New Personal Record!

That's right, I spent this past weekend in Branson, MO. fly fishing at lake Taneycomo. The Corp of Engineers generated all weekend and the water ran high and fast. The weather was windy and cool, but not bad.

Typical of this situation, fishing was a little slow. We started fishing Friday afternoon around 12:30 and it was approaching 4:30. In spite of having tried several different flies, I had only had one stike earlier in the afternoon. Nothing seemed to work. I decided to go back to the reliable old woolly bugger, this time in black.

In the space of just a few minutes I had two fish caught and released. I was starting to feel better! Then it happened, a "quarter cast" and let it drift. Just before it reached the end of the drift I felt the line start to tighten. It was not the slam that I had experienced with the first two first. This one seemd to take it gently in his mouth and and not move. I slowed pulled back on the line and applied tension.

I'd like to be able to tell you an exciting story of how he made several long runs and how I struggled getting him in, but truth be known he never did put up much of a fight. I didn't have a net so I got hold of his lower jaw and removed the fly. One of the other fly fishermen nearby helped me measure him and I put him back in the water, all 20 inches of him.

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