Memorable first visits

Have you ever had a really special or memorable fish on your first ever visit to a new venue?
Or perhaps you witnessed something remarkable on your debut trip?

My most memorable first visit was to the wonderful Britford stretch of the Hampshire Avon.

A friend, who is a member of the LAA pointed me of the direction of a good swim after we arrived one November morning. By lunch I’d managed a brace of 2lbs grayling amongst other fish.

Has anyone had an amazing fish on their first cast on a new venue?

my most memorable first trip was to claydon lake in 91. 3 of us drove to tiddenfoot after work 2 days before the season started, we wanted to go for the carp and bream and couldnt manage to find a swim so after a quick chat we decided on trying claydon out. we pulled up into a layby to find that there was no nightfishing or camping at claydon and we had to wait 2 days in the camper van. rather than drive home for the weekend we got the bbq out and started to chat to a group of lads up from south london, they told us it was pointless going for the carp or bream when the lake had loads of catfish in.
the next morning after a night of catfish stories we drove to the local tesco and brought a load of liver and squid.
for 2 days all 3 of us blanked, my friend simon gave up on the "silly" cat idea and started to pull out some nice bream but mike and i carried on in the hope of a prehistoric brute.
as you have a definite time to be of the lake and not to be packing up i had cleared every thing away before my rods got reeled in. i picked up my last rod and closed the bail arm, then i nearly lost my rod and i had the hardest take ive ever had. i was on a 2lbs rod with 8lbs line and only had a 30" net with me. 25 mins or arm aching work i had the fish at the net only to be told "IT WONT FIT" the fish got spooked and took off across the lake yet again. by thie point we had every angler on the lake stood behind us and someone set up their 50" net. 40 mins past closing time we had the net under the fish and i had my first ever cat fish. it came in at 18lbs 6oz and i can recall every second of the fight to this day. since that point in time if the opportunity shows i will set up a cat rod and try to hook another steam train on steroids.

I think the older you get, the more of these experiences you have - as long as you fish different waters when you get the chance.
Most of my major memories of this sort revolve around foreign fish and waters - but I guess my PB lake pike of 25lb 4oz on a first trip to a lake in Kent would be right up there. That was a long time ago, when I had hair

First time I ever fished the Royalty [1971] and my first ever barbel at 12lb.Everything about that fish is burned indelibly into my memory...tackle,brand of line & hook, bait,the bite,the fight...everything. Enthused with a new found love of barbel I joined RDDA the following year in order to fish the Kennet which I'd never done before. First cast...my second ever barbel. Not as big as my first but no less memorable.