Your Best Fishing Story.

[TroutFishingInAmerica]

Not fair to ask and then go first, besides I got a million of them. Not a competition, just sharing experiences. Some of the best days fishing no fish were even caught.

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[Dark_Iron_Mojave]

Not fair to ask and then go first, besides I got a million of them. Not a competition, just sharing experiences. Some of the best days fishing no fish were even caught.

Always wanted to learn how to fly fish. Finally took the 101 lesson at Orvis and bought a rod. First time I got to use it, I was a few miles into the backcountry in the Rockies. First cast, BAM! fish on. I was stoked. Tiny little mountain stream guy, but fun none-the-less. Caught a few more that weekend. Haven't caught a single fish in the year since (don't tell my wife, catching the fish allows me to buy gear and go on trips, haha).

 

[gouacats]

Always wanted to learn how to fly fish. Finally took the 101 lesson at Orvis and bought a rod. First time I got to use it, I was a few miles into the backcountry in the Rockies. First cast, BAM! fish on. I was stoked. Tiny little mountain stream guy, but fun none-the-less. Caught a few more that weekend. Haven't caught a single fish in the year since (don't tell my wife, catching the fish allows me to buy gear and go on trips, haha).

Similar story. Bought a fly rod about 25 years ago while living in Colorado. Caught a surprisingly nice rainbow on the South Platte my first time out with my buddy. Didn’t catch another fish for like a year. Not sure if I’d still be a fly fisherman or not had I not caught one on that first day. the good news is I’m a pretty decent fly fisherman now.

 

[Midnight Rider]

Any fishing trip to the ponds on the family farm with my dad. He’s been gone 10 years & I miss him every day.

 

[Gliebig]

We came in 2nd in the WMO in '09. That fish would have been 1st place every year for the prior ~20yrs....except for that year.
Fish hit with 10min before lines out on the final day.

 

[Angry]

I do a bit of shore-based shark fishing with my sons. Nothing super toothy, just 7-gills, soupfins, leopards, etc. One day we had a good one on, and I waded out about thigh-deep with my oldest (14 at the time) to show him how to either grab or rope the tail. My middle son had the rod back up on the sand. As we were working on getting the rope cinched down on the tail, the middle kid starts yelling and pointing. We looked up and saw a second, larger shark, swimming between us and the beach. I thought it was pretty funny. My kid that was in the water with me did not.

 

[slapshota10]

Outside Fairbanks, Alaska, Clearwater Creek...dry fly Grayling fishing. Cast, Float, Hit, Reel in...repeat. Glorious!

 

[TroutFishingInAmerica]

My brother wrapped a Lamiglass fly rod with bait casting guides, cork handle with those cheap slip rings to secure the reel. Reels would never stay on, he finally gave it to me. I had a old Heddon Winona reel I put on it with automotive hose clamps, the clamp ends were sharp so I wrapped the clamps with duct tape for protection. This looked pretty bad but it was a blast to fish with. The noodle action of the fly rod, the 1:1 crank ratio and no mechanical drag on the Winona reel was a fun combination.
I went to a local fishing hole called the Sucker Hole and someone was there already, we talked for a few then I went about 25 yards up river from him. All I had was the pole in one hand and a container of sand shrimp in the other. Had a roll of lead and pair of diagonal cutters in one pocket and a Pips hook and leader holder in the other pocket, pretty minimalist. The guy on the other hand had a tackle box and a vest, waders, full meal deal.
I know this hole pretty well and there's a deep slot that has produced success before. I get a good cast and I'm bottom bouncing the slot and WHAM! Big strike and gets away, guy said that's a little trout nibbling your bait, I said that wasn't a trout. I reel in and baits gone. Same happens a couple more times. I was wearing a tattered Hickory shirt, pulled and worked a thread about 4 inches long out of the shirt. I tried a sand shrimp on with the thread. BAM, fish on, fish is going down river so guy reels up, he's yelling and screaming, he was more excited than me. He said what do you want me to do, I said when I get it close to the bank get behind it and see if it's a hatchery fish, if it's a hatchery I'll keep pressure on it and you kick it on the bank, if it's native we'll keep it in the water and get the hook out. He screams hatchery, I put pressure on and he kicks it on land. 6lb Steelhead, not bad.
He asked if he could look at my rod and reel, sure no prob. Then the questions, where is the drag? Your thumb on the reel is the drag. How do you cast with this, what kind of rod is that. And the final "I can't believe you caught a Steelhead with that". Was a fun reel rod combination. Years ago I gave the rod to a friend who put fly guides back on it, I sold the reel to a collector.

 

[TroutFishingInAmerica]

I don't fish with just anyone. Myself and a couple buddies were fishing in Tofino Canada, was a good day. We ended up on a beautiful beach cooking some fresh HButt in aluminum foil on a wood fire. We watched some brave surfing guys in wet suits catching waves and dodging in and out of the out cropping of rocks. Brutal. Sun goes down they came over, we shared our catch, we all shared beer, awesomeness of spontaneous.
About 3 years later I was in Sayulita Mexico, of course I was fishing. It's known for surfing, and yes there was surfer people. I walked a mile, maybe two away and did some surf casting. After a couple hours I went back to the town and grabbed a beer. Met some surfer dudes, they kept saying I know you from somewhere, I said you guys look familiar. We figured it out, same same, from Canada now again we meet again years later in Mexico. Oh yeah, we had to celebrate.

 

[Dryfly24]

I’ve got a million of ‘‘em too. Damn near got myself killed trying to wade to a high spot on the Kennebec River while it was running at flood stage because I’m a dumbass. That one sticks in my mind and probably will till I cash in my chips. . .

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