Is 100 yards of backing enough?

[OTTER]

My line is all out.
http://flyfishinginnh.com/vforum/picture.php?albumid=11&pictureid=700


The cow wants my backing too..
http://flyfishinginnh.com/vforum/picture.php?albumid=11&pictureid=701


Let's see. How much backing do I have left?
http://flyfishinginnh.com/vforum/picture.php?albumid=11&pictureid=698


Oops. Apparently 100 yards is not enough.
http://flyfishinginnh.com/vforum/picture.php?albumid=11&pictureid=699

One mistake was using 15 pound test leader. Could have broken the rod and damaged my wrist before it broke off. Next time 10 pound test max off a bridge. And how do you keep the sucker from going under the bridge?

[Relheok]

Don't fish from atop a bridge? How were you going to hoist the fish up anyways?

[Steve H.]

Otter....you need to stop fishing live eels with your fly rod!

[OTTER]

Steve. First you catch the eel using a small fly.

http://flyfishinginnh.com/vforum/picture.php?albumid=11&pictureid=703

Relheok. I brought heavy leather gloves with me. Really.

[BugChucka]

Otter, awesome post. I have a ton of respect for nightime fly fishermen. Its a tough game.

. Relheok, usually you have a designated landing area that you walk to while keeping tension. Obviously, fishing off the Hampton bridge or something is just crazy.

I've hooked a number of tarpon from bridges/docks so I can imagine your situation. Otter, next time if you see that you're almost spooled, have the guy next to you just put the camera down, tell him to grab the fly line and yank it... he might want to wrap his shirt around the backing before tugging to prevent a cut. It is just like when you snag a stump or something, don't use the rod.

[OTTER]

Bugchucka,
Good suggestion but I was alone on the bridge, no help in sight. The video camera was set up on a tripod. ( The camera has a built in light.) As soon as I felt a fish, I pushed the button. The light went on and the recording started. These photos are stills I took off the video.

[FireFly]

anyway to post video on this site?!? That would be awesome to see.

[BugChucka]

Looks like you were up $%#^'s creek than Otter! When I was at Tortugas these country boys were gutting a bunch of grouper/snapper etc... and throwing the guts into the water. There was a Goliath the size of a Volkswagon Bug just scarfing the remains up. They kind of dared me into messing with the thing. They were like, "you sure you want to do this???!!!" They pulled out this beast of a rod spooled with I want to say 80 or 100 lb test. We took a 10lb grouper carcass and I lobbed it out there and watched as this thing cruised up and opened its mouth. When it stated slowly swimming away the drag stated engaging and this thing had no clue it was hooked. Before long I was pinned up on a dock piling pulling with every ounce of strength I had. The rod was bent over the piling. I couldn't even move it. All I could do was hold on and keep all my weight leaned into the dock piling. I didn't want to break their rod. These guys were laughing their arses off though! Eventually the hook knot snapped and I popped back like when you play tug-of-war and the other team lets go. I still can't believe that line snapped but I am very thankful.