Bennett 9/28 Afternoon

[Jack Jones]

Stopped at the park this Friday afternoon between 3:30 and 7:00. Did real well below the dam and before the bridge of Black Beauty midges and rusty midges. Also got a few on an olive woolly. Last few were caught on a disco midge. I learned a few things today that were totally attributable to my own idiocy.

1. Put your net on a retractable cord. Mine was on a single elasic cord, clipped to my waders. I absent mindedly forgot to clip it back on after netting a fish and watched it float away. Which leads me to......

2. Use a wade stick and watch for drop-offs. In attempting to retreive my net, I stepped down deeper than I wanted and the water crested my chest waders, dowsing me inside. Let me tell you, it was not a pleasant day to wear wet clothes while wading in a cold river. By 7:00, I was freezing. Luckily I was coming back from the conference and had a change of cloths in my trunk. Otherwise, it would have been a cold ride home.

Oh yeah, I also caught a sunfish on my rusty midge. I was pretty shocked. I'd never seen one that far up at Bennett.

So tomorrow, going to buy a retractable leash for that net, and possibly a wading stick. May invest in some common sense and brains if I can find them because I've worn mine out, but they seem to be in short supply these days.

[fishinwrench]

Oh yeah, those elastic net cords !

You haven't lived until you've been drilled in the back of your skull while walking down a brushy trail. Chuck Tryon warned of it in his first book but I didn't listen. I found out that there's a pressure point about 3/4" below the base of your skull that takes your knees out.

Do yourself a favor and get one of those magnetic net thingys, they are the bomb. Plus they come in real handy when you drop flys or fumble your forceps or keys in the stream.

[exiledguide]

Welcome to the school of hard nocks. I started using a wading staff in 2005 and never wade or hike without one.

[TroutRinger]

I tripped in Taney when working a nice rainbow in. I tell you what, when that water rushes into your waders it literally takes your breath away.