You Won’t See That Everyday _ Part II

 

MOST Dogs and their fly fishing owners learn pretty quickly about dogs, fish and fly hooks. If you get through it without a veterinary bill you have done well.

Fly tiers have worse problems, that long lost hook in the carpet, plus the danger of leaving apparently tastyitems like saddles, and bucktails around _ either way its your wallet that is going to suffer. Madison, my own dog, once chewed the sculpin wool head off a triple hook articulated streamer, mounted on some of the most lethally sharp hooks money can buy with nary a scrape. Heck I can’t even tie one of these without losing blood a couple of times.

So Saturday afternoon I get a phone call, with a very panicky female voice on the other end. Its “E” one of our regular fly fishing buds from NorthWest Arkansas, who was enjoying a family weekend on the river “Do you know how to get a hook out”. My first thought was E had stuck herself in the finger ear or scalp, but then she told me it was Gracie.

Gracie is E’s ever friendly Weimaraner, one of my favorite breeds’ for their energy, the hangdog expression, Roman nose and the fact you can never figure out if they are doing goofy stuff for their own and your entertainment or really are that dumb. I think its an act, but you will get a lot of giggles.

Apparently Gracie has grabbed a stocker rainbow off E’s line, and wasn’t about to give up her new play toy, which I’m sure prompted high amusement, until the point when Grace and E both figured out Gracie couldn’t let it go if she wanted too. Yup hooked in the tongue and Weimaraners have a serious tongue.

If you have ever tried to administer a big dog a pill, you will for see the inevitable sore fingers from trying to extract hooks from the back of a Weimaraner’s tongue.

It was about this point I was dialed _ just another fly shop emergency. I was hunting stout tippet and long pliers, when there was a relieved exclamation from the other end of the line _ the thankfully barbless hook came free and was not swallowed _ that kind of removal is above my pay grade.

So too snake releases _ Chris Allen from Memphis gave me the story on that one Sunday hooking a cottonmouth on Crooked Creek, just behind the ear. I think he told me he broke the line off, but I was laughing too hard to hear.

As I said just another entertaining weekend in the fly shop

Gracie undaunted by misadventure