05-16-2012, 02:31 PM
My Hardy Zenith rod finally arrived, and I was so anxious to try it out that I quickly grabbed my float tube and headed up to Little Dell. In my enthusiasm, I neglected to attach my rod leash and started getting into fish right away.
On about the 3rd hook-up, I was leaning over to release the trout and didn’t notice that my elbow had knocked the rod into the water. I removed the hook about the same time the sinking rod ran out of slack pulling the fly to the side where it caught in a nylon strap.
There I was with an expensive rod and reel down in 20’ of water with just sheer luck and a 6x tippet keeping me from disaster. I ever so carefully started pulling on the tippet hoping that I had set the drag enough that line would not just spool off the reel. Once I reached the furled leader, I knew I was home free and breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Lesson learned (at least for me): don’t fish with a float tube without using something to tether the rod because fly rods don’t float! [pirate]
[signature]
On about the 3rd hook-up, I was leaning over to release the trout and didn’t notice that my elbow had knocked the rod into the water. I removed the hook about the same time the sinking rod ran out of slack pulling the fly to the side where it caught in a nylon strap.
There I was with an expensive rod and reel down in 20’ of water with just sheer luck and a 6x tippet keeping me from disaster. I ever so carefully started pulling on the tippet hoping that I had set the drag enough that line would not just spool off the reel. Once I reached the furled leader, I knew I was home free and breathed a huge sigh of relief.
Lesson learned (at least for me): don’t fish with a float tube without using something to tether the rod because fly rods don’t float! [pirate]
[signature]