CR 20050113

After almost like a year of waiting and dreaming of catching a pacu, the dream finally came true.

I started out fishing, slightly later than normal to my usual fish hole but at a different part of the bank. Saw a few good size peacock bass and none of them seem to be interested to strike. Very slow. I didnt land any fish at all.

Later, I proceed to salt. Dreaming of getting another fish at where I landed my first flat head. The wind was pretty strong and had to face the danger of hooking myself in the wind. Damn, I need to work on that back hand. Things were pretty promising at the start of it. My friend and I saw flashes and shadows behind our flies. Guess what? In less than 10mins, the flashes and shadows all disappeared and never appeared again. No fish landed at second spot.

I proceed to a third spot, salty too. Oh my goodness! Jelly fish everywhere! How to fish? Did some casting hoping for miracles though. No miracles indeed.

Proceed to a forth spot. Fished for less than half an hour... my friend and I were baked and pretty well done on the outside. My friend was having fun with his dry flies and catching those small little critters. He even had 4 fish already at the first proceeding.

Half a day had gone by and we had fished four places, I still get a big fat zero.

We decided to make it to our fifth and final fish hole. In my heart, I had already given up. Still, a little flame of hope still kept me going somehow.

We finally made it there. The sky was getting dark and on the surface or that fish hole, water was boiling everywhere. Quickly, I made my first cast with a crazy charlie tied on a Owner Size 2 circle hook at the end of the line. Immediately, something hit my fly but never connect. My heart was pumping rapidly and hoping to catch my first fish for the year of 2005 (still have not caught anything yet, this is the second fishing trip). My little flame was dying with the sun disappearing across the horizon. When darkness engulfed the sky, all seemed to be so quiet and peaceful. I had a few hits along the way and it just did not connect.

Just when I thought that all things were going amiss for me... my fly was hit hard. 3-5 hits per cast. NO HOOK UPS!!! OMG!!! My pulse was hitting the double and my hope was digger deeper. I was pondering should I change the fly to a normal hook so that it would be easier for a hook up. Somehow deep within me, I could feel peace. I told myself that even if I change it, destiny would still be the same. I kept that fly stripping along the bottom further.

Tuck! Jerk! Whamp! Fish-ON!!!!!

A forceful hook up on the third hit. Immediately, I could see my fly line airing. Although it was not blistering, but it was still good enough to feel the heat from the friction between the fly line and my fingers. My slack clear almost immediately. Once the loose end got tighten, my fly reel started to spin. I could see the reflection off the reel from the street lights around me. Indeed, the fish was taking line. My heart was pounding faster than ever within these 20s of action.

This tug of war lasted for about slightly more than 10mins with several runs. In the dark, I could make out what fish did I catch. My friend believed that it is a pacu and indeed, the fish finally surfaced and we caught a glimpse of its silvery body. My first pacu.

I felt so relief that the fish actually got landed and I quickly managed a few shots before releasing it back to the fish hole to be caught another day.

What a great fish to be caught first in the list for the year 2005.

Stay tune, more fish and more varieties in this year ahead. Hopefully.

Cl^.^P