Why I won't eat Summer Sausage before Bed Again

[Danoinark]

I awoke from a deep sleep after watching the Chargers beat Denver last night, and all I could think about was Leonard’s double bunny’s in white and how they just hang in the current waiting for a big brown to grab a hold or at least for his magic whistle. I said to heck with it, grabbed a few flies, put on the waders and drove the 30 minutes to Taneycomo.

I started fishing below outlet 2 and it wasn’t 15 minutes or what I thought was that short period of time I hooked what felt like a hog. Now you have to remember I haven’t caught any of those 22 inches plus browns before so this was a new experience. It’s seldom that my reel is screaming so that sound along with the rabid splashing of the water downstream was all new to me. I keep thinking I have to get below that monster or it will be gone even on this 1x tippet. I made my way downstream also stripping in line as I took slow cautious steps. The splashing continues to break the silence as I strain to see what I have on the end of my line. I feel fortunate that I just bought one of those measure nets and if I land this behemoth then I can actually tell the truth about its size. The stripping continues as I try to get more line slack reeled. The closer I get to the TU stairs the more concerned I become. I know that the faster water that flows into rebar could be the end of this melee. If the fish gets into the riffles I will have to fight its size and the current. It’s very dark and I still haven’t seen my prize but I know that the brute is tiring, evident from less thrashing about. My excitement level starts to peak as I turn the giant toward the shore line. I am maybe 4 feet now from Mr. Big Stuff when I pull my net from the back of my vest. Still not able to see ole Paul Bunyan I grabbed the 7 weight line, laying my rod in the shallow water and begin to slowly bring this bruiser to the net.

Why I didn’t think to turn on my light attached to my cap I will never know, but in goes Captain Nemo and the weight in the net is tremendous. The fight was over. I wanted a picture but knowing that was going to be impossible without laying the fish on the shore and further endangering it, I reached down to bring it from the net at the same time I swithed on my LED….Fish don’t have fur!!! Do man eating Squid? Surely not!

But baby beavers do!! I am panicking now how to remove a size 4 hook from the tail of an angry animal when…

“Honey, wake up, your making strange sounds, its time for bed came the directive!”

[Leonard]

YOU GUYS ARE SICK!!!!!

I like the twist about the baby beaver..LOL

You and Terry really needs to get out more!!!

Remember...

If Your Dreaming... Your NOT Fishing!!

Your turn Terry..

Leonard

[Terry Beeson]

Well, Dano... at least it wasn't one of them squawkin' herons....

[Kansas Fly Fisher]

Nice story and you had me hooked! Hook, line AND sinker! My dreams have turned to the Alaska adventure waiting for me in June! The misses gave the go ahead and I've booked a week. Now, it's time to start tying flies and dreaming the dreams.

John

[Ham]

Hey Terry:

I had a Great Blue Heron scare the bejesus out of me one night on the Norfork down near McClellands. It was very cloudy and rainy as well as well....dark. I couldn't see the water I was standing in and I was in about mid thigh.

Chunkin streamers on a six weight and catchin trout was all I was thinking about when this explosin of noise from very close got me thinking about something other than trout.

I never saw it, but it was very close. I heard the individual wing beats.

[Danoinark]

John

I had a friend ask me if I would eat a double dose of that stuff tonight. He wants to see how I got that hook loose from that beaver tail.....

Dano

[Kansas Fly Fisher]

Let me know how it turns out. I'd be interested in hearing "the rest of the story" myself.

John

[Terry Beeson]

Somewhere in there I'm willing to bet Dano gets "beaver bit"