Ed’s Note: We are thrilled to bring you this guest post from author, angler, and Redington Influencer Jean-Marie Bousquet. An avid angler and adventurer, Jean-Marie spent the day with 5280 Angler, guide Luke Martin, photographer James Snyder, and drone pilot Dave Reilly at Boxwood Gulch Ranch.
This is her (big fish) story…
Boxwood Gulch Ranch – Hog Heaven
by Jean-Marie Bousquet
Every so often, an opportunity presents itself that is too good not to act on. When the team at 5280 angler connected with me about fishing a legendary stretch of private water, I jumped at the chance.
Ben, one of the guides with 5280, had alluded to big fish and plenty of them. The kind of fish you dream about and if I’m being honest, seem to only exist on the internet. I spend all of my time on public water stalking brookies/cutthroats in backcountry lakes and streams. Fly fishing private water would be a completely new game for me. When Saturday morning rolled around, I was practically jumping out of bed at 4am. I could have skipped the morning cup of joe, if I wasn’t a complete addict.
A few casts into the day at Boxwood and my rod might as well have been permanently bent. The only problem, I wasn’t landing what was on the other end of my line. The fishing was technical. Trout were eager to take my fly, but they weren’t about to let me baby them into the net. The trout of Boxwood would give NHL players a run for their money. With guidance on how to leverage the entire drag system to play these big trout from guides Ben and Luke of 5280 angler I started to feel confident again.
FISH ON!
The slightest pause of my indicator had my heart jumping out of my chest. Immediate hook set and it’s game on. We’ve all been there. A wave of calm takes over – if I don’t play it cool, I may loose what could be the trout of a life time. Three. two. one. The other end of my line takes off like freight train upstream. Heart racing, I quickly decided to follow this momentum by sprinting upstream. A slight moment of rest on the other end, and I confidently begin to reel in again. Moments later, I catch the first glimpse of this beast. And before I knew it, guided her into ninja Luke Martin’s net. Oh sweet success. I can breathe again; admiring the fact the this trout could have filled a net twice the size. This beast would have made Brad Pitt’s character, Paul Maclean weak in the knees.
Boxwood Gulch Ranch is paradise for anglers and trout alike. Fishing private water, has immense rewards. Destinations such as Boxwood are special, making healthy trout habitat the top priority. Word to the wise, if an opportunity presents itself, especially one with 5280 Angler – take it!
Major shout-out to the man behind the lens, James Snyder of hoodlum_Photography for capturing the beauty of these trout. He lugged around heavy equipment and risked taking a swim just to get the shot.
Notes: Follow Jean-Marie Bousquet on Instagram @jean_mariebousquet and read her blog at jeanmariebousquet.com Follow James Snyder on Instagram @hoodlum_photography and contact to book at hoodlumphotography.com Follow 5280 Angler on Instagram @5280angler Follow Boxwood Gulch Ranch on Instagram @boxwoodgulch and visit boxwoodgulch.com
Check out this incredible drone footage of Jean-Marie, Luke, and James captured by pilot Dave Reilly!