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So I'm an idiot....

2K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  Lefty 
G
#1 ·
Most of you are probably familiar with my penchant for night fishing, especially in the Buzzard's Bay area. Tonight I had the itch real bad mostly because I spent the better part of dusk down at the local pond with my son drowning worms and skipping stones. I love doing that with him, but the tease of psuedo fishing kind of gets to me and I usually end up making a bee line for the salt as soon as he nods off.

The tides really stink this week, so I thought I'd try something different. I headed down to Electric Ave. beach but instead of fishing my customary spot that only produces on an outgoing, I decided to wander down beyond the beach and give the deep holes by the rocks a try.

Fishing was VERY slow and I knew it would be a one fish night - if that. A lot of bait around but damn little harassing it. After a little warm up with various patterns I lack confidence in, I decided to take out the secret weapon - my homespun beachglass silverside. This fly has the good fish stink on it - you know, the scent of past successes. My fish radar was going off as I tied it on.

On my second cast with this black beauty, I felt a massive tug. With a solid pull I set the hook deep. I have this fish and I have him good. My line starts peeling out of my basket and my heart starts doing flips. I'm psyched. This is a very decent fish, perhaps the best of the season to date. I'm thinking first keeper of the year and then some. I settle down after a bit and begin to concentrate on getting this fish on the reel so the drag can do it's work.

With only a few feet of line left before I can accomplish this, a little alarm goes off in the back of my head as the fish makes a burning run: I forgot to change the 10 lb. fluro tippet I had tied on for the Monomoy clave! This fish is going to hit the reel and be history. Sure enough, one good tug as the line hit the spool and the rod goes dead. I've lost my best fish of the season and the best producing fly I've ever tyed. Examining the broken tippet, all I can do is chastise myself for foolish behavior.

Despite the outcome, this was the best experience on the water for me this year. Two seasons ago, I never would have thought it was possible to have a great time after losing your one and only fish for the evening. Either it's a by-product of getting older or I'm actually maturing as an angler.... Probably more like I'm getting better at rationalizing my idiocy. (That fish made straight for GregO's anchor in Bass River
)

tight lines everyone (but not TOO tight),

al
 
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#2 ·
I can definitely relate through goofiness on my part in similar situations. Ever put the fight on hold while you fished out a camera for an action shot, giving a keeper-sized striper enough slack to spit it? Ask GregO about dropping 30-32" fish at the end of the rod as recently as the clave. Premature admiration is a reason I lose a lot of fish.
I've adopted the mantra "fish first, photo second".

Definitely maturity on your part, not idiocy... and the silver lining is that you will always posess the ability to produce an unlimited number of beachglass silversides with your own fingers, and your awareness of the game will continue to heighten for life. That's what makes the real 'old-timers' as excited as the young bucks every time they pull their boots on.

Get him next time!
 
#3 ·
Hey Al,

If it's any consolation, I'll bet you looked like a pro right up until the line hit the spool. I frequently use 10#
tippet so it's happened to me before...fun to imagine what 'could have been' though isn't it?
I like the description of your fly. Post your next copy so we can see it.

Jay
 
#5 ·
Shake it off Al.

Last weekend I pulled a sluggo right out of the mouth of maybe the largest striper I have ever seen without setting the hook. DOH!

The last time I choked that bad I wrote it off as "Buck Fever". Twenty yards out I sailed an arrow right over a twelve pointers back and hit a tree. Damn! That one still haunts me.
 
#6 ·
I'm down on the vineyard for the c&r tournament. My partner & I are set up under the lighthouse at Cape Pogue. Perfect spot, plenty of from other anglers and good fish within casting distance. Take about 6 fish over an hour, largest is 29-30" but most are 24-26" and I can strip them in on the 8wt without putting them on the reel.
I rip out a decent cast (love that wind over the left shoulder), let the fly swing into "the zone" and start creeping it back in. Halfway back I get the characteristic soft pickup, line goes tight and I set the hook. Everything looks great, feels great, fish is cooperating and I start to strip the fish in. Whoops! Where did that run come from! Fish starts to act like a MUCH larger version of what I'd been landing. I literally chase the fish into the water while trying to clear the line from my basket. You guessed it, a gigantic birdsnest elevates towards my first guide. I clamp down with my stripping hand to prevent the mess from hitting the guide. Fish and fisherman are for the moment at a stalemate. My only choice is to turn on the lamp and try to clear the tangle. The 8wt bounces as I alternate between backing out towards the beach and running back in as the fish runs all while I try to pick this mess apart.
This circus goes on for about 5 minutes, I'm really no closer to getting the line free when the fish turns, makes a run to crash on the surface and she's off the hook.
I'm standing there sweating, with a balled up flyline having blown my best fish ever on the flyrod. Not one of my finer moments....
 
#7 ·
Yesterday on Jeff and Tery's awesome Adventure I had a huge birdnest. It developed from a 25-30 MPH wind that made the line just about unmanageable on the boat, so I don't feel so bad. We had other rods but they were unusable in the fierce wind. Our guide Art sets us up on the perfect drift and a half acre of pounding fish surround the boat. As I look down and waste the whole time unravaling my worst ever bowl of spaghetti, all I hear is: SPLASH, SPLASH, BIRDS, BIRDS, SPALSH, SPLASH, "Hey Jeff, you on again?" "Yup", "Wow, look at that one" "They're everywhere all around us!" SPLASH, SPALSH...well you get the point. All heard while staring at a flyline knot.

TerryW
 
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