Got to laugh

[Frank Muscente]

I managed to get a coule of hours of fishing in after work today and decided to hit a local tailwater. I was doing pretty good, landed 4-5 nice browns around 14 inches or so when 2 young kids show up. They were around 15 , 16 yrs old fully equipted with fly rods, vests, nets the whole nine yards. Since there were other fishermen around there was no where for them to squeeze in. After l landed another fish I figured it was time for me to head back home, I invited the 2 kids to take my spot.  We chatted for a few minutes and as I started heading to the trail I hear " Holy S*@T"  As I looked back one of the kids has a monster brown hooked. I mean it was huge! As it broke the water I said to myself Geez that thing is easily 20 inches.  As he fought the fish his buddy just stood there with his mouth open , rod dangling in the water  and the fish starts running towards him . I yelled from the bank  quick, reel in your line!! After about 5 min the fish broke him off. That 5 second time fame of complete disbelief  and utter silece came and went when they both started laughing and ribbing each other. As I walked away I thought what a great day!!

[Tim Long]

That is what it is all about.  Those kids will never forget that story.  I can still remember my friend catching a 21" rainbow out of a very small stream we used to fish every day during the summer as kids.  We were using crayfish tails from crayfish we had caught that day in the same stream.  Well my friend and I see this rainbow come out from under a brush pile and take this tail.  My friend sets the hook and the fish goes nuts.  I was so excited I jumped in the stream after the fish to help pull it in (Keep in mind this stream is 10 feet across).  The fish sees me, takes off in the other direction, and breaks my friend off before we get him out of the water.  Needless to say my friend and I just stood there staring at each other.  Later that same week we eventually caught the fish...luckily my friend hooked him.  The hook from earlier in the week was still lodged in the bows throat.  I will always remember that fish.

[Aaron Laing]

Nice story. Got one too. Mine goes something like this...

I was fishing the Adams river in central BC in a spot that didn't offer much in the way of casting room. The fish were in this wide back-eddy, and a properly presented fly in the seam between the fast and slow water was virtually guaranteed to bring a fish to hand. I had just broke off a fish when another fly fisherman appeared from upstream, working down with a heavy stonefly nymph and a sinking line.

The poor bugger wasn't having an easy go of it so I waved him over. He showed me his fly and line and said he was just getting started on river fishing. He had been at it for hours before stumbled down to the spot I was working. I sat him down, got him to put on the dry line and handed him my last dry fly in the pattern that had been working. I pointed to the water and described the drift. I then sat down and let him at it. His first cast fell far short, as did the second, but finally he got it into the seam. Two seconds later the water exploded and a nice sixteen inch bow cracked the surface with the fly in its mouth. The guy was so surprised that he did the hero set and promptly snapped off the fly. He stood there for a few seconds with his jaw hanging open, then turned to me with a big sh!t eating grin and said, "I guess that was the right fly, eh?"

Post-script: I ran into the guy last year, same spot. He thanked me again and told me all about his river fishing adventures with his son over the past 3 years. It's all good.

Aaron

[Frank Muscente]

Awsome! It's that strange 5 second period of time that happens just after getting broken off that's pretty cool to watch. ( unless it happens to me then I just laugh)