Well tonight I decided to practise my fly casting and. As I started I plopped my popper down in front of me and began to strip out line. The popper hadn't been in the water 3 seconds and a large catfish sucked it under, took off and started running as the drag sings..... then the leader broke. I was very angry as it was the first large fish I have hooked on my fly rod since I have recently began fly fishing.

Now that sounds like a fishing experience that I might have!

I feel that pain, truly I do. Now, try to make some lemonade out of those lemons you got handed You already started by telling us about it....

I hear you, I had 4 carp eat my fly but I pulled it out on all of them today.

Truly a frustrating experience. I hooked up on a 30"+ redfish fishing near some docks recently and of course, I never stood a chance. Barnacles are just too sharp, even for 30lb test. Exhilarating but frustrating! Ah, fishing...

Ron, you've got to use these frustrations as learning experiences. For instance, did the leader break at some random point, or did the knot fail? If the end of the leader was twisted and/or curly, your knot may have slipped.

Look on the bright side, your popper laying out technique must be good. You almost caught a catfish. If it makes you feel any better, I pulled my popper out of two different fishes' mouths today. It happens to all of us.

I feel your pain. My first sizeable hookup, was a 12+ inck LMB on the Pedernales. Saw the fish the day before as I was leaving the river. Came back and stalked him to the only hole in my area, cast to the only place he could have been, watched him slide out and take the woolly bugger. Felt like a pro for the next 4 secs when I finally got all the slack out of my line and .......yoink the knot I hastily tied earlier..well you guessed it, it untied. That's when I knew I had to do better then a granny knot.

Man, I feel for you, I saw four carp eat a fly today and none of them get landed!

You have to pay your dues to the fishing gods. Yes, check your leader. If it looks like a pigs tail then knot failure. If it looks like it was sanded through it was the catfish's mouth, and if it was a clean break the drag is too tight. I am sure most of us have had a similar experience at some time in our fishing adventures. BTW get more of that fly(it works!).

Arnj Crush baby

heh heh... oh, the agony!

I posted a similar story a few weeks back. My knot was bad, I knew it before I tossed it, and dang if I came to regret it. Best advice I have is to prepare like every cast will bring you a state record, and you'll be ready when it happens....

BHR

sometimes you dont catch 'em, stuff happens & thats good, if it was easy ...you know the saying.

I had a nutria hit a fly today...or snag its self....talk about stripping line...

sh!t, I hooked a beaver once....Fahgeddaboutit!

How come nobody has said it yet -


"HEY LITTLE JOHN - YOU FISH LIKE A PIRATE"