biggest flyfishing disaster!

[greenbuttskunk]

This can be fun. Give us your wackiest flyfishing
mess-up, disaster,three stooges episode.
I have way to many to mention. One that stands out was this: I was visitng mom in NM and really wanted to fish the famed San Juan River. I bought a pair of wading boots in Santa Fe and proceeded to drive the 3-4 hours to the river. This was on our way back home at the end of our trip.
I get to the river, and I'm so jacked up. My hands are shaking as I see as guy land a chunky 21" bow. I open the box, put the left boot on, reach for the other, and much to my HORROR, it's another left boot. ARRRRRGH!!!! I'm sick!!! how could this happen. Well, the SJ is a pretty darn cold river and very slippery so you don't just fish in you sneekers. Hours went by, I just prayer for the fish gods to interven. Finally I found a guy who would let me fish for a bit using his, and I got out there and had a glory day, even if it was only for an hour. I learned that day to always check all my stuff the night before.

[CZ]

I've made the 3 hour drive to the Deschutes many times - I've forgotten my boots once, broken the rod just after rigging up (car door) and countless other goofs.

My most memorable flyfishing experience was when I was guiding on the Eagle River outside of Vail, CO. Huge caddis hatch going on and I had two older clients who were having a great time. Right as darkness was falling, the bats came out and no sooner had I warned "watch out, the bats might take your fly," when the wife's line swooped up into the air.

Her vision was poor so she had no idea until I grabbed the rod and landed the poor little guy right in the boat. The boat erupted with panic - she went diving to the back and I had to fumble around with the ****ed off bat. Wish I could have unhooked it, but I opted to cut the line instead. There was no tip that evening!

[greenbuttskunk]

oh yeah, I've hooked more than one of those buggers. The last was two years ago at Hosmer. I was killing the landlocks on an adams right at dusk and on a back cast my line goes solid. It was a mess to get the poor guy off. They freak out my wife too.
Wonder if there are any bat patterns??

[Ryan Pultz]

In California we use to fish the Clavey River and every night just before dark the bats would come out and you had to stop fishing you could not get the drift in without them taking your indicator.

[FrogPond]

Don't fill up your float tube in Oakridge if you plan on fishing Gold lake... [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img] I lost a custom made Caddis tube a couple of years ago, now I own a drift boat!

[northriver1]

FrogPond It would seem that you are always loosing gear out of your truck, what is the deal? Now get back to work.

[FrogPond]

Well, I didn't exactly loose it...it was a matter of air pressure. Higher elevation = less atmospheric pressure which allows for confined air within a flexable bladder to expand. ouch!!

[Gus Orviston]

4 of us planned to drift from Mack's Canyon to the mouth of the Deschutes. Just after the shuttle guy drives off with the vehicle to take it down to the mouth, my buddies hooks a steelhead,,his first,, the fish rips line out on the beginner, quickly into his backing. This guy is clueless, I am just now arriving on the scene. he is still chest deep and has not figured out how to chase this fish. By the time I got him to let up on the line and get back to shore...kerpow! That fish never stopped. Well now here we are missing line on one fly reel and in those days that is all each of us had. His fishing trip stopped Friday...he had a long two days.

gus

[starcrafttom]

I came around a corner of a stream just in time to watch my brother hook a cow in the head on the back cast. the cow spooled him. can't imagine what the farmer thought.

[greenbuttskunk]

what wt. flyrod do you use for cows? The rod must be a "meatstick" too!!!