Molson
07-06-2004, 08:45 AM
This is a true conversation on a NE river chasing browns during the hex. Thought you might get a chuckle over this one.... There is no slander intended to anyone, this is just one of those adrenaline filled discussions...
Wed night I'm floating down late in my tube. See a guy with his head lamp on, and a fish splashing. Thinking it might be one of two guys I have seen on this section of river forever and befriended this year, I said something like "hey, ya got one?". The voice that came back wasn't one of the guys I befriended, and the conversation went like this....
other guy... " I got a 28"er on that I've been working for - for a week "
me... thinking... I gotta see this, I pull over downstream from him and respond "need help?"
other guy... " I ain't gonna land him myself"
me... "I can net it for ya but I don't wanna knock it off"
other guy... "I ain't gonna land him myself"
me... "does that mean you want me to net it for ya?"
other guy... "I ain't gonna land it myself... ya please."
me... "look at the fish with your head lamp not at me"
(now I'm trying to refocus and I get my lights on)
me... "what size tippet you got on?"
other guy... "2x"
me... (thinking "holy @#$%^" I just stepped up to 3x. also I look at his rod, hardly a bend in it, he's got hardly any pressure on the fish!! I finally see the fish which was just hanging out there in fast water. Its nice, BUT NO 28"er. My eyes get focused, see the fish again... put the net in the water behind it)
me... "you have to lead that fish into the net, I don't want to try and net it tail first, we need it head first..."
the fish made a move downstream right into the net, I look like a pro... first pass and I get it in my net!!
other guy... "oh thanks, I woulda never got that fish myself"
we get to the bank... I grab my tape right away, I get a measurement of just less than 22", look once, measure again, look twice, measure again and stretch it a bit...
me... "a 22", nice fish"
other guy... "can I get you to take a couple pictures?"
me... "sure, here lets get that fly on the outside of the fish's mouth where we can see it" (the fish swallowed the bug)
other guy... "you do this alot don't you"
me... "get your fingers down, say cheese and be ready to see stars" ... click
other guy... "yup I'm seeing stars"
other guy... "lets get this fish back in the water, I haven't killed a fish in 5 yrs"
me... "well to be honest, the way you had your thumb crammed up in its gills, I don't think it'll make it" (he had a death grip on it and its legal to keep)
other guy... "I haven't killed a fish in 5 yrs"
me.... thinking... I don't give a #$%^ and I wonder if thats the one I lost 50 yards downstream from here late last night
other guy... "I haven't killed a fish in 5 yrs, I'll put this one on the wall"
me... thinking.... I don't give a #$%^ and I wonder if thats the one I lost 50 yards downstream from here late last night. we exchange names.
other guy.... "I drive up here every night from Saginaw, been on this fish for a week"
me... "I got a place right over there on the creek"
other guy... "you do any good tonight?"
me... "yeah, I got one that size, and a couple mid teens size"
other guy... "do you work?"
me... "huh???"
other guy... "do you work?"
me... "yeah, that's how I afford to do this!! Nice fish. See ya" and back into the current I go in my tube.
what a hoot !!
next night he's got his buddy with him... I go by in the dark.
me... "did you guys fish here last night?"
other guy... "is that you Molson"
me... "that'd be me"
other guys buddy... "we don't kill fish"
me... thinking.... I don't give a #$%^ and I wonder if thats the one I lost 50 yards downstream from here late last night.
My last night I had my teenage daughter and her friend with me in my drift boat, heading down much earlier, the last bit of daylight and the "other guy" is sitting in the same area.
me... "you gonna get another 22"er ?"
other guy... "how many boats you got?"
me... "just this one, I was in a tube those other nights"
other guy... "nice boat"
me... "thanks, good luck"
All fun stuff !!!
Wed night I'm floating down late in my tube. See a guy with his head lamp on, and a fish splashing. Thinking it might be one of two guys I have seen on this section of river forever and befriended this year, I said something like "hey, ya got one?". The voice that came back wasn't one of the guys I befriended, and the conversation went like this....
other guy... " I got a 28"er on that I've been working for - for a week "
me... thinking... I gotta see this, I pull over downstream from him and respond "need help?"
other guy... " I ain't gonna land him myself"
me... "I can net it for ya but I don't wanna knock it off"
other guy... "I ain't gonna land him myself"
me... "does that mean you want me to net it for ya?"
other guy... "I ain't gonna land it myself... ya please."
me... "look at the fish with your head lamp not at me"
(now I'm trying to refocus and I get my lights on)
me... "what size tippet you got on?"
other guy... "2x"
me... (thinking "holy @#$%^" I just stepped up to 3x. also I look at his rod, hardly a bend in it, he's got hardly any pressure on the fish!! I finally see the fish which was just hanging out there in fast water. Its nice, BUT NO 28"er. My eyes get focused, see the fish again... put the net in the water behind it)
me... "you have to lead that fish into the net, I don't want to try and net it tail first, we need it head first..."
the fish made a move downstream right into the net, I look like a pro... first pass and I get it in my net!!
other guy... "oh thanks, I woulda never got that fish myself"
we get to the bank... I grab my tape right away, I get a measurement of just less than 22", look once, measure again, look twice, measure again and stretch it a bit...
me... "a 22", nice fish"
other guy... "can I get you to take a couple pictures?"
me... "sure, here lets get that fly on the outside of the fish's mouth where we can see it" (the fish swallowed the bug)
other guy... "you do this alot don't you"
me... "get your fingers down, say cheese and be ready to see stars" ... click
other guy... "yup I'm seeing stars"
other guy... "lets get this fish back in the water, I haven't killed a fish in 5 yrs"
me... "well to be honest, the way you had your thumb crammed up in its gills, I don't think it'll make it" (he had a death grip on it and its legal to keep)
other guy... "I haven't killed a fish in 5 yrs"
me.... thinking... I don't give a #$%^ and I wonder if thats the one I lost 50 yards downstream from here late last night
other guy... "I haven't killed a fish in 5 yrs, I'll put this one on the wall"
me... thinking.... I don't give a #$%^ and I wonder if thats the one I lost 50 yards downstream from here late last night. we exchange names.
other guy.... "I drive up here every night from Saginaw, been on this fish for a week"
me... "I got a place right over there on the creek"
other guy... "you do any good tonight?"
me... "yeah, I got one that size, and a couple mid teens size"
other guy... "do you work?"
me... "huh???"
other guy... "do you work?"
me... "yeah, that's how I afford to do this!! Nice fish. See ya" and back into the current I go in my tube.
what a hoot !!
next night he's got his buddy with him... I go by in the dark.
me... "did you guys fish here last night?"
other guy... "is that you Molson"
me... "that'd be me"
other guys buddy... "we don't kill fish"
me... thinking.... I don't give a #$%^ and I wonder if thats the one I lost 50 yards downstream from here late last night.
My last night I had my teenage daughter and her friend with me in my drift boat, heading down much earlier, the last bit of daylight and the "other guy" is sitting in the same area.
me... "you gonna get another 22"er ?"
other guy... "how many boats you got?"
me... "just this one, I was in a tube those other nights"
other guy... "nice boat"
me... "thanks, good luck"
All fun stuff !!!