[VFB] Advice

[Dr. Doug Miller]

OK, I'm not afraid to admit my ignorance!   On the way home from the S-o-w-b-u-g, My daughter and I stopped and fished a portion of the White River.   A very interestiong thing happened.  Using the "special"  wooly-bugger, I hooked a really nice brown trout.  I mean reeeeeallly nice!   I have never landed a big trout - caught a bunch, but never landed one.  This would be my first.   I played it for several minutes - line in; line out; rod tip high, etc.  The water was pretty swift where I was playing this fish.  Then a very odd thing happened. . .it just stopped!  I might as well have been trying to pull stumps out!  Not struggle - and certainly no giving an inch.  I thought I was hung up.  I released a little line - nothing.  I tried leading it to the left with my rod - nothing.  I tried leading it to the right - nothing.  I decided to give it a little more line.  BAM!  I could have sooner stopped a train than stopped that trout!  Before I knew it, he cleared the surface and broke off.   OK. . .what did I do wrong?  I was using a 5x tippet - 3 lb. test.   Thanks for your advice - and the other snide remarks that are bound to come my way! Doc