06-25-2010, 11:48 AM
[cool][#0000ff]I have been fishing a LOOOOOOOONG time and I have fished in a whole lot of places. Naturally I have caught a few things that could be considered unusual...at least they were not my primary targets.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]1. Multiple fishing rods and reels...in various stages of salvageability. I do a lot of bait dragging and bottom bouncing so I snag lots of gear that has gone overboard from boaters.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]2. Ditto for fish stringers. Seems that some boaters do not secure their stringers very well. Surprisingly, the fish are usually still lively. But, I have also brought in stringers full of decomposing fish. Yuck.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]3. Lost count of the number of lines I have snagged with fish still on the other end.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]4. All kinds of birds...grebes, seagulls, diving ducks, pelicans, etc. Especially bad when "fly lining" live anchovies or sardines in salt water.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]5. Bats on flies being cast near sundown.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]6. Garter snake that had chomped onto a small fish I hooked while leaving my rod unattended for a while.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]7. Turtles of several species.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]8. Muskrat...snagged on a spinner. Bit the line.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]9. Skunk. My fault. I had cast a small jig to a skunk foraging along the bank, just to see what it would do. It thought it was something edible and grabbed it with its paws. It got hooked and when I hauled back, trying to pop the line, I rolled it butt over teakettle. Can you say p***ed? Then it spied me in my tube and started swimming out to get me. I threw a roostertail and escaped.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]10. Best story for last. Could even be true.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Shortly after moving to Utah from California...while I still had California plates on my car...I took a rod and some tackle down to a spot on Salt Lake, near the highway. I set up my chair and tossed a line out into the water...waiting expectantly. I caught about 19 that day...all folks who stopped to make fun of me and let me know there were no fish in Salt Lake. Just loved it when someone would ask "Catch anything yet?" and I could answer "Yep. Caught you didn't I?"[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]1. Multiple fishing rods and reels...in various stages of salvageability. I do a lot of bait dragging and bottom bouncing so I snag lots of gear that has gone overboard from boaters.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]2. Ditto for fish stringers. Seems that some boaters do not secure their stringers very well. Surprisingly, the fish are usually still lively. But, I have also brought in stringers full of decomposing fish. Yuck.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]3. Lost count of the number of lines I have snagged with fish still on the other end.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]4. All kinds of birds...grebes, seagulls, diving ducks, pelicans, etc. Especially bad when "fly lining" live anchovies or sardines in salt water.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]5. Bats on flies being cast near sundown.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]6. Garter snake that had chomped onto a small fish I hooked while leaving my rod unattended for a while.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]7. Turtles of several species.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]8. Muskrat...snagged on a spinner. Bit the line.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]9. Skunk. My fault. I had cast a small jig to a skunk foraging along the bank, just to see what it would do. It thought it was something edible and grabbed it with its paws. It got hooked and when I hauled back, trying to pop the line, I rolled it butt over teakettle. Can you say p***ed? Then it spied me in my tube and started swimming out to get me. I threw a roostertail and escaped.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]10. Best story for last. Could even be true.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Shortly after moving to Utah from California...while I still had California plates on my car...I took a rod and some tackle down to a spot on Salt Lake, near the highway. I set up my chair and tossed a line out into the water...waiting expectantly. I caught about 19 that day...all folks who stopped to make fun of me and let me know there were no fish in Salt Lake. Just loved it when someone would ask "Catch anything yet?" and I could answer "Yep. Caught you didn't I?"[/#0000ff]
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