Embarrassing Moments

[Bob Parsons]

Ok lets hear those fishing moments the caused you some grief. Maybe they were not funny at the time but now you have mellowed and can look back at those events with a chuckle.

Like the time I left a very light tackle rod on the bow of my lund when I was beached. There was still a piece of seaworm on it dangling in the water when I took the dog for a walk/romp on the sand bar. Upon returning there was no sign of the rod. Some fishy had come into about 8" of water and taken all.
:confused:

[bluewatr]

Bob,
Are you sure that was a fish?

All I can really thing of is last September at West Wall. The wind was blowing at about 30mph... Luckily to my back....
My buddy was in process of landing hi first albie of the season. I took one shot while he was fighting the fish. I figured I would put the digital camera in my jacket and till he landed the fish and held it up for another pic. Well my stripping basket held on be a bungy chord popped off thus the camera droped into one of those holes in the jetty and sank to the bottom! The worst thing about it is that the camera did not belong to me... Lesson learned!

-mike

[Mad Dog Matson]

I was wading near Key West for bones, saw a couple tails in the distance and began to sneak toward them. Got about halfway there, and another tail came out about 20 yards away, directly in front of me. I was going nuts. Was in midcast when another tail came out about 8 feet in front of me, and this time it was not a tail, but the wing tip of a good sized manta ray...felt pretty dumb, and disappointed. Felt even dumber when it disappeared without throwing the fly into it's wake...there were fish following it but I think they were jacks. But then again, I thought a manta was a bonefish, so who knows, eh?

[David Churbuck]

Three summers ago a friend and I decided to forego Cape Cod on the Fourth of July and fish around Miami and the 'glades instead (it was actually cooler in Florida than in Mass. due to a heat wave up north).

Anyway, we drove to Flamingo and rented a skiff which we took up inside through a canal to some awesome backwaters.

I found a creek inlet and set up to cast when there was an immense mud about 50 feet away and to port. I cast at it. Nothing. A few moments later, another massive mud, so we fired up the engine and started for it. More casts, more nothing. Another mud, we move, I cast. Nada.

Ten muds later, the snout of a gator surfaced. I felt like a supreme rocket scientist.

[canewitch]

You mean like spending hours casting to a good size trout in the Wood river-flies, nymphs, streamers-the whole box. Finally giving up when i couldn't feel my toes. Get a closer look to see what he's actually eating(because I saw him move out from behing the log) only to find a very lifelike clump of weeds.

[bluewatr]

First yak trip out last year (on easter day). Last year was my first season exploring the benefits of yak fishing. Caught a few bass and figured I would head to the other side of the lake. Took one cast and got snagged on something just below the surface about 30 ' away and 10 ' or so away from the shore. So I paddled my way over to the snag in hopes to release my fly. When I got over where I was snagged I looked down into the water to see that my fly was not snagged on the usual branch or what have you. My fly was snagged on the antler of of an 8 pt buck that must have drowned. It was quite spooky and will never forget the image of looking into the face of that poor deer while dislodging my fly from it's antler.

Crazy! I am an avid deer hunter also but this was plain spooky!

-mike

[Mad Dog Matson]

bluewater's post reminded me of finding a dead bull moose in Canada, half floating under a cliff that had about a 300 foot freefall to the lake. Speculation is that wolves chased the moose to the edge, and moose either ran off it or took the plunge as a better option than being chewed to death.

Hard to say...

[flyslinger]

about 7 or 8 years ago i went fishing with a friend of mine at the salmon river (ct). after my friend waiting for me to get all geared up, (waders, fishing vest,net, etc.) we walked down to the stream. acting like i knew what i was doing i walked straight into the stream. right up to my neck in 3 steps!!! my friend was laughing too hard to even help me get out. @5:00am that was quite a cold experience. from then on he always asked if i wanted to "go swimming, oops i mean fishing"

[bluewatr]

Flyslinger,

I grew up on the Salmon River in East Hampton CT. Let me know if you wan't to go sometime.

[rockfisherman]

Mike,

That's quite the deer tale. Deer often go to water to die, as I'm sure you know as a deer hunter. Usually you find them on the shore, not all the way in the water. Wow, that's unusual. Like a scene out of "Deer Deliverance", the movie. One of my all time favorite movies, btw. The original, that is, with Burt and Jon.

--Paul

[bluewatr]

Actually,

I have deer hunted since 10y and all the teritory I hunted was stream side related. I was fortunate to be able to hunt the same woods for 25yr.s untill the woods became developed and new boundries infringed. And my Father sold out....

In all those years In those woods I have seen incredible things,...

I have seen deer run down trails so steep!
Hawks and Eagles sore betwen the trees...
Trees fall for no reason.... (you know that story)
Turkeys crash through limbs... Attempting graceful landing...
Many Orange vests.... To Many Orange vests...

Never saw a deer corpse streamside?

-mike