the country to see us. It makes living in a remote little corner of southwest Colorado all worth it.
These two amazing ladies were such a breath of fresh air to us. Good conversation, good questions, and some dang good fishing.
Make sure to check out their fantastic blogs when you get a moment. Marriage, adventures, house projects, and more at Today's Letters. Travel, photography inspiration, one insanely adorable baby, and video at WanderLost.
And last but not least, I figured my hubby can use this photo below to start his guiding business. What do you think?
I'm headed out to enjoy a morning at the park with my girls, followed by a river trail walk with a friend, and then some work time this afternoon with a good cup of coffee and a healthy dose of dark chocolate. Tonights agenda? Grilled kabobs and game night with friends. Bring on the weekend!
What are you up to today?
Happy Friday, friends!
xo,
Vanessa