A good fish leaves me puzzled

Here's and interesting one for you. A fish I caught on the 1st July is a repeat capture of a fish originally caught 15th May. I had measured the fish at 17" using measuring markers on my rod and working out the length at home with a tape measure; incidentally the trout weighed 2lb 6oz and was in great condition. I caught it from a small hole in and undercut bank with overhanging vegetation.

The 'old' lair

In peak condition

Unassuming and easily dismissed

The place where I caught the trout yesterday is 250 meters upstream, which I guess isn't far in real terms, but still a long way from what could be considered a prime lie. It's new lie is a slow deep run with undercut banks either side as well as the expected overhanging vegetation. I hooked and lost a superb trout on the 3rd of June in the same lie, but I'm not so sure this is that same fish; the one I lost looked a lot bigger and I got several good looks at it before it broke off. My regular fishing partner Steve also hooked and lost a fish - the same one I think - and we caught that on camera.

Steve hooking and losing a big trout

I have tried to tempt this fish every time I have fished this venue - without success. Yesterday I found it feeding steadily on small items in the surface film. Not seeing anything in particular drifting past me.

Some footage of the trout feeding

 I tied on a size 16 All Purpose Terrestrial. It only took a few casts to tempt it, having learned from my previous loss I kept the rod tip low, so low it was often underwater; it fought hard, though not as hard as the one I lost. It wasn't until I sent pictures to Steve that I found out it was a repeat capture - he spotted it of course, I didn't even think this would be a fish from downstream.

Paul Proctor's 'APT' All Purpose Terrestrial

Using the measuring markers on my rod, I worked out at home it was 18 1/2", now I'm no biologist but it's safe to assume a trout is not going to grow an inch and a half in six weeks; strangely though the trout appeared to have lost weight and wasn't as plump as before - I need to refine my measuring techniques.

All that remains is to see whether this is the fish that haunted me or there is another, bigger one laying in the undercut.