The weather's been bad, the water's been dirty and the baitfish are nowhere to be found. So, last night, in desperate need for a fish to bend my rod, I decided to break out the 5 wt. and go down to the local creek for a little shad fishing.

After crawling through the brush with the 4-pc rod and not losing any of the pieces, I found myself on a muddy bank with a massive tree leaning over the water. Swirls indicated fish. Carefully, rigging up with a not too tiny red/yellow maribou creation, I gently roll cast under the tree. A follow! Cool! The next 4 casts ended up in the tree, in the weeds, under the bank attached to a stick and back into the tree.

Finally, breaking off the fly and starting to re-rig, I remembered what I hate about freshwater fishing...tiny tippets...that hair that must be threaded through the invisible fly eye and knotted! Errrrgghhhh!

Give me a meaty Clouser minnow on a 1/0 hook fished on a 6 ft. piece of 20 lb. mono! That I can see!

I tried a few places and finally ended up at the other end of the creek with a nice open pool (held no fish) allowed me to practice casting...sans fly. As I departed the creek, I slipped and fell on the rocks and ripped the knees on my jeans as well as me! Haven't done that for a while!

Total for the evening: 1 foul hooked bull minnow, 1 pair of jeans and 1 bruised and scraped knee. At least I didn't hook myself!

I got to fish!!!