It's Not Easy Being Me.
Left for home about eleven this morning, stopped at the Troutfitter to put my small bag of trash in the dumpster and to talk with Dave, then decided to swing down along the river "just for a look". Stopped to chat with two river friends and wouldn't you know it the bugs started up, and the fish began to rise. It wasn't a hard decision, put on the waders and vest, grabbed my rod and headed for the river, which is when it started to rain. Went back to the car, put my raincoat on over the vest and waded in.
The fish were up feeding and I saw a nice one not 20 feet away in a quiet seam, busy eating sulfur duns. He ate half a dozen more real ones before he ate mine and then the fun began. My landing net was on the back of my vest with the raincoat over it. I detach it when landing a fish by reaching back over my shoulder and pressing on a small lever with my thumb. Couldn't get to the lever under the raincoat without using both hands, put my rod between my knees under water, released the net expecting it to drop down into the water but no, it caught on one of the zippers on the back of my vest under the raincoat. Meanwhile the fish had taken about fifty feet of line off the reel and was probably out there somewhere sipping Dorothea duns. Tightened up on the line and reeled the fish up next to me where he let me pick him up without one wiggle of protest. Took the hook out, measured the fish at 19.5 inches and sent him on his way. Then went to shore, took off the raincoat and vest, untangled the net from the zipper and headed home. I'm clearly not meant to fish on the weekends.
Reel
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