Every so often, I fish a stream that has all four species of “trout” that can be caught on the same outing. In my part of Wydaho, this would mean that you catch a cutthroat, rainbow, brown and brook trout all during the same session on the water. It’s been a while since my last one, but recently it happened again.
The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) has numerous Grand Slam categories and what they call “Clubs”. There are the IGFA Trout Grand Slam Club (three species in the same day); the IGFA Trout Super Grand Slam Club (four species in the same day); and the IGFA Trout Fantasy Slam Club (five species in the same day). There is even the IGFA Trout Royal Slam Club (six species in the same day). They have an application process and you can get a certificate for the various fishing accomplishment of your choice, provided you submit the proof! Some people are way into getting these certificates and good on them, but that’s not for me. I just like catching the fish! Personally, I don’t need another piece of paper.
I do have a beef with the IGFA definition of a grand slam, though. They say you need to catch the various species on the same day. But I’ve always understood that they must be caught during the same fishing session. Meaning, you start fishing a stream (or other water) and while you are still fishing that same stream, you catch your various species. But I take it even a little further. I say that a true slam counts only if it’s during the same session. Meaning, if you fish a stream in the morning and catch a brown and brook trout, but take a break and leave the stream for lunch, then come back later in the day to the same stream and catch a rainbow and cutthroat, that’s not a true Slam. According to the IGFA it sure is. But according to the Davis rules (as taught to me by my Grandfather) that doesn’t count — you left the stream and so you broke the session! Yeah, I know, that’s pretty harsh, but I fish by those rules and that’s the Grand Slam definition I live by (another is three trout species is not a Grand Slam, that’s only three quarters of the way there).
Anyway, which ever way you define a Grand Slam or Super Grand Slam, it’s pretty fun to accomplish it. I never go into a fishing session with the goal of a Grand Slam, they just sort of sneak up on me. But I enjoy it when they do! With all the IGFA certificates, it looks like Payton will be busy for the foreseeable future chasing down Grand Slams! Go get ’em, Skiddy!.
Here’s the video documentation of my “Davis” Grand Slam:
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