Mark began dead drifting a Purple Propeller Fly (a concoction he dreamed up probably after one too many beers).  Without much fanfare or even a shout; he just set the hook on a snag.... Mark repeated shaking his fly rod, trying to loosen the fly, when the "snag" moved toward mid-river with an unhurried, steady pull. Typically, we fish 8-weights with 2 or 3X tippets in the winter.... For about 40 seconds there was no give and no changing of the fish's controlled movement... then the change of direction and the downstream burst... the sudden stop... then nothing... We guessed it was a BIG brown since it never came to the surface.... Mark is an "expert" at catching suckers, and this was definitely NOT ol' Bugle Lips....

Later, around New Year's Day, a grandfather and his grandson were fishing about four miles downstream with some spinning tackle and landed a 22-pounder (yes twenty-two pounds) at the Lusby takeout.... Could it have been the same fish??? Maybe.... I continue to carry a Purple Propeller Fly that Mark gave me that day but I am afraid to use it in fear I might lose it to a big brown....