Kingfisher, not catcher

This salmon season has been a humbling experience for many reasons. First and foremost the numbers of fish just aren't there. There were very high expectations following last years run which was considered the best in probably over 30 years for most rivers in west Michigan. Then there was the early spring where the ice was off the big lake in record time causing the Kings to get on the feed bag early. Alewives were still in abundance and the boat fisherman were making a killing on big kings early. Then, something drastic happened. The state was experiencing record heat waves and with little to no rain we were in a drought. Michigan has been one of the best states only behind Washington as far as rain fall. What were the effects this would have on the fishery? Lake Michigan is a HUGE body of water and the Salmon and big trout just need to go deep to find the cool water they thrive in. Boats were still doing well as long as they went farther out. The longer they stayed deep means the longer before they turn up river...

The rain never came and water levels were low everywhere all summer long. The rivers became crystal clear, even the ones that were normally cloudy with sediment you could see the bottom several feet down. Some tributaries were so shallow at the mouths fish had trouble getting into them. High expectations turned into disappointment. There still are fish if you work at it a little harder.

The cool clear waters of the Pere Marquette River

My season started with some vacation days and I was filled with hope and promise at getting on the fish early, except the fish for the most part were not there. Granted some came early as they always do, but nowhere near what I expected. My favorite hole that has always held a good pod of early fish was almost empty. A few dark shadows lurked in the depths below, but they were wary from the clear low waters.

Salmon fishing usually entails heavier line stiffer rods and big gaudy flies. I had to put away my egg sucking leeches in return for a #6 nuke egg which I reserve for a trailer for trout or the occasional steelhead. I dropped my leader down to 8lb Maxima not daring to go any lower knowing all to well big kings will snap off weak lines.

One of the few early season Kings I caught.

I started to catch a few Kings but my trips consisted of catching a fish or two to even getting skunked! This would not do at all. My hook-ups were way down, but what caused me concern was my hook-up to landing ratio was what I would call horrible. Typically 50% is a good number to shoot for. I was not even close.

Something happened on one earlier trip that I had never really experienced before. I was harassed by another fisherman for a fishing spot. It was still dark when I showed up at my favorite hole and I shone my flashlight over the river to see nobody was fishing there. I set my net down and my backpack and proceeded to get into the water when I heard someone yelling from the far bank. They were yelling at me spouting profanities like a sailor! Calling me all sorts of names while threatening to cause me physical harm as well as to break off any fish I hooked by snagging my line. This was ridiculous because I have shared the hole with at least ten others in past trips. I made a cast and he went into a frenzy which amazed me to find out he had his 4 year daughter present! I was lucky she was there as I had been told numerous times by now... My Irish temper was getting the best of me as I could feel my face and ears were red hot. I exited the river gathered my gear and decided to walk away until someone shouted something to the effect that it's good I walked away now while I could still walk. Then I re-entered the river and crossed.

When I reached the opposite bank I set my gear down and took off my vest. Luckily I have a large build probably from being part Polish so when I turned to introduce myself to my early morning friend I could see he was obviously concerned.

I held out my hand and said "Good Morning, My name is Mike. I came here to have an enjoyable day fishing and it seems like you are trying to ruin that. I offer you a bit of advice, before you start running your mouth you should know who you addressing when you threaten people in the darkness. I could have been a DNR or a police officer on my day off or even worse someone crazy who would have no problems hurting you and your daughter, which I am none of."

He did return the handshake and start to tell me how he knows DNR and fishing guides and all of the property owners and has free reign to fish where and when he pleases. He actually did apologize and offered to "let" me fish there. I declined wished him good luck with the fish that day. Fishing was slow and the fish were stubborn and in the end my day didn't get much better. I still had a bad taste in my mouth from the encounter with douchebag fisherman to start off my day. To make matters worse I broke my new fly rod on a fish I should have caught. Oh well, at least it is under warranty. I ended up going home early...

My now broken weapon of choice against Kings.

The right path is usually never the easy path

The fishing was still hit or miss on most of the tributaries as the run should have been at its peak. and I was yet again at my favorite river at my favorite spot with a good fishing buddy. The fish just were not there again. The fishing experience isn't really just about catching fish. Being out in nature with wildlife in abundance. The squirrels playing and gathering nuts for the long winter, the chirping birds, the soaring hawk, sometimes deer cross the river. This day was one of those days.

Being Indian is in your heart, It is a way of walking with the Earth instead of upon it...

Before I continue I must explain that by heritage in an American Mutt. I mentioned I was Polish and Irish, but I also have Cherokee blood flowing in my veins. I have read how others with mixed native heritage have felt "in tune" with their Indian heritage. I am one who feels that way as well. I have a deep sense of pride and feel an affinity with nature. I respect the earth and all living creatures to the point where I would fight for them. I have read many book and articles about Native Americans and their different cultures.

A nice native rainbow trout eatting eggs.

The number four is a lucky number among many tribes and on this day that number would manifest itself several times. It was September 14th, my birthday. I just turned 44. I just landed the fourth fish of the day. Two and two Kings. The rainbows were smaller one being 11 inches the other 16 inches, Both Kings were smaller females that were in great shape, but fought well. The day was slow but, very enjoyable. I had good companionship, great weather. I had witnessed nature in abundance. The wind was cool on my face and the water felt cool as well. Upon returning to my spot and started fishing I heard an odd birdcall and was looking for what made the noise as I saw what I thought was a Kingfisher fly across the river in full view. I then asked my fishing partner who is also part Indian (Blackfoot) if he saw the bird. His reply caught me off guard as it was intended as a compliment.

One of the Kings I caught that day.

 He said "No, but I'm looking at a Kingfisher now" as he looked towards me. I laughed because it was significant in so many ways. I was a King fisher and the king Salmon is my fish of choice. I beleive I am skilled in the fishing arts as well and catch many fish as is the birds namesake. In a way I had always wanted to be named like my ancestors and often wondered what my name would be if I was given one. I beleive it to be Kingfisher. The day seemed to be near perfect :)

With 100% certainty I heard and saw this bird, the Belted kingfisher

The fish have started to come albeit slowly, but there are more. Mother nature cannot be denied. The genetic make up of the Salmon insists they must spawn. I have released every fish this fall hoping that this seemingly poor run won't affect future runs.

The rain has started, but too little too late. Fresh Kings have been seen in some rivers and my luck has increased. I have taken mostly head shots of my fish since seeing the Kingfisher...

The Warrior

The Ghost

The KINGS are COMING!!!

It's that time of year again when the air starts to cool just enough to cause your mind to wander to cool streams and rivers filled to the brim with spawning fall salmon and steelhead practically on their heels looking for an easy meal of eggs and fry. I look forward to sleeping with the windows open and listening to the pitter patter of cool rain drops landing on the leaves as I'm smiling just as slumber embraces me. Even my dreams become consumed by fishing possibilities as I know that the days are slowly getting slower. But, the true telling sign is when my allergies start to bother me. Humidity is lower as the Ragweed blooms in full, but it bothers me less because I know the leaves will slowly change in color when the Kings are coming home!!!

This King is looking forward to continuing its life journey.

The story of the King Salmon's spawning cycle is well documented. It is common knowledge that they return to their birth river to spawn and eventually die. It is the grand example of the circle of life when you are born, grow, reproduce, die to replenish the earth with your nutrients. The circle for the Salmon is much smaller than ours, but it is a grand event.

In 2011 the salmon runs almost all over the state have been the best in almost 30 years. The rivers were teeming with eager Coho and Chinook Salmon traversing the hazards of dams, predators and most of all fisherman!

The toothy grin of the fisherman and the sharper teeth of the Salmon.

There was much worry about the several invasive species that were thought to threaten our amazing fishery. The Zebra mussels actually made the waters cleaner. The gobys have caused a surge in size in other Great Lakes fish like the Smallmouth Bass who eat them like candy. Lampreys have been an issue for a long while and the MDNR has worked diligently to stop them, but their population has been on the rise the last few years. The greatest threat and what everyone fear will be the knock out punch to our 7 billion dollar a year fishery is the dreadful Asian carp. What many people do not know is that they have been a nuisance since the 1990's and have been kept at bay since so far.

The deadly lamprey, vampires of Lake Michigan.

Dead alewives washed ashore on some beaches last summer.

With the changing ecosystem in the big lake we still have a fishery where the fish are large and in abundance, so much so that the MDNR will be reducing stockings in many rivers to avoid the disaster that happened in Lake Huron where there became more predators than prey due to overstocking to the point the fishery is almost non-existant compared to former years.

The alewife populations have been so high that they have been spotted dead along the beaches like the days of old. They alwives have been of a decent size which coincides with the size of their predators as well.

A nice bunch of Coho's from Hamilton Dam

An early thaw this year accompanied by a warm winter attributes to the large size of the fish being caught in all predatory species of the alewives. While cleaning steelhead at the the fish cleaning station in Holland as early as June I had seen several 20# class Kings with many boats getting their limits.

As a fisherman the King Salmon has become my favorite target species. They fight like steelhead on steroids when you consider their power. They will test every aspect of your gear from your drag to your leader, if something isn't quite right they will put a beat down on you ! They are good jumpers as well, but are not as acrobatic.

A happy fisherman with an August King on the PM.

I was first introduced to Salmon fishing as a 14 year old boy on the Rogue River, just a 5 minute walk from my grandparents back door. It left an impression on me that has made an impact of every aspect of my life. My grand parents no longer live there, but I still go back and visit. They have been planting Salmon in the Rogue again and the next couple years should be excellent. The crowds are something I wish to avoid so I drive north to my favorite river, the Pere Marquette in Baldwin.

A nice male King being revived before release on the PM

The Pere Marquette is simply called the PM by those who love it and fish it. The Salmon return earlier to the PM than many other river because it stays cool in the summer due to the many feeder springs that flow into it. Fish can be found in significant numbers as early as mid August if you know where to search. Thundersticks are an early season favorite below the restricted fishing area and the kings will sometimes tear them apart. The strikes are bone jarring and not to be soon forgotten by your shoulder and arm. Hold on tight and if luck shines upon you then you can land a silver beast in the log infested waters. The kings come in pods that push up the river to their spawning grounds which lie mostly within the catch and release flies only area. Catching a big King on a fly rod on a fly you created on your own can be a feeling that you can't explain until you experience it yourself. Not everyone out there is a catch & release advocate, but the PM demands it and it is always fulfilling experience. Just bring a camera to capture the fish.

A Map of the Flies Only section of the PM.

Another river many people watch closely is the Grand River. As soon as the Charter boats and pier fisherman in Grand haven start nailing them the excitement travels upstream with the fish. There are a few areas that anglers catch fish, but once they hit the 6th street dam in Grand rapids it becomes a circus. Fisherman from all walks of life show up in numbers as the fish start showing up. Spinners, spoons and Cranks can be used in any run that could hold fish. The east wall  produce large numbers from drifters and casters alike, fly fishing is impossible in this area, but it's prime for people with disabilities. The boat ramp area is notorious for the ultimate combat fishing experience if your up for it. Its shoulder to shoulder drifters here. The dam itself causes the water to boil and travel in swirling patters while the water flows out the center and west runs. This is a free for all as far as what fishing style works best. Many tourists come to downtown GR to see the Salmon jump the fish ladder and to watch the fisherman. The Grand also has a few tributaries that can have hot fishing.

Some guys fishing from the boat launch during high waters.

The Kalamazoo has the best fishing at Allegan dam, but it is only for experienced combat fisherman. The dam is the upstream limit on the Kalamazoo and the fish stack up. If you wish to avoid the crowds this is not the place to go. The hottest area to fish is usually on the stairs where there is usually a fisherman per stair and the tempers often flare. Some decent fishing has been had in recent years on the Rabbit river in Hamilton, There is a dam there as well which draws a good sized crowd when the fish are in.

A nice Coho at the Hamilton Dam

The Muskegon is a great river and really awesome if you have a boat. The Kings come up maybe a month after the PM gets started and can only go as far as Croton Dam. People fishing from shore are gathered closer to the dam, but boaters can drift down looking for large groups of fish or fish actively spawning.

Croton Dam in Newaygo, MI

So as the nights get colder and the leaves start to fall my dreams become reality as I will fight epic battles against some of the hardest fighting  freshwater game fish  in the US. Any day now I will sit here less and be on the river more.....any day now......

Silver Bullets!!!

Got Chrome?

 With the warming of lake Michigan waters in early June, the Skamania cruise along the piers gorging on Alewives. The steelhead are often in the top 6 feet of water and are active feeders. Sometimes unsuspecting perch fisherman tangle with these silver beasts to be left with an empty spool and a feeling of just being on the receiving end of a hefty butt whoopin.

My son Jared fighting his first ever steelhead. Skamania Mania is setting into his brain!

These chrome beauties are the result of the Indiana stocking program that was escalated in the mid 80's. Michigan City harbor was where these torpedo shaped steelhead first started to cause anglers to give chase. In the early days many fish were taken on a bobber with a crawler or and orange KO painted orange on the front and back pulled in with a VERY fast retrieve.

Later on Michigan joined Indiana in stocking the St. Joesph River in a joint effort with Indiana and started planting the Big Manistee as well. Like all fish in the Great lakes that end up traveling upstream, some will stray. The Kalamazoo River gets large numbers of summer steelhead despite not getting any fish planted. Wisconsin has also been very active on the west side of the lake and it is rumored that many fish caught along the Michigan shoreline are of the Wisconsin plantings.

Before entering the rivers the fish congregate for a few short weeks and cause the piers all along west Michigan to get more fishing pressure than the Salmon in the fall. It will be a long while before these fish spawn and have hearty appetites. The fishing can get cramped and with winds often over 10 mph and waves coming in off the lake a traditional bobber, or slip bobber set up is not a good choice.

The set-up

The rig is a little different than most people are used to when using a slip bobber. On the main line slide a barrel swivel followed by a bead, the slip bobber and another bead. Then you tie a snap swivel on the bottom then attach a 1 oz. pyramid sinker. The snap swivel is used so when walking with the rods on you way to and from the pier you don't have the lead bobbing all around causing twisted lines. On the top swivel you tie 3-4 ft of 8-10 lb line to your hook. I use a size 4 treble hook. I find if you have two barbs in the shrimp and one exposed, you really don't need to set the hook, the fish does it for you. The bait is simple cooked cocktail shrimp! I use bait frozen, it thaws within a few short minutes. I use the scent when the shrimp has thawed if the bite is slow.

Netting these fierce fighters can be a challenge in the rocks and sometimes waves.

The way it works is the pyramid sinker anchors in the sand and stays stationary will the bobber drifts up your line until it gets to the surface pushing the hook with the shrimp before it. You will have a well anchored suspended bait at whatever depth you set your leader to. The fish bites and the bobber goes down just like normal.

Frozen cocktail shrimp with some scent if it's been in the water too long.

Make sure you have your rods secured, when these fish hits it may be a gentle tug and the bobbers slowly goes under, but most times it is a freight train at full speed. Your rod will double over and make sure the drag is set on the light side because your drag will scream. People do loose rods if they don't pay attention.

An easy home made rod holder, Just wedge it between the rocks and your ready to go.

I like this spot because of the pre-cut notches where my rods fit perfectly!

A nice steelhead about ready for the net, nice shot of the bobber set-up above the water.

Make no mistake about it, summer run steelhead are crazy in the extreme. The take off on blistering run, are almost guaranteed to make several acrobatic leaps and jumps and can tangle other lines in mere seconds. if someone yells fish on, be prepared to reel your poles in to avoid a nasty tangle. It seems that the fish have an uncanny talent for finding the lines of other fisherman and people swear they do it on purpose. Netting can be a huge challenge when the seemingly spent fish is slowly swimming near the submerged rocks and WHAM, they flip a switch and it's GAME ON! If your lucky they will jump, many fish are lost to the rocks in that last ditch effort.

Jared with his first steelhead.

Skamania are a pretty fish! Their back is usually an olive color to a blueish green with the typical spots that adorn rainbow trout along their back. They have less spotting than the normal steelhead and some can seem to have almost none at all. The sides are the color of polished nickle while lacking the pinkish to lateral lines of the other steelhead. Their chrome sides blend into the white of purest snow on their bellies. These amazing fish must have liquid metal for blood because the chrome coloring can trickle down their tails, or is it that they swim so fast the color bleeds?
 

They have small teeth like many small needles for holding bait fish in their jaws.

A nice steelhead in the 90 deg heat on Holland Pier.

Orange K.O. Wobbler

If watching a bobber gets boring, casting hardware can be effective. Orange is the key color!

Most of the fish seem to be in the 8-12 lb range. Some are a little smaller, but there are some that can push the 20 lb mark. The big ones can be troublesome to land because they add a little more strength to these agile warriors. So tie your knots well, check your line for frays or nicks from the rocks because they will make for a short battle. 

Jared with another nice steelie caught while it was still dark.

 The best fishing occurs in the early morning twilight, just as the sun is coming up right before it pops over the horizon. The bite can stop and start with a moments notice. Just this last Friday I was standing on the pier with my polarized on watching the water when I saw a small school of steelhead chasing a school of alewives, they were darting into the bait fish and heading right for my sons bobber, they whizzed by us on the pier and I shouted a school was coming down the pier then my sons second rod and our closest neighbor's started bouncing and the fish were jumping. Sometimes bait fish will jump out of the water or you can spot a steelie porpoise.

Me with a typical Skamania, they are all beautiful and completely nuts!

I wish you the best of luck if you cross lines with the most psycho fish in all of the Great Lakes

Got Chrome?

Ever wonder why sometimes the steelhead you catch look so different from others? Or why some fish come up in the summer, fall, or spring?

The history of Michigan Steelhead goes back farther than I imagined. The first steelhead introduced to Lake Michigan were from California strains and Klamath Oregon strains in the the AuSable river WAY BACK in 1876!!! By 1093 the State of Michigan was panting over 800,000 anadromous rainbow trout. The plantings reached an all time high in 1911 of over 2,5 million!!!

In 1966 modern hatcheries were making over 5 million steelhead per year distributed to various states.

Currently the state of Michigan plants four different strains of steelhead.

The Skamania Steelhead is a summer run fish and was originally introduced in 1975 from the Skamania hatchery in Washington State. There have been three other types of summer run fish that have been introduced into Michigan tributaries at one time or another. These other three were Rogue, Siletz, and Umpqua steelhead that have probably cross bread with other steelhead and some characteristics may have survived over the years. The summer run fish enter the streams as early as June and stay in the river until possibly February when they spawn. The Skamania is hands down, the craziest of all steelhead. It is a world class fighter that can make several acrobatic jumps and runs in the matter of seconds sometimes leaving a fisherman holding his rod with a slack lines as the fish gets away. Skamania never ever disappoint!!!

The Little Manistee Steelhead is the original strain from the early plantings which gets it's name from the Little Manistee Weir that supplies many of the states hatcheries. This weir is the sole provider of this strain since 1968 for Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. The Manistee steelhead typically enters the stream in early March and spawns by the end of April.

The Chambers Creek steelhead was introduced into Michigan from a stocking program in NY state. The fish were obtained from the South Tacoma Hatchery in Washington. Chambers Creek Steelhead enter the rivers as early as October and filter in all of the way until March. These fish are considered to be Michigan's Winter steelhead.

The Ganaraska Steelhead were obtained from Ontario and are the latest spawners in Michigan Streams. Some may be found in the rivers until May. These fish are also the last group to enter the rivers most not entering the rivers until March.

It is possible that all strains and some off shots from a by gone era could be in any giver river at the same time in late winter/early spring. It has been speculated that there has been cross breeding of the strains as well.

I have caught many steelies with unusual spot patterns and odd coloration. This spring I caught a female around 6-7 pounds with no spots from her head almost all the way to the tail. I had never seen a spot pattern quite like it before. In the same hole I caught another female whose coloration was almost coppery on the back and was spotted from nose to tail! I am curious if spotting patters has anything to do with the different strains?

On one particular day in Hamilton on the Rabbit River I landed seven fish, which was my best day this spring. I caught one small male with almost no spots on it's head from it's head to dorsal fin. It didn't have many spots at all, but the few it had seemed larger than normal. The next male I caught was so thin that it resembled a snake. This one was so covered in spots they even went well below the lateral line almost to its belly. I caught three females that were almost identical in size, shape, spotting and coloration that I would have bet the were sisters. One big rooster (male steelhead) was so bright red and looked like he had jumped a dozen dams and been in several fights. This fish had a hooked jaw and was almost black . Obviously this beast had spent the winter months in the river. It's wounds and battle scars did little to hamper it's ability to fight giving me the longest runs of any fish I had this spring. The last fish was a small male that resembled the sisters except for its size. Of all the fish four seemed very similar and had probably entered the stream in the same pod of fish. The other three were so very different. Of all the fish I had caught this spring, only two were fin clipped. I hope that many of the others were wild fish..

I prefer to fish on The Pere Marquette in the flies only/catch and release section, where I have no choice but to turn them back. There is no way to explain the good feeling you get from returning a fish back into the wild :)

All in all I consider the steelhead to be the best fish in all of the Great Lakes! Their beauty is unmatched except maybe by their power and acrobatic ability.

There are some rumors I would also like to de-bunk about steelhead.

Rumor: Steelhead spawn once and die from stress when entering the lake.
Fact: Steelhead can spawn multiple times and can live up to 8 years. Some die from the rigors of spawning, but most do not.

Rumor: Most steelhead are infertile, so you may as well keep them.
Fact: Most female steelhead lay hundreds of eggs on her redd but only a few if any will survive until adulthood (2-3years).

Rumor: Once a fish is caught it will die from the stress of the fight.
Fact: Most fish if handled and released properly can survive several fights. Handle the fish as gentle as possible. Wet your hands before touching them. If they are tired from a battle revive them in the current until they can swim off on their own.

Rumor: All steelhead are hatchery fish. Being raised in a hatchery makes them all sterile.
Fact: There is some natural production in Great Lakes rivers. Some rivers, like the PM, have high rates of natural reproduction. Some streams may have almost zero. Some things to remember are to try not to hook spawning females. Try not to walk through beds when looking for fish or landing a fish for others.

Rumor: Steelhead do not bite and the only way you can catch them is if you force feed them.
Fact: OK, If I hear another country bumpkin tell me this I swear I'm going to punch them in the bleeping face! No not really, but I will just report your sorry A$$!!!!

They call it fishing, not catching

There are so many things that can go wrong when fighting a large steelhead or salmon. One may be an awesome fisherman and be blessed with amazing luck, but still lose as many fish as they catch.
Do not be discouraged it happens to the best of us!
Today I took my son out again today to try and catch him a steelhead. I did less fishing and more spotting to increase his odds. He is only fourteen and does not have a great sense of urgency when it comes to fishing. He loves it, but he doesn't always get it. I was even handing him my rod when he needed to tie up. He did hook into a few fish, but none made it to the shore.
I fared a little better landing 2, the first being a small male steelie. I mean it was small by steelie standards, maybe 18 inches. He put on one heck of a show and if he had some size I would have never won that battle. He wrapped himself around my son who was fishing downstream of me and I got closer I realized that I was lucky to not have broken my rod when my son grabbed it with the fish on it and it started wrapping around him.
The other fish I did land was a smaller sized hen who took my fly on the swing after it passed a bed in a deep run. The strike and the battle was great considering her size.
I had several other hook-ups. My intention was to hand my rod off to my son, but every attempt was foiled before I could even hand him the rod.
Each time I stood there confused staring at the river trying to assess what went awry.
The first worthy encounter to mention was while drifting a nice gravel bed with several fish on it I had a visual on my egg through most of the drift and when I didn't it was because I noticed one of the fish open its mouth and suck my nuke egg in. In textbook fashion I set the hook downstream as the fish continued to shake its head as it drifted off of the back of the gravel. The head shaking was constant and I was sure that this fish was as good as landed. I yelled to my son to take the rod and the fish must have thought I told it to run for it's life instead. After several jumps well over three feet high, this chrome beauty made my drag sing as it headed back towards Lake Michigan. With one more jump after it's run the fish spit the hook back at me. I could do nothing but say sorry to the boy, because that was the kind of fish you just don't hand off to someone. Oh well, at least I didn't loose any tackle I told myself trying to make the butt whooping I just had not seem quite so bad.

While using the same exact nuke egg in the same exact area on the third cast before I lost the last fish I had another take. This one wasn't text book and I was not ready for it. I was trying to spot my fly in the drift as I noticed a torpedo shaped shadow rocket ahead. I felt a tug on my line and it started moving upstream. I pulled back hard and it made this beast go freaking nuts! It took it's first jump going forward as much as upward with a heavy head shake. I could see that my line was towards it's mouth. The fish took several more jumps each seeming more powerful and vicious than the last. The fish never realized that during one of the jumps it had broken my 6lb leader. It continued to make several more jumps and flips as I stood there with a slack line just watching. I could do nothing but smile and start to chuckle as I heard my buddy yell from across the river "What the Heck!" Although the whole ordeal lasted but maybe a few seconds at best it still excited me for more.
When I pulled my line in my leader was frayed. It could have been before I even made the cast, but I check my leader for frays and knots regularly.
Catching fish isn't always where the most excitement is. Most of my most memorable fights are one I had lost and I have lost tons. Just keep fishing and be grateful to be out on the water. If everything was easy to catch it wouldn't be as much fun.