Jailbreak from the tying desk

Had enough...made a jailbreak run to the river this morning and the day started off with a spectacular sunrise as I was getting close to the river. I was a bit apprehensive still from my last venture, but decided it was time to get fishy. Once I made it riverside I decided to swing for the fences and tied on a black and blue Voodoo Squatch, go big or go home. I walked WAY in to a bend I know holds fish and started upstream to get the fly wet and ready then worked my way down in to the sweet spot. On about my sixth cast a yellow spotted football with a tail bigger than my hand came raging out of the deep and just hammered the fly, two hard strip sets and it was game on! The fish went full breach like a tarpon and then did it's best salmon imitation and headed downstream. I am not ashamed to say I was slightly paniced at the sight and started sprinting to catch up and try to slow it from taking line. As I lagged farther behind it made it around one bend and kept going...my fly line was now ripping out above about 20 yards of fist size rock and gravel. Still doing my best to slow the lost I got up on that bank and sprinted across but by the time I hit the water on the other side of that bend I was well in to my backing and the fish was not even slowing down. Unable to do anything I watched as my line way downstream headed through a root ball and then went slack. I have to say that I sat shaking with a smile on my face for a few minutes...I had not even lit up my Kristoff Limitada yet. I have not had a trout fight like that on the Mad before, usually they rip off to the nearest cover and try to bulldog in to it...guess I know better for next time!

Shortly after that debacle I heard a pitter-patter starting in the trees and watched as calm turned in to white out hail. Since it stung quite a bit I took refuge under a large tree riverside and enjoyed the cigar for about fifteen minutes until it slowed down then continued on. I never did hook another fish approaching that size but did manage three fish around 16". One came on a tan Red Rocket and two took the yellow Ice Pick I had trailing. If you have not seen the Ice Pick check it out as it is a fantastic fly from Rich Strolis of Catching Shadows: http://www.catching-shadows.com/catching-shadows/Home.html

Not a bad morning to say the least. Headed off to Montgomery Inn now for a full rack!

-mike schmidt
www.anglerschoiceflies.com