Last night I experienced one of those moments that everyone of us has (probably at least once a week!). I went to a spot recommended by my father in-law. He promised beautiful scenery and some big fish.
As it turns out he wasn't lying. The spot was gorgeous and secluded. It's actually part of a river system but for all intents and purposes it's a lake. I tie on a 15 ft. leader with size 12 Prince and 14 Black RHGR as a dropper and start fishing. On my third cast it happens. I slowly retrieve allowing ample time for the nymphs to drop back down. Just as I start pulling line out of the water to begin another cast, there it was: My first thought was 'Great, I'm snagged'. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks: the line moves sideways and my 5 wt. looks like it might crack the fish is pulling so hard.
I could barely keep the rod up, this thing was fighting so hard. Right then another thought hits me, this one not so pleasant: I'm standing in the middle of this lake on a submerged bank with weedbeds all around me and I don't have a net. My only chance was to somehow guide this thing to the shore and beach it. Problem here was that the shore is littered with submerged rocks and logs and as I mentioned weedbeds.
After a good ten minutes my adrenaline is pumping. The fish was getting almost within range and I was getting closer to the shore. For a moment there I thought this was actually going to work. I maneuvered him almost within 3 feet from the bank and that's when it happened: He made a run for a weedbed, the line above the nymph got tangled...and he was gone.....
Adrenaline turned to disappointment and after a moment of silence the woods around me echoed with a four letter word. Had I brought a net, I could have played him on the bank where the obstacles aren't as plentiful and I would have had a better chance of landing him. Lesson learned: If you're going to fish for large fish don't be a fool and leave the net in the trunk.
PS: As a condolence prize I falsehooked a sucker fish on my next cast which at that point seemed like someone was just rubbing it in. "Well, you didn't get that trout that almost broke your 5 wt but here's a sucker fish for your troubles." Gee, thanks....
As it turns out he wasn't lying. The spot was gorgeous and secluded. It's actually part of a river system but for all intents and purposes it's a lake. I tie on a 15 ft. leader with size 12 Prince and 14 Black RHGR as a dropper and start fishing. On my third cast it happens. I slowly retrieve allowing ample time for the nymphs to drop back down. Just as I start pulling line out of the water to begin another cast, there it was: My first thought was 'Great, I'm snagged'. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks: the line moves sideways and my 5 wt. looks like it might crack the fish is pulling so hard.
I could barely keep the rod up, this thing was fighting so hard. Right then another thought hits me, this one not so pleasant: I'm standing in the middle of this lake on a submerged bank with weedbeds all around me and I don't have a net. My only chance was to somehow guide this thing to the shore and beach it. Problem here was that the shore is littered with submerged rocks and logs and as I mentioned weedbeds.
After a good ten minutes my adrenaline is pumping. The fish was getting almost within range and I was getting closer to the shore. For a moment there I thought this was actually going to work. I maneuvered him almost within 3 feet from the bank and that's when it happened: He made a run for a weedbed, the line above the nymph got tangled...and he was gone.....
Adrenaline turned to disappointment and after a moment of silence the woods around me echoed with a four letter word. Had I brought a net, I could have played him on the bank where the obstacles aren't as plentiful and I would have had a better chance of landing him. Lesson learned: If you're going to fish for large fish don't be a fool and leave the net in the trunk.
PS: As a condolence prize I falsehooked a sucker fish on my next cast which at that point seemed like someone was just rubbing it in. "Well, you didn't get that trout that almost broke your 5 wt but here's a sucker fish for your troubles." Gee, thanks....
Fortunately, the fish are small enough where I usually fish that a net is not necessary - and I do not need to touch them to unhook them on my barbless hooks.
