Originally posted by monochrome On things seen while fishing - and Priorities:
Some years ago I was standing ankle deep on a gravel base, roll casting wets with two droppers to the edge of the drop off into a hole, sheltered behind an overhanging limb. This was a favorite, prime spot to draw large browns. Just downstream, behind the limb, some camping novice had pulled a canoe up on the associated gravel bar and pitched a tent. Shortly, a young woman emerged from the tent au natural, splashed around in a bit, turned toward me, shrieked and ran back to the tent.
Ruined the fishing for an hour.
mine went the other way
I had bicycled in to the forest
forded the river and chained my bike to a tree
went a half mile upstream with the intention of working back downstream
halfway back I worked my way onto a boulder and began casting to some little cuts in the pool below
a big brown took my fly
in surprise I pulled too hard
off balance i fell off the boulder and into the pool
it was a hell of lot deeper than i'd imagined and I got to have one of those oh crap! moments
I wasn't wearing a belt on my waders so I sank pretty quickly
when my feet hit the streambed I ran not walked as fast as i could
when my head poked out I caught some air and surprisingly found I still had my rod and a fourteen inch brown trout
I released the fish
then I trudged to shore
found some sun and pretty much got naked
with the dry mountain air and the sun I was almost dry when the prettiest park ranger i'd ever met came upon me
she didn't miss a beat...may I see your license?...is that your bike back there?... you know these waters are catch and release?... where are your clothes?
I swear I could hear her laughing for next twenty minutes