"He's on it! He's on it!"

Never have I experienced more fishing, in pursuit of a single individual fish, than I have with pike. 

As we drifted the brush line I spotted a Pike bathing in the shallows. A shadow, a horizontal minority contrasting a vertical majority. 

The cast would be difficult.  The fish had found comfort among the tangles of submerged foliage.  Tyler loaded his rod and shot the fly into the the mess.  "Splat!," said the fly as it hit the water 2 feet in front of the pike. 

For those unschooled in the vernacular of the fly world, SPLAT!, is an expletive.  The human equivalent would most likely be along the lines of , "Oh @%#*!"    

The pike was not moved. 

Tyler swam the fly.  

In an instant,  a berm of water raised the calm surfaces and the pike had disappeared from it's lie.  In that same instant the pike appeared just before the fly, aborting it's path of chaos. Quicker than quick and faster than fast, the fly remained untouched.  The pike vanished.  

We knew it's original position. We continued to drift past and then circled back wide, replicating the initial drift.  Tyler loaded and shot the fly back into the calm aquatic forest, hoping to provoke more of the same chaos.  I, being precarious perched on the edge of the bow and slightly higher,  first spotted the pike that had again materialized just behind the fly. 

"He's on it! He's on it!"

Tyler responded and quickened the retrieve.  0-30 mph later, the pike found itself inseparably attached to a gaudy, biting demon. 

This prey proved immensely stronger than the pike's initial assessment.  The pike's viscous thrashes, rolls and razor teeth had no effect upon this opponent's stamina or strength. The pike found itself netted and drawn from it's water world where giant, scaleless ogres hefted, admired and documented it.  Upon retrieving the demon from it's jaws it was gently returned to the cool of the water.  It found it's next station in ambush.  As the drift commenced an emphatic, "What in the Hell?!," bubbled up to the surface.  

"What in the Hell?!"

Dad with a healthy "Skunk Off" treatment!

I found this guy day-dreaming in the sun, immobile.  Tossed a foam trouser worm over his shoulder and

stripped it up to his nose and let it drop.  He tracked it for 2-3 ft and decided he was hungry.

Trouser-ed!

Thanks to Flycarpin.com for designing an awesome fly!


By: Targhee Boss