It took a while, and a lot of wrong ways before I was able to finally make it down above a very large waterfall.





Once seeing the pool as the base of the falls, I knew I had to get down there to fish it. This turned out to be one of the most difficult climbs of my life and was hoping if I was able to get down, I would be able to get back up. I eventually made my way down and fished it with a large wooly bugger. Nothing. The pool was so deep that I thought I needed to get down to the fish. I didn’t see any cruising the shallows, but to change it up I tied on the ‘ol faithful Boogle Bug popper in yellow. On the first cast I see a wake speed over to the popper and the water just explodes! Fishing a 2wt this fish felt massive and I knew immediately it was a nice fish. After a few runs, jumps, and several gasps of despair, I brought it to hand.






This fish was absolutely gorgeous. Hues of blue were all over the head, neck, and side. The tips of its fins glowing with brick red. A picture-perfect specimen of a Coosa Bass. A redeye bass this size caught from below a beautiful waterfall with mountain laurel blooming all around is about as good as this kind of combat fishing gets. I may never top that fish and this experience again, so I sat on a big bedrock boulder and just soak in the surroundings. I don’t sit too long, because there is plenty more water to explore.




The mountain laurel this time of year provides the perfect frame for what is some of the most wild and scenic areas of Alabama.