The Troll Trout

There is a certain part of fishing lore that absolutely makes me giddy like a kid at Christmas and I have no real explanation for it - that would be finding big fish hanging out underneath bridges. It's kind of a sick weird little obsession, but I always find myself seeking out fish that hang out underneath underpasses, highways, dirt roads, culverts, etc. Anyplace that has the proverbial "troll" feeling to it.

There's something that goes back to the stories you read about those things that hang out underneath bridges and snatch kids etc. That's the feeling I always get when fishing underneath a road is that there might be something waiting there to inhale my fly and whatever else comes near it, that's why I love fishing for trolls.

The most impressive of these fish to me are always the snarly looking brown trout that fit the bill of your childhood troll figure - mean, fat ugly snout, questionable character and tactics (see trying to wrap you on bridge pilings and or sticks piled up around said pilings). There's been more than a few times where I've ignored my own rules and gone tramping through a seemingly worthless spot underneath or around a bridge and been sadly mistaken to find a big fish hanging out swimming away from me leaving a big wake behind it. Don't let this happen to you, you've been warned.

So the next time you are out and playing in the water, remember to not skip over the "troll" hangouts, it just could become your favorite place to hang out...