Have seen many people talk about night fishing and what you use and what type of light to use and when NOT to use a light. I have an odd spin to the topic. Last night while stocking the Biggest Trout I have ever seen I caught a respectable 18-19 male brown.
I thought to myself….”Should I turn on my head lamp to unhook this trout?” I decided it was not a good idea. The big girl would be spooked by the light. The forceps are kinda clumsily in this kind of light….”I will just just my fingers to open the mouth and unhook this trout.
I have done this many times ….but NEVER at night.
So I am in a hurry to unhook this on the large side male brown. I am trying to get the jaws open and it is refusing to play with me. I readjust my grip and try again. The trout goes ballistic and the next thing you know my right hand is in severe pain. The trout opened it mouth alright and bit down on two of my fingers and my right thumb.
I decided it is time to turn on my headlamp with my only free hand and low and behold. This male brown has teeth like and alligator and it has three of my fingers in its mouth. I swear…”The trout almost looked like it was grinning at me.”
I grabbed my forceps and tried to get its mouth open with no luck. I used my left hand thumb and index finger to pry out my right hand. It bit my left index finger for good measures when i go out the hook with the forceps.
This sounds like it took for ever but it happened in a matter of seconds. No photo of that beast…my fingers were bloody from the bites. Didn’t want to mess up my camera.
20 hours later my hands.
ALL of the nicks and bites on my hands were not there before the unwise choice of not using a light to unhook a alligator toothed brown.
