Those Michigan rivers are crazy- Monsters lurk in those brushpiles... O_O

WA mtn hunter and Sayfu- I know the guide in this photo and this was not photoshopped or shoved down his throat. Not sure that a boat full of paying clients would think it's very kosher or that it would be good PR for the guide service to do such a thing. Maybe you should go clean some more trout to re-investigate their internal workings and digestive systems. I've caught 15" cutthroat in BC that have been taken head first by 25" bulls down the tail and laneded that way...yes, only a 10" difference in size. It's not that uncommon.. It is possible and it does happen. The fish in the picture actually ate a size 10 dry fly off the surface with this fish in his mouth. Since you seem to be a fish biologist please explain this to me. Oh, and Sayfu, Do you ever smirk and smile and show emotion when you're out fishing on a beautiful river and something cool just happened? Just curious

Ive seen a similiar situation, but on a smaller scale.I once caught a 12" brookie that had a 7" brookie stuck in its throat....didnt seem to bother it enough to keep it off my panther martin

Soooo, does that count as catching one fish, or two fish?

I'd say that trout bit off more than he can chew. I wouldn't release that guy, he ain't gonna make it...should have stuck with the bugs.

Your theory on pounded trout and little bugs holds true by me. On the rivers I fish the trout on the heaviest hit parts often wont eat anything unless it's two sizes smaller than what's hatching. On other parts, I've seen spin guys nail big rainbows & browns routinely on Rapalas and the like. I think trout are predators, sometimes what they prey on changes. They are also opportunists and will prey on what's easiest, be it bugs, fish or whatever (I once saw a brown nail a frog bass style).

18" is a good estimate when trout turn to mainly feeding on other fish, and bigger hunks of protein than bugs...to much calories used up for the protein taken in consuming bugs. They can't get their daily needs. Much easier to rest much of the day saving calories and energy, and then consume a bigger meal at the preferred time..brown trout of that size and bigger, are notorious for that, and eat during low light, early morning, or evening/nite conditions. Some guys out here camp out in our canyon on the SF during Oct. and swing streamers off the gravel bars at nite (timing full moon conditions) into the deeper water and catch some huge browns chasing smaller fish into the shallows. Very few of these fish are caught during the daylight hours all Summer long.

I am not an architect, but I have seen a few billfish caught and they occasionally throw-up their stomachs in the process of being hooked and played. It may be possible that this is what happened with this fish. It ate the fly, then partially regurgitated the contents of its stomach during the fight. Just a thought for all the fish biologists on this thread....

I've had the good fortune to explore waters in Chile and Argentina where trout have literally never been fished. In those places, the big fish often acted like pike, and our tactics to catch them would acknowledge that.

MLH That ain't no beaver! That's a Michigan Wolverine!.. meaner than a junk yard dog, and can whip a Spartan any day. I'd say those guys had a lot of fun contriving that picture.

BS Photo....

Haha he looks so confused

I think the truth of the story is in the confrontation that went on before you fly hooked that fish. That smaller fish was one tough dude, and he confronted the bigger fella telling him he was going to tear his heart out, and was doing just that when you caught the guy.

If you ever cleaned a trout, you would see that it's digestive tract is not large enough to handle a trout that size. This is one you will have to prove to me before I believe it. Either photoshopped or shoved down it's gullet.