This is a quick read. Let me just tell you…
This was a struggle and we both won. The hookset was perfect and the battle was typical. In good running water it took about two minutes to bring this fish to my net. That doesn’t sound like long, but in a small creek with a big fish, that is a hot 120 seconds. She launched skyward five times trying to show off a bit for Cirque de Pesce.
Once we were out of the current and into the net, the barbless hook slipped right our of the lip. Then came the struggle. She didn’t want to steady herself for the return to open water. I held her upright in current for more than eight minutes trying to stabilize her. Several false releases proved her not quite ready. I kneeled in the water and kept her back upright in the area controlled by my net.
I let her take the time needed to dump some lactic acid and reset the fatigue switch in her body. Relax. Breathe. Find your self again. I think I was doing the same thing about then. Sometimes we need to remember ourselves that we need to reset from time to time.
In the ninth minute, she swam off on her on accord, into the deep.
Bested, but not beaten. Respected and released. 18″.
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