In search of a sherpa

Big as my Arm
Originally uploaded by furryblackcat.

So, the fly fishing thing. Last weekend myself, Russell and Larry McDumpster went down to the Current River to do some camping and trout fishing. The camping lacked a couple key elements- mainly smores and a campfire. I love smores and I love a good campfire. Larry was had set up camp that afternoon and I didn't get down there until about 8 pm and set up in the darkness. We promptly opened a fresh bottle and had a couple sips of Jameson Irish Whiskey. Feeling refreshed and somewhat warmer, even without a fire, I went about setting up my tent. Car camping for me includes a queen size deluxe air mattress that has to be pumped by foot- no easy task. Calls for more whiskey.

Russ showed up about an hour later. Pretty funny to see a blinging Porsche roll into a quiet campground in Southern Missouri at 10 pm in November. Looked like the meth had arrived. Sweet. Russ grabbed a glass a went for the whiskey. We had saved him the better part of a sip.

The next morning was pretty freaky. I woke up to what I was sure were werewolves howling outside. Come to find out they were only some crackas hound dogs running around chasing each other.

Other than the werewolf attack things went pretty normal. We shook out the cobwebs, made some breakfast, broke down camp and headed down some dirt road to the access. Larry, who had fished the day before, was ready before I was. I am methodical and anal in my preparation and don't like waiting for anyone. I always like to be the first one on the river. Larry not only was ready first but he then chose to go fish upriver, virgin water for me, and I trudged downstream to water I had fished once before in August. We all had wet our lines by about 9 am.

After about an hour I had caught one small brown trout. Russ caught up with me and we flogged some rising fish for a little while. I got one more on a tiny 24 fly which is about the size of this letter J. I headed downstream to find more fish, which I did.

It was warming up now and I had started to get into some slightly larger trout when Russ catches up with me again. Larry and himself had caught a couple fish, were beat and wanted to get home. I was just around the corner from a part of the stream I had never fished but I walked back with him hoping either he or Larry had some frosties for a mid afternoon snack. All I got was a mouth full of dust as they drove away.

It was about 2:30, sunny and the fish were biting so I headed down the trail to the spot I had just been fishing. First cast and I had another decent rainbow on. As I turned the corner I saw some sweet deep water and snuck around behind it on the bank so I could get the drift of my dry fly right behind a big rock into some pocket water.

It was like seeing a whale enter the water after breeching. A kind of rolling suction. My fly disappeared and I was on. At first I didn't think it was that big. One solid run and I thought it would have been like all the others. But then this fish started tearing line off. Keep in mind that I have a 6X 3.4 lb tippet on and there are lots of rocks and branches. The fish continues to take me downstream and every time I get it in close it tears off more line. Finally I get the fish in close and drag it (I haven't bought a net yet) up onto the bank and just as I do the line breaks, no joke. The fish almost flopped back into the water.

The sad part of the story is the only pics I could take alone offer this beautiful wild rainbow no justice. I would guess it was about 4 lbs and was right around or a little over 20." By far the biggest I have caught so far. It was pretty exiting for me.

Vote for DAVE AND THE DESTROYERS IN 2007!!!!