The Take

A post-take reward

Is there anything more exciting than when a fish takes your fly?  Think about that for a minute and really try to find something that makes your eyes widen and your pulse quicken more than a fish hitting.  It's the very moment that you have been waiting for!  It's why you drove for hours or took off work.  It's why you learned to tie flies and why you filled fly boxes last winter.  It's what you have been hoping for and now the fun can begin.

During the take, you might miss the fish, and while you wouldn't be the first to miss a fish, that doesn't take the sting of disappointment away.  If you ARE lucky enough to hook up with a fish, your mind probably starts to race when you feel your hook sink in deep.  What species is it?  How big is it?  Where is it going?  These are all things that probably pass through your head in a fraction of a second and adrenaline heightens your nerves and sharpens your senses. 

There's an old saying that steelhead fishermen say and it is "The tug is the drug."  That phrase isn't too far from the truth because it sure is addictive.  Whether it's a trout sipping a dry off the surface, a bass crashing a streamer or a bluegill taking down a strike indicator, there is something magical about a take. 

I know, this is after the take, but my hands are full when that happens.