unusual animals/amphibians/strange things caught on fly tack

[Wild One]

Last Saturday I was fishing a clouser in a relatively short river. I felt a bump, but no fish so I pulled it in to take the moss I thought was on there, off. I had actually caught a caddis nymph! Hook of the clouser went right through its butt and was stuck on there tight. Ha, the hook was the same diameter of the insect. That was a first for me.

[PCRusty]

When my son was 5 or6 years old he just HAD to go fishing one Saturday so we went out to a community pond. He wanted to use a diving plug as we weren't fly fishing then. On about is 7th cast he felt resistance so he set the hook. He landed a size 9 tennis shoe. It was a garish looking thing with checkered racing flags on the sides. I laughed so hard my eyes were watering. I had seen people catch boots while watching Saturday morning cartoons as a kid and it brought back all those memories. He didn't see the humor in it since it had fouled HIS hook.


Rusty <><

[Big Bad Wulff]

eel ........................NASTY!

[jimmadsen]

This was - I think - either a loon or grebe...not a small bird by any definition. Larger than an adult goose - it had a bill like a dagger and easily could have killed someone with it and was pissed off enough to try. Fortunately there were planty of others around that could help get it up on land and help cut the line before any blood was drawn on either side.

[Rocketfish]

Hares. 8wt rod, Clouser Minnow, shooting taper. You need a looooot of backing and good aim.

[alra195]

Caught's not the right word but I did snag a beaver once fishing for smallmouth (please no inappropriate comebacks).

Was dead drifting a crawfish pattern in a deep pool and happened to look up stream and saw this big brown thing in the water. I thought to myself "self, that?s the ugliest fish you've ever seen." As the big ugly brown fish swims by at a range of about 4 feet, I say back to self, "self that's not as fish, that's a beaver!"

I look at the beaver, he's heading straight down stream. I look at the fly line and because of my concentration on the big ugly fish-beaver it is now directly in line with the aforementioned big ugly fish-beaver. I quickly say to self "self this is going to be a problem of near biblical proportions". Mostly because I know I have neither enough rod, tippet nor net to pull this off.

Well big ugly fish-beaver does indeed swim right into line and whoa!, we're off to the races. Now I've seen plenty of beavers and even been in close proximity to them a bunch I know the tail splat can sound like a cannon shot at close range. I just didn't know the spray from the splash went so high! Mr. Fish-Beaver might not be hooked but he's certainly tangled. Well to make a long story short all I can say is I didn't get the full eight second ride, I came close, but the fish-beaver after diving, rolling and splashing about like a harpooned whale did manage to disengage and beat web feet out of sight.

Once I finished shaking I had a rather unremarkable rest of the day. So that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

[Eight Thumbs]

Alra195,

I believe that your post is going to severely test the level of maturity and good taste of this BB. I fear that some of my fellow FAOLers may fail this test badly. I have several potential offenders in mind even as I type. 8T

[DShock]

Caught's not the right word but I did snag a beaver once fishing for smallmouth (please no inappropriate comebacks).

Was dead drifting a crawfish pattern in a deep pool and happened to look up stream and saw this big brown thing in the water. I thought to myself "self, that?s the ugliest fish you've ever seen." As the big ugly brown fish swims by at a range of about 4 feet, I say back to self, "self that's not as fish, that's a beaver!"

I look at the beaver, he's heading straight down stream. I look at the fly line and because of my concentration on the big ugly fish-beaver it is now directly in line with the aforementioned big ugly fish-beaver. I quickly say to self "self this is going to be a problem of near biblical proportions". Mostly because I know I have neither enough rod, tippet nor net to pull this off.

Well big ugly fish-beaver does indeed swim right into line and whoa!, we're off to the races. Now I've seen plenty of beavers and even been in close proximity to them a bunch I know the tail splat can sound like a cannon shot at close range. I just didn't know the spray from the splash went so high! Mr. Fish-Beaver might not be hooked but he's certainly tangled. Well to make a long story short all I can say is I didn't get the full eight second ride, I came close, but the fish-beaver after diving, rolling and splashing about like a harpooned whale did manage to disengage and beat web feet out of sight.

Once I finished shaking I had a rather unremarkable rest of the day. So that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Joe,
I'm glad you survived the experience!
Doug

[Gigmaster]

So far:

Several water moccasiins,
Many, many turtles
crawfish
Canada Goose
Mallard
Small Alligator
otter
Nutria
seagull
pelican

Semper Fi!

[Bill Blake]

I hooked (by the feathers, not in its flesh) a duck once that had dived under the water. I was kind of surprised when my line went flying into the air.