17 TODAY

WELL PERCY YOU WANTED FISH STORIES SO I AM TRYING TO OBLIGE.  GOT IN THE CREEK BY 6 AM TODAY AND IT WAS JUST PERFECT AFTER THE RAINS. NOT CLEAR AND NOT MUDDY.  JUST HAD THAT CLOUDY , MURKY KIND OF LOOK THAT USUALLY IS GOOD FOR FISHING AND IT WAS.  GOT 17 IN ALL AND A REAL VARIETY AGAIN WITH CHUBS...SMALLMOUTH...BLUEGILLS...ROCK BASS AND 2 NICE PICKERAL.  2 OF THE SMALLYS I GOT WERE IN THE 13 - 14 INCH RANGE BUT I DIDN'T TAKE PICTURES AS THEY WERE FULL OF EGGS AND I WANTED TO RELEASE THEM AS QUICK AS I COULD.   THE ONE PICKERAL GOT THE LURE IN HIS GILLS AND I HAD A TOUGH TIME REMOVING THE HOOK AND HE DIDN'T LOOK TOO GOOD AFTERWARDS.  THIS ALWAYS BUGS ME AND I  DO MY BEST NO MATTER THE SPECIES TO GET THEM NURSED BACK TO HEALTH.  I PUT HIM OVER IN SOME SHALLOW WATER THAT HAD BRUSH SO HE WOULDN'T JUST BE SWEPT DOWNSTREAM.  I WENT BACK TO CHECK ONE LAST TIME AND  HE WAS RIGHT SIDE UP AND LOOKING LIKE HE WAS READY TO GO BACK INTO THE MAIN PART OF THE CREEK.  NO SAND PIPERS TODAY AND GUESSING THEY ALREADY MIGRATED OUT OF THE AREA AND I MISS THOSE LITTLE DUDES.   SAW 2 OF THE EAGLES AND A RED HEADED WOODPECKER.  JUST A FABULOUS DAY IN THE CREEK.