The French Fries are like crack to Hybrids

[BilletHead]

     A nice run up the river this morning,

63 degrees pretty brisk in shorts and a tee shirt. The plan was to get some gas run through the motor since the boat had not been out for a month or more. Had a place in mind to try with the fly rod and set my sights on that place. River lower than I have seen it in years and there was pucker factor big time running the shoals and skinny thin water. Did not get a early start but oh well. When I made to the desired spot first thing I saw was a great blue heron meaning bait fish. Then current and yes the bait fish were there Shad. This is what I call the Hybrid trifecta so here was to hoping one of those were there too. Anchored and built the nine weight with eight weight outward bound short floating line. Built a new nine foot leader and tippet. Got into the fly box and tied on a French fry with a non slip mono loop. Sat in about four foot of water and started fan casting towards a steep bank with current and as the sun was up good a shade line along the East bank. Shad flipping all over three to four inch sized, happy flipping not being chased or harnessed by any predator. Passed that fry here and there covering water. fifteen to twenty casts later the quarry could not resist and smashed the fry and I mean smashed it. Loud pop and a swirl, new exactly what I had and it peeled off line down the river. I let the extra line in the boat slide out through my fingers until on the reel, then as he continued to pull line I continued to keep tension with the fly line until I hit the backing which began to burn my fingers. DUH palm the reel dummy! With the palming and drag I began to wear him a bit. Soon he started upstream and I wound as hard as I could to keep up with him. Again in the current he got and used his broad body and large flat tail pulling sideways like a giant bluegill would. Got him then closer to the boat where he began to fight hard again. I was deciding if I should try to dig for the net in the compartment of use the boga grip. He then started calming down and I opted for the boga. Now watching the BilletHead land a fish with a fly rod and boga is a fiasco. I switched my rod to the left hand with boga in the right. Reeled up to the nine foot leader. Now my bum shoulder will not let my elbow get above my shoulder. Matter of a fact it now lacks getting even that high. So I reached as high as I could and leaned out to try to snatch this fish. Five tries later got it done. As hard as I stared at the scales I could not get it to make the eight pound mark but darned close. 25 inches nose to tail. A great hit and strike, epic fight and landed I was totally satisfied and to boot a pretty nice fish. Got the fish revived and as he swam off and I gave him a thank you for playing with me this fine morning. After composing myself threw the french fry and then a clouser a few more times and gave  it up. Fish was caught at nine thirty. Who knows what it would of been like there at daylight when I should of been there?

    Have I ever told you all how much I love temperate bass on the fly rod? Well I do and I will forever

 Then a made a friend on the way back to the ramp. I like these too. I know fear runs rampant when some see this snake but hey he deserves to live his life like we do. Messed with him for a spell and left him to be. Wish I had my good camera. All I had was my little pocket Fuji. As long as I got close it worked fine. Isn't this snake pretty?

    BilletHead had a good day

[snagged in outlet 3]

21 minutes ago, BilletHead said:

Have I ever told you all how much I love temperate bass on the fly rod?

I went through my hybrid spell but the long drives were killing me.  If I had a decent population nearby I would never fish for anything else.

[Mitch f]

Cottonmouth looks cool! Nice big hybrid!

[Flysmallie]

Awesome report. 

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

Fun times. I appreciate the snake pics also.  

[MOPanfisher]

Nice fat hybrid and good healthy looking cotton mouth too.

[Johnsfolly]

BH - great report! Loved the play by play and those photos of the cottonmouth. The French fry looks great as well!

[fshndoug]

nice fish and snake