OK how would you handle this?

[Janus]

Been fishing this small Lagoon that I assumed was all stunted gills. Lots of brush and fallen trees. Went today with a 7'6" 3wt furled thread leader and 4x tippet...using a #14 nymph. Miss a few and go for a walk. come to a fallen tree area and see what at first I thought were 5 carp right below me staring that bank. Like 3 feet away all the fish are about 17" some more biggest I've seen outside of those Nascar style tournaments where they guys hold them over their heads and dance with them in the middle of an arena. I was shocked to see them in there. Then a fish opens his mouth underwater and inhales it was obvious they were Largemouth bass, I caught one seconds ago about the size of a chicken tender. I knew the lagoon had been stocked years ago but assumed it just got overpolulated and nothing really grew..so there you are with a 3wt and there is a school of very large fish that you could just drop a fly to but there is overgrowth and brush everywhere and you know the fish would take off under a log...what would you do?
Janus

[rainbowchaser]

A big deer hair bug with a very stout leader. No cast with the three weight. just dap it and let it sit.

[modocdan]

You hook into one a them submarines with yer three an' it's on Bro !!
Go fer it !.............ModocDan

[chris from canada]

Yahoooooo!!!!!

Can you say adrenalin rush!!!

As mentionned before, short strong leader.

chris

[Janus]

Fellas I was unprepared. Strongest I had was 4x and it was attached to a thread made furled leader. I did try though. BUt you know that thing that happens when you know it on? Like when you see a big fish and you know you have a chance so you go to cast and hook a tree behind you or your line wraps around your leg..? ha! that thing!!! it happens to me evry time I have an opportunity to sight and catch a big fish. "Oh big fish,...get it" one cast...Straight into a passing honda or my moustache!! But it took me a bit to get myself organized and I only had small flies dropped a nymph down and something I tied called "the briminator" no interes just wonder what they were sucking in. THey were staring at the bank like waiting for something to come at them and they would suck it all down.

[Wild One]

Brian,
I'd probably fill my drawers first, then after regrouping, I'd definitely go for it. Honestly, I would't mind if I lost a fly and some tippet on a hog like that. And you never know, you might have gotten lucky. If you couldn't got one of them to hit, you'd have known what to use there in those same conditions in the future. Dude, I know what you mean about screwing up the cast when your in that situation. Seems like I usually do something similar. What a horrible feeling it is when your backcast doesn't come forward and you realize you just lost out on a chance at something that big. Still, I guess you can chalk it up to a learning experience.

[Janus]

Seems like I usually do something similar. What a horrible feeling it is when your backcast doesn't come forward and you realize you just lost out on a chance at something that big. Still, I guess you can chalk it up to a learning experience.

I know I get very Zen and just start relaxing and thinking of a wide open field. Deep breaths work out the tangles. Don't put me on the free throw line to win the game..I'd throw it into the stands.
My main concern was if a 3wt could bring a fish that size out of brush and cover...

[Clay]

I remember this year at one of the many fly fishing seminars that I went to where Jason Borger was talking about fighting very large fish. He said to fight them with the but of the rod, not the tip of the rod. Heavy leader indeed. Rod gets the fly to them. The hook set would be like pointing the tip of the rod at the fish and a strip set. Instead of holding the rod up in the air, you would fight the fish by almost, not quite but almost pointing the tip of the rod at the fish and stripping the fish in, in a hurry to get it out of the timber, etc. Maybe a 15 degree angle to help keep the line from getting too loose, but this way the fish in being fought with the very butt end of the rod and not the tip.

Depends on how far I was from home. I might throw everything in the car, drive home and come back with my 8 wt, just to haul their arse off of the thick stuff. It's all good. So what did you do?

Rick

[Buddy Sanders]

Janus,

You had little to no chance of hooking those fish right then. You saw them. They knew you were there long before that. Unless they are spawning, it's almost impossible to catch an adult largemouth that you can see.

However, if they are there, it's for a reason. They aren't going to leave unless conditions change drastically.

Next time you head that way, take a heavier rod with appropriate leaders and fly.

Keep out of their sight, and catch them.

Buddy

[Greg Hunsicker]

Oh the fish story I could imagine out of this one. Broke my rod, fell in the water, fought it for 20 minutes on my 3 wt. I'd pay for that but I'm Phsycotic!

Greg