Giant Black Drum on 8 wt. fly rod

freshfromthesalt

Well the crab pattern that was given to me worked perfect. Found the biggest drum I've ever seen and presented the fly. Fish turned off the piling like nobody's business and inhaled the fly. Unfortunately turned into an approx. 3 hour ordeal as I tried everything possible to land her without a: net, gaff, 1st mate, etc. Just too much fish for the 8 wt. that I was using. Most of the drum out there are big but this thing was ridiculously big. Never did land the fish. Thought I might pass out from de-hydration and heat exhaustion. All for a black drum.

This vids are too long but I had to have some proof of the battle I endured... or risk facing the good ol' fish story rather than fish pics. This fish was way too much fish for my 8 wt. and 12 lb. leader (20 lb. shock) but it was managable. She just NEVER seemed to tire - run, then sound, run, then sound. Me, I was about broken by the time the leader finally popped and I was lucky there as it was wrapped around the fish's tail, dorsal fin and body much of the fight.

Never again.... (unless I have a 10 wt.)

VIDEO #1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xC_cygzwOg&fea...

VIDEO #2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjLULXVrUYc&fea...

Garbo

Dang.

Way Way Cool


.

skiffin16

Schweeet....WTG Vinnie

Shadowcast

Dude! I was laughing the whole time because I felt sorry for you....but at the same time I would have been doing the same thing. My biggest was 42.5# on an 8 wt. But I was wading and the deepest she could sound was 4'. I think I heard you say that fish was 80#?? I can't even imagine! You should change your name to Santiago. You da man!

Angler Systems

Classic

H20Bro

Whoah! Nice job!

CodyS

Those things are a workout!

freshfromthesalt

Shadowcast wrote: »

Dude! I was laughing the whole time because I felt sorry for you....but at the same time I would have been doing the same thing. My biggest was 42.5# on an 8 wt. But I was wading and the deepest she could sound was 4'. I think I heard you say that fish was 80#?? I can't even imagine! You should change your name to Santiago. You da man!

Funny because, with all due respect to Hemingway and those others out there who have had much longer, more tiring fights, at points I did think of the novel. I was definitely cursing the fish and talking to myself like Santiago did!

Snookmeister

**** son! I saw three like 40 lbs cruising the rocks on Friday just on the SE side of the big bridge at CCC on Friday, they didn't want gulps. I wish I had a big hunk of crab.