The One That Got Away

[Bricker]

We all have the story... usually more than one. Theres something about "the one that got away." Sometimes I think its the fish that I dont get in the boat that keeps me coming back for more. After all, the ones we dont catch are usually the biggest whales of them all... and they get bigger every time we talk about it! I mean, we are fisherman after all...

I wanted to start this thread to share my personal tales of the ones I never managed to land, and to hear everybody elses as well.

Ill start with my very first fishing trip, seems apropriate. I guess I was about 4-5 years old and my cousin, in his mid 20's, wanted to take me to my grandfathers pond. For this special first trip He had bought me a good o' zebco 202, (which I still have, retired) some wax worms, crickets, and nightcrawlers.

It was a beautiful day, partly cloudy, not too hot, and upon arriving at the pond I was obviously very excited to see bass jumping and bluegills nipping at the surface (he had to tell me what they were) and I vividly remember the cicadas singing in the treetops, much like if you open your window right now.

It was a sucessful day as well, caught my first fish (a small 'gill) and many more, some small bass included. I was very reluctant to go when he said it was time to hit the road and protested that I make "one more cast." (some things never change!)

Much to his dismay I did and within 10 seconds my float vanished, no nibbles, just disappeared. Startled, I set the hook and began to reel in the fish... I thought. But the drag on that little 202 began to sing, I thought I had broken it and on top of that the fish was now draging me into the pond! I screamed for help, but my cousin was loading the truck. My feet were in the water now, but I wasnt letting go for anything! Within moments my cousin had made it back up the hill and taken the pole from me. I got back out of the water and watched as my cousin attempted to wrestle the fish back to the bank, I saw it rear its big ugly whiskered head (a face I've come to love) before taking another dive, taking note that it was a little longer than my leg! Then the rod smacked my cousin in the face shortly before he shouted some choice words im sure most of us have uttered in similar circumstances, and it was over. Not due to broken line, the hook came out.

He showed me the small hook bent straight from the weight of the fish. I starred in awe for a few moments before hearing him say "Ah well little buddy... 'aint the first time and sure wont be the last!"

Boy was he right!

And those 30 seconds right there had me hooked for life... not just for catfish, (I didnt really begin targeting them till 10 years later) but for anything that swims!

[ON3 3Y3D WILLI3]

My biggest heart-breaker was the 175lb tarpon that I played for 5 seconds until the tippet snapped. I was in Belize fishing with the famous Eloy Cuevas out of Monkey River. We had fished the flats out of permit and bonefish when we found tarpon crushing bait on the lee side of a small cay. I tied on a large cockroach fly, checked it, and rechecked it, then double-haul casted right into the middle of the boil. I set the hook on the strip from about 30 feet out, after he had nailed it at Mach 1, he made one fantastic leap, hit the water, and snap. No time to bow to the king, no time to get your act together because that fish may be bigger than you, no time to play. Just cast, set, leap, snap. I've caught plenty of tarpon both on the fly and conventional since then but that "unhooking" is what got me hooked. And, I've never had another tippet break on me since then!

[ON3 3Y3D WILLI3]

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