Justin is a darn good friend of mine. He's smart, dependable, and generous. We also happen to teach at the same middle school. The aforementioned characteristics that make him a good friend also make him a good teacher. On top of all of that, he helps me facilitate the after school fly fishing club that I have operated for 15 years. Since he became a facilitator, he has made a huge, positive impact on club members.
On a recent trip with the fly fishing club, Justin had an encounter with a largemouth bass the likes of which I have never witnessed before. Justin was throwing a six inch, chartreuse game changer on a 7 weight rod. He wasn't catching anything but the club members recognized that he was chasing big fish with a big fly. Towards the end of the evening, some club members spotted a big (in relation to what we were catching) largemouth bass cruising the shallows on a consistent basis. When the bass refused their offerings, they called for Justin to try to catch the beast.
I wouldn't have believed this story if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. In over thirty years of fishing, I had never seen anything close to what I witnessed on this particular day. I watched this 3-4 pound largemouth bass eat Justin's fly approximately 7 times. Sometimes he didn't take the fly all the way to the hook. Sometimes Justin missed a hook set. Sometimes the bass spit the fly before a hook could be set. Sometimes it was barely hooked, came off the hook, and returned to the shallows seconds later. It was like the bass was begging to be caught by Justin. Tragically, the evening ended without Justin landing the bass. While this seemed like the end of the story...it was not!
Fast forward one week later, the fly fishing club was back on the water at a different location. Towards the end of the evening, Justin started throwing the same six inch, chartreuse game changer on the same 7 weight rod. While he had a few bumps while casting into deep water off a dam, he didn't land anything. As the sun was setting and we were about to end our evening on the water, some students started yelling across the lake to Justin. They said that they had "spotted his old buddy" and that a big largemouth was cruising in some shallow water near them.
If you're realizing that this story is sounding familiar, you should! It is important to mention, again, that this was not the same lake as the previous week. This was not the same fish but what happened next was almost identical to what Justin had experienced one week prior. It is also worth noting that this largemouth was bigger than the first one I mentioned. It was significantly bigger.
Over the next couple of minutes, the bass ate Justin's game changer two times but never got properly hooked. When Justin set the hook the third time however, he pierced the upper lip of the bass and the fight was on. All of the club member, as well as myself, rushed to Justin's location to see the fish and curious if Justin was going to land the leviathan. The fish made some surges towards some aquatic vegetation and we all held our collective breath. Some club members started to rush towards the edge of the water and I ushered them out of Justin's way. I didn't want any of them to interfere although I know they had good intentions. This was Justin's moment and I wanted him to in control of the situation.
After only a minute or two, the fish tired and Justin eased it toward the shore. When he grabbed the lip of the bass (with what I can only assume was a mighty grip), the entire group yelled out in excitement. Fists were raised in victory. High fives were exchanged. Smiles adorned every face. After the moment sank in, I ran to grab a scale and a tape measurer. We needed to find out just how big this trophy was!
The tale of the tape was a little over 22 inches long and the fish weighed in right at 5 pounds! We got the fish in the water quickly after some pictures and video. I am proud to state that the fish swam off with plenty of energy and very little aid was needed to help get it on its way.
The rest of the evening was filled with an analysis of the catch, retelling of the events that transpired, and talk of how to give the memory its proper amount of commemoration. Justin shared pictures on his phone and told his wife about what happened. I sent pictures to friends, family, and our school administrators. The next morning, the story had grown to the point where people that I hadn't even told the story to were asking about the details of the catch.
Justin is not the type of person to brag about personal accomplishments and he never did. He expressed gratitude for the moment. He talked about the appreciation he had for the fish. He talked about how he was happy to have experienced the moment with club members and myself. It was nice to see something so exceptional happen to my friend that gives so much to others but never expects anything in return. This catch and memory mean a lot to my friend and it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy!
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