Bring The Bat

Date: April 29, 2007
Location: Eagle
Air temp: high 70s
Water temp: ??? (I really need to buy some new batteries)
Hatches: Caddis (amongst others)!
Fish landed: 4 browns

Present members of the Fly Anglers Guild :|: Upper Midwest Chapter, for this outing were:

Xan
Fruit Booter


It was an early morning run, getting to FB's at 6am. After going through the McD's drive-through for some much needed biscuit sandwiches, we headed for the Curd River.

We went upstream and got a few on nymphs before switching to the cursed dry fly. On a side note, Fruit asked me not to divulge the fact he fished a dry, but he also told me not to mention his "not just a crush" on Jazz Hands. However, these facts were too important not to be published on the internet.

We moved back to the car not long before noon so FB could get home and shop for sink fixtures and tile with his better half. We each hit a final spot before calling it. Fruit, just downstream from the bridge tossing a dry. Myself, upstream, nymphing the narrow riffle.

After landing a brown and flipping another, I made a short cast above a little cut on the bank. The indicator twitched, I set, and a big fish darted from its lie. As has been the case with most of the other larger fish I've hooked, this one's first move was to dive and stay low. I pulled it from side to side while trying to also move it downstream away from the rocks and current.

I called out to Fruit (I recall saying something to the effect of, "Check this out!", which was heard as, "Bring the bat.") and he came over to net the fish. He pulled the fly out and helped me transfer it to my net for a measure. It came close to 17" and had a nice heft. After "the incident," FB had redeemed himself verily with his support.

Which makes me feel somewhat bad that I outed his dry fly and man crush leanings.

Quasi-SLAFfy