As it swims closer along the bank it becomes apparent we are dealing with something of more substantial immensity than the chunky black bass standing sentinel over the drain pipe.
desperately seeking lawn clippings
It makes the heart skip a beat and the eyes move toward the bass bug tied to your tippet and the assorted others in your wallet, and you realize there’s a problem.
It swims lazily by and pokes at things and it could be 20 pounds. The ficus aren’t blooming and the man told you to tie up a green san juan worm because if someone’s trimming grass nearby it becomes a chum situation. Or match the hatch, if you choose to look at it that way. But you didn’t.
Then it swims away and you’re reduced to the pathetic recollection of movie quotes.
“He’s gone and we couldn’t do nothing about it.” *
Then it’s back to the bass and the realization that some things aren’t going to happen for you.
Attention
*(Goodfellas)
I sympathize.
I’m once fishing a pond, known for bass, and it’s been a long morning, and I’m striking out. I pass a fisherman on the trail, and ask how he;s doing. “Terrible. Not a thing. Just a some big old carp swimming around” My eyes widen. “Where did you see carp?!”
I found the tailing carp where he said it would be. I threw some flies that carp never eat at them, and they never ate it.
People and carp are funny. “terrible day. No 2lb bass anywhere to be found. Saw some two-and-a-half foot 20lb fish, but I didn’t bother with them.”
Hmm.
I ignored carp until I started reading John Montana and now they mostly ignore me.
I once hooked into one of those using a rapala. It was a foul hook so I think it swam up to see what it was and got hooked up on accident! It was fun!
People here in Tampa fish for these, and some call them Nile Perch.
They can be caught easily on a piece of Cuban Bread on a hook.
The fish will bump the bread, and the hit comes as the bread starts to sink.
They don’t fight worth a dam, and I would not eat them.
However, some do eat them.
I take the grandkids out to fish for them, using barbless hooks, of course.
We release them immediately.
We use them here in South Africa to control water weeds in the trout dams
They grow to a huge size but have never hooked one as we only do fly fishing in these dams but I am sure it must be fun hooking one up