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Citation Largemouth on the fly

Freshwater saltwater Lakes, Ponds, Rivers, Streams talk about the ones that got away. Show us the ones that didn't.
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BrokenolMarine
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Citation Largemouth on the fly

Post by BrokenolMarine » Mon Apr 03, 2017 9:32 am

A number of years ago, I was fishing a local reservoir in my kayak, working along the rip rap bank with a custom tied hopper on a six weight fly rod, just enjoying the quiet of the early morning. :) The lake is HP restricted to 9.9 and most big powerboats use trolling motors. As I paddled my way along the bank, hooking a bass here and there, a large metal flake bass boat cuts right in front of my kayak, piloted by a tanned Grandfather accompanied by his grandson and four of his AARP buddies. :evil: They are drinking beer and hammering the bank with baitcassters, but not working the water's edge, just pounding along the shore haphazardly, more interested in joking and laughing, and .... beer.

The grandson is more interested in my kayak, and my fly rod.

"What's that Grandpa?" the lad asks, pointing to my kayak 30 yards behind the $50,000 worth of bass boat.

"Tupperware." Grandpa tells the lad, dismissively. ;)

"But what kind of fishing rod is that Grandpa?" the young boy asks.

"That's a Fairywand..." the old man tells him, "Now get back to your fishing."

We work our way along the Rip Rap, and I watch the Bass Boat and it's passengers pass right by an overhanging bush, the only shade in 100 yards, where I know lunkers tend to lay up... not one of the four adults throw anything near it. The boy has watched me catch and release several bass and panfish on the fly rod in the last half hour and has smiled and waved each time. :P He has stopped fishing completely, fascinated by the fly rod, the beauty and poetry of the cast, and the kayak itself.

As I approach the overhanging bush, I sidearm cast my 3" hopper that Miss Tina designed, so that it skipps under the bush, then twitch, twitch, twitch, the fly line, making the hopper... well, hop. about the forth hop out from under the bush's shadow, water begins to swell and I prepare myself... I can't breathe. Suddenly, there is an explosion of power, and a sound like a public urinal flushing as a monster bass explodes on the Hopper Fly. My six weight fly rod bends double, then past double and the tip is in the water. I drop my feet on either side of the kayak to lower my center of gravity and the BASS is towing the kayak. The fight is on. I reach behind me for the net as the drag on the fly rod screams. The Grandson on the bass boat is on his feet clapping. All four old men have turned to watch and I can't lose this guy now.

I am thinking over and over, play it, and make it to the net, net, net.

Image

Twenty Two and a Half inches long, and nearly too fat for me to grasp across her belly. She was just over 10 pounds.
A Virginia Citation Largemouth Bass.
My first on the fly rod.

The grandson turns to Grandpa and says,

"Gee Grandpa, maybe you should get a Fairy Wand."

Grandpa starts his Two Hundred and Twenty Five Horse Mercury and tears across the lake. Priceless.
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JEBar
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Re: Citation Largemouth on the fly

Post by JEBar » Mon Apr 03, 2017 9:37 am

great story .... thanks for sharing it
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Re: Citation Largemouth on the fly

Post by daytime dave » Sun Apr 09, 2017 10:33 am

That's a great story and an even better bass. Nice catch.
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BrokenolMarine
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Re: Citation Largemouth on the fly

Post by BrokenolMarine » Sun Apr 09, 2017 10:56 am

Thanks guys, it's been a long while since I could get out in the kayaks and fish, but we are looking forward to this summer and hope to be doing a lot more fishing. I am healing fast, and don't have to walk, to be able to paddle a yak and throw the fly rod. LOL. Miss Tina took this shot of me in a Native Ultimate Kayak, one I fished from for a couple years until the Wilderness Systems Commander came out. We bought the first Commander sold to the general public.. and have owned one since.

Image

In fact, THIS Wilderness System Commander is rare.
Image

So rare that it's one, of one. It's a Wilderness Systems Commander 120CX.. their Carbon Fiber Version. They were supposed to limit the series to 25. Tina told our dealer that she would buy me one for Father's Day if he could get #1 of the 25. Mine is numbered 1 0f 25 on the ID plate. It's amazing, half the weight of the standard series, limited edition lettering on the kayak and limited edition bow and stern covers. When they didn't get additional orders, they didn't lay up additional kayaks and the series was cancelled... my kayak became... one of one.

There were Beta yaks laid up and toured around as pre-production, but mine was the only serialized production kayak made.
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You can tell a lot about the character of a man...
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BrokenolMarine
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Re: Citation Largemouth on the fly

Post by BrokenolMarine » Sun Apr 09, 2017 10:59 am

I take it out sometimes and put it on static display when we do demo days for our dealer...
Image

It does attract attention... :lol:

I also take it out and put it in the water and fish it.... can't just hang it on the wall like art.
Image

It paddles like a dream and is fantastic to load and unload, but I am careful not to scrape it over the rocks at the ramp, or run into things... of course.
8-)
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You can tell a lot about the character of a man...
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