“I may let you know however I’d must kill you!” stated Billy, a household pal and neighbor once I requested the place he’d caught the 5 largest brook trout I’d ever seen on the time.
Billy had stopped by our home to indicate off his catch as he typically did, however these trout have been actual beauties for our space, and my youthful thoughts was blown on the sight of them. None was lower than 14 inches, and the largest was perhaps a hair over 20.
Annually in the course of the hottest, haziest canine days of late Maine summer season, Billy would strike fishing gold and lug residence a large number of plus-sized brookies. I used to be mystified by the actual fact these trout got here from someplace close by in waters I fished too however from which I’d solely managed to drag a pair 10 inchers.
In actuality, I knew precisely the place they got here from, I simply had no concept the place it was or the way to get there: it was Billy’s secret spot.
What makes an excellent secret spot? There are a selection of things to contemplate however just a few are required. Mainly, the spot has to carry an abundance of focused fish or sport and you might want to be the one one — or one in all few — that is aware of about it.
Another concerns could sweeten the spot. Typically, the farther away from a crushed path or well-used highway the spot is, the higher. Not at all times, however all too typically, of us gained’t enterprise quite a lot of hundred yards from their automobile in pursuit of fish and sport. Past that requires drive, dedication, stamina and want.
Nevertheless, remoteness doesn’t at all times must be a vital issue, and actually, I situated my finest secret brook trout spot lower than 100 yards from a busy development firm’s gravel pit, simply accessible to most anybody however merely missed and tucked simply out of the best way. The final time I fished it with any success, whereas it was mine, I took a restrict of 5 fats, stunning trout. It was uncommon for me to ever hold a couple of or two fish, however I’m glad I did that afternoon. The next 12 months, it was uncovered after the land and stream slicing via it was obtained by an space heritage belief. Mountain climbing trails now move inside toes of the financial institution and discarded worm containers litter a path to the now-popular spot. How dare they not verify with me first and search permission!
Over time, as many do with their very own secret spots, I developed a way of possession of it, feeling as if it was mine and subsequently held the rights to it. The reality is, simply as with every secret spot, it was anybody’s to search out and fish, which was a situation I’d cross my fingers every year for to hope to not occur. I’d by no means imagined a spring with out that spot and was crushed once I misplaced it.
Whereas nothing I did spoiled the key, this brings me to our subsequent level of dialogue, which is the safety and retention of such a spot.
With out query, an important defensive and preservative motion one can take to guard a secret spot is to simply merely hold it a secret. Free lips sink ships, and the telling of even one leaky boat of a pal can jeopardize it. Photos of the spot must be prevented, or at the least take excessive efforts to disguise it. If footage are unavoidable, dissemination to the general public must be stored to a minimal and any captions ought to embody “an undisclosed location”.
I not too long ago discovered myself engaged in a heated argument with a finest pal over a secret striper spot a pal of his had graciously confirmed him that they’d been fishing for a number of years with stellar success.
Over the previous few seasons, I’d grown bored with listening to how nice the fishing was on this specific spot — particularly since I take into account myself reliable — and had requested to be introduced there and been denied greater than a dozen instances. When my telephone rang at 8:30 p.m. on a positive tide, I knew the drill and made a lower than courteous comment to my pal about the place I figured he was headed.
The very fact of the matter was, I used to be jealous, plain and easy. I pushed, poked, prodded and demanded, however my buddy by no means cracked, sticking to the promise he’d made about maintaining the spot to himself. As mad as I used to be, he’d achieved the suitable factor. He was proper and I used to be unsuitable however I’ll discover that spot at some point and present up there on the suitable tide as they make their first few casts.
I’ve misplaced contact with Billy through the years, which is gloomy as a result of he taught me a lot and I seemed as much as him. His knack for locating the largest buck, heaviest bear and most stunning trout was little doubt on account of his sixth sense when it got here to the outside.
However he additionally realized the significance of by no means revealing his most carefully guarded outside secrets and techniques. His success was hard-earned and I revered it. Whereas he allowed me to tag alongside on a number of searching and fishing excursions as a teenager, Billy by no means confirmed me the key spot he pulled these 5 trophy trout from and I believe that was purposeful.
He needed me to search out it, to earn it, to assert it as my very own, and I’ll spend a lifetime looking out.
