Most embarrassing fly fishing moments?

[jhammer 0]

We've all something extremely embarrassing that made us look like idiots while fishing. Whether you were fishing with your friends, or just had strangers watching. Share some of your most embarrassing fishing stories. We could all have a lot of fun and laughs with this one. I'll start.

 

1. Before I started fishing yesterday, I was speaking to a gentleman who fly fished years ago and we were discussing casting. I told him that I had been fly fishing for well over half of my life already, and that I passed the FFF casting instructor tests a few years ago. With that being said, he wanted to see what I could do because he was interested in some lessons. I waded out to my spot, and got set up. There was a small crowd because you never see a fly angler in the Maumee River. Well, the bottom of the river is made up of a lot of rocks and boulders and my feet were in an extremely awkward position. I started out nice and smooth, but lost my balance and screwed up my cast. I thought, "OK, no big deal." I then went to make my back cast and lost my balance again, but somehow I managed to tangle my line and leader and whacked myself in the face. The gentlemen promptly left.

 

2. While heading back to the bank, and in front of a bunch of people, I tripped on an underwater boulder and fell flat on my face. Taking myself, and all of my gear for a nice dunk.

[bassbuster 0]

I was just starting out fly fishing and I wasn't real bad, I needed some practice. So I decided to go down to the river and just work on my casting. It was no more than 15 minutes after I started fishing and it seemed like half a million people came down to fish. When I got started there was nobody besides myself and so I was confident. Well I just tryed to not let it bother me and I went on fishing. I hadn't caught anything and was about to leave when I got a "bite", I set the hook and the fight was on.

 

Now for some background, I was fishing just below the local damm and there is a lot of large rocks and debris around. I was casting on the less fished side of the river and so everyone there could just look up and watch.

 

I fought this "fish" for about 5 minutes and it didn't seem like I was getting anywhere, I noticed that the guys on the oposite side of the river where still fishing so I yelled "fish on!!' and hoped they woul reel in so there would be no tangles and I wouldn't have to cut someone for breakin my fish off LOL. After everyone had reeled in and I was now the specticle I finally landed my catch...... drift wood!! I felt like an idoit and it didn't help that everyone down there saw me and my trophy log. I promptly gathered my gear, tucked tail and left.

 

The worst part was about a week later I returned to fish again and I was told by about three to four people that "some dumb a$$" was fishing and got all excited about catching a peice of wood. All I could do was laugh and hope they didn't realize that I was the "angler" in question.

[Steve P 0]

While fishing for smallies the weekend before Easter 3 yrs ago with a really close friend his wife and a half dozen other people that wanted to come from the club to learn more about fishing very small tight streams for larger fish. I found a particularly productive (in the past anyhow) section that was a bit on difficult side to fish since you needed to make longer cast from a fair distance away from the water as there was very little cover and the water was very clear and a little shallow, but this run almost always held one or two pig smallies. Well I made a beautiful presentation and was telling everyone that you need to pay really close attention to your line and any change you set the hook since the feel factor is not the best in this situation. Immediately after that spiel I saw a small twitch in my line and I set hard only to false cast about a 2" creek chub snagged in the back on my 3" long crawfishy fly..... I was the laugh of the club for some time after that, matter of fact someone actually e-mailed the picture to me just a week or two ago just to give me hell.

[Chase Creek 0]

I've been fishing small streams for a lot of years, and I can honestly say I've never taken a tumble in the stream.(honest)

I almost always fish alone, but once I went with a couple of good friends. I needed to change flies, so I sat on a downed tree that had fallen across the stream. I lost my balence when I sat down, and fell over backwards into some VERY cold water. When I got to my feet, I stepped up onto the bank, planting my foot squarely into a pile of black bear scat. Good thing I was wearing waders.

The other guys got a lot of mileage out of that, describing the incident to every waitress at the stops on the way home.

[FlyFishin'Jam 0]

hahaha awesome topic keep em' coming!

 

Not sure if mine counts, was fishing from the boat just downtream of a dam and i was pretty confident with the trolling motor but there was some serious current and wind to deal with, flycasting and operating the trolling motor took all my concentration. There was a tournament on at the time and quite a few boats lined up just watching and waiting to take my spot as soon as i left.

 

Took my eye off the line i had stripped in for just a moment and as i hit the trolling motor to maximum to control the boat line started screaming off the reel! It had blown over the side and been sucked in by the prop. Now it was interesting, no boat control in serious current heading to the rocks at an alarming speed, one end of the fly line in the water the other end completely embedded in the prop. I swear i could hear everyone laughing as i was trying to untangle the mess in the prop, managed to grab an oar and use it as an anchor against the rocks while i sorted myself out, totally destroyed sink tip line, and ego. I left quickly and they all waved at me.

 

Hmm another when i was young out with my mum trolling for Aussie Salmon, i think with an abu toby or something, anyway she had a great fish on and fought it to the boat, i got the landing net and netted the fish, but just as this happened the lure dislodged from the fishes mouth straight at my face, the treble went up my nose and got lodged in my nostril! I had to wear it for the day till we got back and could remove it.

[eastern fly 0]

One afternoon I was fishing near a bridge that gets a lot of foot traffic. I was wading about belly button deep. As I was stripping in my line and set the hook my foot slipped and down I went. My rod held high and my fish still on. As I stumble to get back to my feet and water down my waders. Down I go again. This time as I'm trying to keep my fish I slid on my butt across the rocks to a place I can stand. Go up, got my fish in and looked around to see if anyone was watching. Yep on the bridge was a guy laughing and clapping his hands. I got my fish though.

 

Kevin

[jhammer 0]

One of my most embarrassing moments ever took place around 3 years ago. I purchased a new inflatable pontoon boat to fish the lake much more effectively. I was so proud of my investment. It was a great boat and had an even better price. I was so proud, I forgot to read anything about a weight limit. I was in about 4 feet of water and as soon as I put my feet up and started to paddle, the one side of the boat sank and I flipped it right in front of a large group of people. Later that evening, the boat was sold.

[Steve P 0]

Well this didn't happen to me nor is it fly fishing related but...... in high school I would clean the clinic that my mom worked at for a little extra cash. One evening as they were closing up I was just standing around waiting for the last couple folks to leave and then they would lock the door and i could get to work. A guy and his brother came in and one of the guys had a 6" suspending crankbait stuck in the bridge of his nose... not just barely but into the cartilage and past the barb bad enough that it looked like a piercing. Well the story went that they had been out on a local lake that morning bass fishing when the one gentleman made a cast and snagged his brother in the nose on the back cast, it was a brand new lure and had not been in the water yet, he insisted that they not cut the hook but the guy with the stuff hanging from his nose said he got to make that decision, I think the worst part was that the3y said it was as the sun was coming up and when they walked in it was on it's way down, that means the guy had fished all day with a crankbait hanging from his nose!!!!

 

Steve

[JSzymczyk 0]

I've whacked myself in the head with heavy flies, tangled up backcasts, slipped in mud and rocks, stuck my fingers with hooks, all the normal stuff. I never pretend to be "good" at any of this stuff, and certainly never brag about casting or catching. When I screw up, I just laugh about it with everyone else who may witness the event....

 

I don't screw up all that much when fishing, but during the rest of my life apparently I do a lot. Just ask my wife.

[Steve P 0]

I don't screw up all that much when fishing, but during the rest of my life apparently I do a lot. Just ask my wife.

 

I think all of us that have a wife could do that, I'll also bet we get the same answer more or less from all of them!!

 

Steve

[jhammer 0]

Honestly, the most painful thing I've ever done was when I was tossing some sunfish in the river trying to irritate some flathead catfish. I had a bite that knocked my pole out of the rod holder and I set the hook WAY too hard. A five ounce sinker flew out of the water and flew right into....Well, you know lol! I went home and sat on a bag of frozen veggies.

[BillFisher 0]

Lol

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

Not a fly fishing moment but definitely an embarrassing fishing moment. All my fishing over the last 15 or so years has been done exclusively with a fly rod. Did not use any other kind of fishing equipment in that time. Not that I'm against any other form of fishing I just really enjoy using a fly rod. One day last year I decide to dig out my spin gear and do a little bank fishing at a local stocker pond. It was after work and the ponds are close. When I get there the banks are lined up with people just fishing away. Relaxing and having a good time. I get all rigged up, find my spot, and proceed to make my first cast in many years using something other than a fly rod. I threw the hole thing into the lake. Rod, reel, everything. Thankfully it didn't go far, only about 10 feet. Had to wade out there and get it in front everyone. Some people grinned while others looked on in amazement.

Second cast was a little better. At least I hung onto the rod.

I've done that also its funny how you have to retrain your muscles to not let go completely

My most embarrassing event happened to me about 6 years ago. I got invited to go salmon fishing with 3 of my good friends. They all know I fish primarily with the flyrod but they don't. Well we get to our spot that we always fish and get geared up ready to go. I approach my normal hole that always holds 1 or 2 start casting and bam fish on. After alerting my friends and 6 strangers of the situation all of who were fishing and kindly made room for me to fight the fish and watch since most don't see a fly fisherman on this river ever not to mention for 30 lbs plus king salmon. Anyways the DNR or game warden as some know them as walks right up to me and says hey you got one I smile and say yes then realize I had forgotten my wallet at home which carries my fishing license and id. After I finally get the fish to shore with the game warden friends and other strangers all standing around to see my prize fish. I hadn't even hooked him the fly had wrapped around the fishes tail and got tangled around the leader creating a noose that had tightened down on its tail. Needless to say my friends told everyone about me being the rodeo clown fisherman without a license. Good thing though the warden just told me not to forget my wallet again.

[flytire 0]

i was fishing the shoreline of a small pond about 6-8 feet away from the edge of the road. on my errant backcast , i hooked on to the back end of a ford pickup truck whizzing by at 45 mph, which in a matter of nanoseconds spooled me to my backing and broke me off leaving about a foot of backing left. no time to palm the spool or tighten the drag! fly line and backing trailing from the pickup, it just keep going til it was out of sight. it happened in the blink of aeye and my only reaction was WTF and a few chuckles! all in all, i was only fishing for about 10 minutes. at least i wasnt skunked!

[Steve P 0]

Yeah I think at that point the best thing you can do is to just chuckle and go home to have a brew.... wow that's awesome.

 

Steve