The one that got away...

School has taken its toll on my opportunity to get out and fish. I have managed to get out like once a week since the semester began about a month ago. I’m still targeting smallmouth bass as it is still a little early to chase steelhead. I have heard a few isolated reports of fish steelhead being caught, mostly in the streams east of here near PA. I was thinking about heading out today, but instead I worked on getting some flies tied for steelhead season. I tied a bunch of nymphs and some egg patterns too. It was a decent start.  I hope to get out tomorrow before I have to go do homework.


I went out last weekend and fished a small creek West of where I live. I wasn’t even sure it held fish. It’s a nice stretch of stream that runs through a deep gorge. If nothing more it was going to be a nice hike. I got out there and started fishing a plunge pool. I started to walk across the waterfall from right above where it dumps into the pool. My first step was fine, the next step was a little insecure, I tried to turn back, but the slippery surface and the force of the current was too much. I slipped and was pushed over the fall into the pool below. I was soaked from head to toe. The only thing that did not get completely soaked was my hat. It was in the high 60s, no more than 70 degrees. I had a fleece on so I decided to continue to fish. I caught a few creek chubs and eventually a small mouth bass that I found behind a rock. It was a slow afternoon, but not a complete waste. I eventually worked my way to a large slow pool. I fished a drop off at the head of the pool and kept getting bumped, but no hook up. Just down river of the drop off was a small island with trees. I began fishing the area between the island and the drop off. Again I got a few bumps, but no hook up. I gave it a second cast and I had a nice solid hook up right away. This fish pulled hard, I thought I had hooked a carp since it was pulling line off the reel and the drag was screaming. I worked the fish towards me and to the surface, it was a HUGE smallmouth! I was pretty excited; this was a big fish for any stream, especially small water like the creek I was fishing. As I was preparing to land the fish, the line went limp… When I brought the tip of my line to my hand to see what had happened, I notice my knot had come undone. It did not break, it just came untied. I was mortified. I tie good knots; I have never had this happen before. If I lose a fish it’s because I break off, not because I come untied. That was the last of the action for the day, I was cursing myself all the way home. It was such a beautiful fish to have lost :(