I ripped this fish out from Mill Pond in front of the working sawmill, and everyone around me was like what the f...? I stop on the bridge at Mill Pond that begins the sawmill sluice and from my messenger bag retrieve and extend my favorite, lucky Bass Pro Shops Power Plus telescopic rod, outfitted with a 25 year old Shakespeare EZ Cast trigger spinning reel that I bought at Kmart for $10, armed with a Swim Senko. First cast under the bridge and nothing. I retrieve quickly. Second cast and the driver of an approaching horse drawn wagon, loaded full of people, tells me to be careful with the fishing rod because the horses don't like objects whipped in front of them, understandably, and everyone looks over at me as if no one has fished the village for the last 100 years, which probably isn't too far from the truth. Suddenly I feel a tapping and need to set the hook but cannot. When fishing the weightless Texas rig I believe in hard hook sets without long delay. Worrying about the horses behind me, I allow the fish to take line until the horses clear. Once they do I rear back and send the hook into the fish. Fortunately this fish wasn't deep hooked and is released quickly without any real harm, after a quick picture taken by one of the tourists, from Minnesota, that came over to witness the spectacle.
