Fish stories, everyone has one

[Guest]

To wit:

I am reminded of a story my elderly (now deceased) neighbor told me years ago. Having packed into a high mountain lake with a friend, they had collected a pretty full stringer of trout, which they left tied to a tree root in the water while angling for more. My neighbor came back to the stringer with another fish, only to see a blackie sitting upright there with each end of the stringer in its claws and eating its way from one end to the other. Neighbor chose not to argue ownership with the bear. I often wonder if that bear was just lucky - or if it had developed a system.

Two friends who fancied themselves fishermen, despite no trip companion ever once seeing them catch a single fish, hiked off to try their luck at the pool below a small drop. They were gone for hours, and when they returned one was soaking wet and they told the following tale.

They had caught fish. Lots of fish. An entire stringer full. Proof of their angling prowess at last.

As they were getting ready to head proudly back to camp Friend A unhooked the stringer from the bank, whereupon a large snapping turtle pulled the entire thing from his hand.

Whereupon Friend B helpfully yelled Get the stringer, get the stringer, and Friend A valiantly but fruitlessly dove into the pool to try to wrest their prize away.

Despite selling this tale quite convincingly, and the sodden saturation of Friend A, doubts remained and were repeatedly expressed. Uh huh, sure. So you fell in the water and then what happened?

Lets hear your fish tale.

 

[Mihun09]

So you aren't looking for factual, just stories...

Hows about my first bass of our recent trip Friday afternoon. Nice smallmouth who took a jig and twister but looking into the mouth I saw a large eye looking back. Big minnow still in it's throat

 

[yellowcanoe]

I caught a big fish by trailing a painter line with a buckle
not intentional
pike will bite at anything
fish dang near unseated me and almost tipped the canoe over

 

[frozentripper]

pike will bite at anything

Northern pike bite, in addition to mosquito bites:.. a pike on a stringer once bit me. It had been in the water next to the campsite for quite a while before being made into dinner and when I put my hand in the water, dinner bit me first. Probably not from hunger since it was rattling the chain trying to get away for hours. Released as a reward for being a true northern lean, mean, killing machine. Free at last, free at last, can't wait to bite another human.

Yellow perch bites... while standing around in Lake Simcoe's cool water during hot weather, there were these mysterious little strikes that felt like being hit with a thrown pebble. No pain, but weird. Dive mask and snorkel showed dozens of yellow perch, maybe several inches gathered around and biting vigorously at bare skin, arms and legs, fortunately not the covered bits.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Yellow perch bites... while standing around in Lake Simcoe's cool water during hot weather, there were these mysterious little strikes that felt like being hit with a thrown pebble. No pain, but weird. Dive mask and snorkel showed dozens of yellow perch, maybe several inches gathered around and biting vigorously at bare skin, arms and legs, fortunately not the covered bits.

Our kids were raised on a lake in North New Jersey.. It was full of little sunfish.. They nibble and the kids got used to not being but by continually moving and jumping and hopping.. The next house had a swimming pool and the first day they got in the pool they were jumping and hopping.. I reminded them that the pool had no fish.....

We have pike here too and they are removed and killed.. If you hook one you must kill it. https://www.pressherald.com/2011/07/31/tackling-maines-pike-problem_2011-07-31/

 

[gumpus]

I had a horny carp try to mate with my Swift Osprey canoe. I was paddling up a small stream and heard the sound of a fish's tail break the surface of the water by shore, then a moment later I heard it again halfway between me and the shore and then BOOM a carp slams into the side of my boat and starts trying to mate with it. Of course, the Osprey is quite a sexy boat.

 

[memaquay]

PISHING FOR FISH
In the backwaters of the Kowkash river, world record brook trout swim about, un-noticed by the rest of the world. However, an Anishnabae friend of mine revealed the secret to catching them. Sitting quietly in the canoe, one must pish until a hairy woodpecker lands on the gunwale. Using the fishing net, one then captures the hairy woodpecker and places it in a specially designed harness. The harness has a single barbless hook hanging from it, along with 1.5 ounces of split shot. The weight must be exactly 1.5, or the hairy Woodpecker will submerge and drown. With the appropriate weight, the HW hovers just above water level, and the biggest brookies will try to snag him out of the air. When the brookie does strike, the harness releases, allowing the HW to fly away unharmed. Then you must start pishing all over again, with the hope of fooling another hairy woodpecker. The process is time consuming, but when you are an older solo paddler, you are always looking for ways to slow down and enjoy the ride.

 

[Guest]

PISHING FOR FISH

Avid trout Pishermen know that the hairy woodpecker step can be omitted by the Pisher placing his entire head underwater and pishing Conk-esque kissy bubbles.

Salvelinus are especially susceptible when Pishermen abruptly and inexplicably hurl themselves over the gunwales. After entering cold water the Pishermans Hairy Woodpecker shrinks in size, and is often confused with an immature Downy.

I have perfected this technique and would be happy to coach anyone interested in practicing on their own.