DOH!! Things that make you feel stupid

[mike_richardson]

For some reason the drag on my reel was just not working up to par. I like to match the drag to most fish during good water temp times and fight them a little so this bothered me. I was thinking, man this reel worked so well last year, and now I can get drag to work right now matter what I do.

Well this morning I went to get my line from the reel and saw my leader got wrapped up behind the arbor somehow. I took the spool off and got the leader out and see about 2-3' of flouroro wrapped around the "axle". I get all of that out and put in it my pocket.

Drag works great now. Anyone else have one of those goof ups that you cant imagine how you missed it, Or just something stupid in general.

 

[JackM]

I have fished a fly and missed several takes without realizing the hook was broke off at the bend.

 

[JG63]

No - never. Like missing the hook set and catching the nearest maple, driving over your vintage Ray Ban outdoorsman glasses, forgetting to put your reel in the vest during loading operations, piercing your ear with a #4 wooly bugger... Nah, NEVER happens to me

 

[Big-Bass]

Like Jack said, I also missed three fish on like four takes after the hook was broken off a prince nymph. I was steelhead fishing in late December of 2014 and hooked a really nice steelhead only feet from me. He took me for a run and broke the hook at the bend. In the same pool, I hooked a few browns which just "let go" and to my wonder, I checked the hook and there was none there!

 

[pete41]

I have done the broken hook bit enough to have learned ALWAYS check the hook if you feel the slightest tic on the backcast.
My favorite dummyism which I have mentioned several times was.
Driving 60 miles to start nite fishing about 1 am and on about 3 cast touching mono shooting line to cigar and made my longest cast ever-don't know if it landed yet --no spare---

 

[duckfoot]

I've gone fishing this year only to realize I left all my gear at home.

 

[greenghost]

Good post idea... I've done more DOH!! moments than Homer himself. Here are a few more memorable ones...


Spilling a Coke into my flybox. Spent the next hour or so trying to unstick the feathers with water and Dry-Cote.

Many times I have driven to the stream only to realize I left a critical piece of equipment behind -- waders, reels, fly box, etc. Well, one time I forgot EVERYTHING. (I had unpacked my car from the previous day's fishing late in the night, I was dead tired and totally forgot. Serious DOH!!)

The classic... driving off with my rod sitting on top of the luggage rack. It's happened more times than I care to count.

One year I forgot to buy a license. I think I was on my third trip of the season before I realized it.


I'm sure there are many more. I'll have to add more as I think of them.

 

[mike_richardson]

I always like when you are fighting a big fish on barbless hooks and you let them pick the head straight up. Every time they flip over and the hook pops right out.

The classis snag with conehead bugger routine where your pull directly away from the snag and the bugger launches back at you somewhere around mach three smashing you in the knuckles is always a hit.

wading to the max limit only to trip and have water come in and descimate your cell phone in your chest pack.

walking with you net clipped to your waders, having it get snagged on something, then slingshotting right into the back of your legs or middle of back.

to name a few others

 

[JackM]

I have launched a few gemmies up into a tree because of the violent take.

 

[duckfoot]

mike_richardson wrote:
wading to the max limit only to trip and have water come in and descimate your cell phone in your chest pack.

I am guilty of this nearly once a week.

 

[allan_s]

Driving 2 hours to go fishing only to realize that your wading boots are drying on your deck.... 2 hours away. To get to the car I had to step over 3 pairs of them.

 

[J55tyger88]

Finish tying a knot and go snip the tag line, but cut running line. DOH

 

[pete41]

getting to lake with canoe and realizing paddle still in the garage,leaving brand new stainless steel coffee thermo that was a present on roof of car-
since I'm older than the rest of you put together bet I can match the whole bunch 1 to 1.
did I mention dropping fly box in water while in a canoe-fortunately it was my wife with me so she just laughed when I stripped to my BVDs---although it could have been interesting if it was someone else's.

 

[PennypackFlyer]

Stuck my feet in my sandles before sunrise, hooked the boat up and headed for the lake. Stopped at a gas station and wondered why the gent was looking at me funny, topped of the gas can and tank. got to the lake and realized I was still in my undies. Thank God a kept a spare set of clothes in the car.











PS: I'm glad I have a good imagination!! Went to a lake without fishing rods.

 

[pete41]

When I first started using shooting heads and running lines since I was mainly into nite fishing I got the bright idea I could make the system even more efficient [you have to constantly check fly at nite when using streamers] if I cut off all that useless thinner stuff on front of head.So,I proceeding to do so on the 8wt.. head which nicely matched my 8 wt.. rod.Lopped of oh,ten feet or so and headed off for a weeks fishing on upper Missouri at prime time.Took all of five minutes to realize that is not how the system worked--back to the shop.
Turned out it was a good idea if you started out with heads two or three wts. heavier than rod and cut from the butt end.

 

[lineman]

I'm pretty good at cutting the running line instead of the tag line too. I don't do any of that other stuff though.

 

[njk3395]

Whenever I tie a dropper rig I end up accidentally clipping one of the flies off trying to trim tag ends. Not to mention I once left an Orvis large arbor at the Little J

 

[Tups]

One time I forgot the indicators and had to fish without training wheels.

 

[JackM]

The first time you really ride a bike, the training wheels are off and it feels lovely.

 

[pete41]

http://www.worksmancycles.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/media/2014/ss_size1/Boneshaker_52.jpg
jacks first bike