Anybody ever catch a bat?

[LegoSkier]

So the killing of bats thread in Ski got me wondering how many of you have ever inadverently caught bats while flyfishing?
I have caught two, both times while letting the fly dangle at dusk when searching through my fly box for another fly. Both times it was a big fluffy Humphy pattern too. Had to kill both since bats are pretty delicate and difficult to catch and release.

[Beder]

No bats but hooked a river otter steelheading on the Clearwater once. He was pissed and I was nervous.

[f2f]

sure, all the time:

[MakersTeleMark]

When I was young, I caught a seagull while surfcasting for blues. My Dad made me release it. I was scared shitless and can't believe I didn't get seriously injured unhooking it.

[mr. motorcoach]

I have; while fishing a late evening sulphur hatch in north-central Pa. The bat took the fly on, or very near surface, so the initial thought was "fish." It's a weird sensation when that fish starts bending the rod up towards the sky rather than back towards the water.

Headlamp, forceps, sticks and swearing were all used for the release.

[mr. motorcoach]

btw, otters in trout rivers=sharks in the flats.

They are nasty little things for being so adorable.

[Denny1969]

I hooked a bat before. It was one of those miracle caddis hatches that everyone lusts for. The little bat got snagged when I started a forward cast. I stripped in the line, held onto the leader, and plucked the fly out with a pair of hemos. The bat ended up going for a swim.

Denny

[72Twenty]

sure, all the time:

^^^ Awesome.


No bats, but I have hooked a duck and a few small birds before. They all finally let go or otherwise got unhooked. Duck took a nymph under the surface and I have had small birds snag my dry flies before. It is a weird sensation fighting/reeling in a bird flying circles around your head at the end of your line.

[fez]

nearly caught a snake. i was watching him swim across the river and realized he was heading right for my fly. barely reacted in time to get the fly away from him.

[NMmatt]

Caught and released a bat on a dry fly at Emerald Lake. Fishing at near dark, and bats kept swooping down on the fly. Finally a fish hit at the same time a bat dove down. Hooked the bat, not the fish. I reeled the sucker in, hook went through his wing. I pinned him down with two fingers and stared right into his ugly, pissed off face. He was hooked right through the wing in front of his forearm bone. Somehow I managed to unhook his ass and he flew away.

[cooks]

I've never caught a bat but have caught quite a few other things. A pelican, seagull, ducks, seal, snake... and a cat.

[MakersTeleMark]

I've never caught a bat but have caught quite a few other things. A pelican, seagull, ducks, seal, snake... and a cat.

What's the story behind the seal?

[cooks]

What's the story behind the seal?

This has actually happened a couple times. Both times it was fishing kelp paddies with live bait. I ended up just cutting the line when I found out what it was though.

[PBR]

I once caught a snapping turtle, that thing was fucking pissed.

[TexER]

For what it is worth, I have a buddy that swears he hooked a bat mid-cast at Yellowstone and when the bat fled it set the hook and hit the water hard. At which point a trout hit the bat and pulled it under.

The chewed mess was released and the leader trimmed.

[TroutBum]

Never a bat, but I caught my dog last spring. She has a habit of eating bugs and nabbed a dangling prince nymph I was tying behind another fly. Hooked her high inside of her lip and I hadn't yet crimped the bard. Not fun, but a quick jerk, a yelp, and a little blood and she was playing like nothing ever happened.

[goldengatestinx]

Fishing Boulder Creek tonight and it's getting to be late dusk, birds still swooping on the hatch as well able a ton of bats.

I hear a bat squeak as I'm starting a forward cast and there's a little resistance. Bat took the royal wulffe, fluttered down to the rocks I was standing on and ended up on the leg of my jeans, crawling around. I was really hoping it wouldn't get up the leg of the jeans. I reeled in as much as I could. Unwrapped the line, leader and tippet. Worked down the line and busted the leader off as close as I could it being pretty much dark now.

I really hope it's able to get rid of the hook. I have to admit I was a little freaked mainly because I couldn't see well it being black and light pretty much gone.

Damn. Wish I could have gotten the flies right to hook a fish.

[Skistack]

I caught my father in law once. Clouser minnow in the ear.

[GeezerSteve]

I once hit a bat with a ukulele, knocked it silly such that I could pick it up and place it outside. It came to its senses and flew away after a couple minutes.

[Jong Lafitte]

Wow. I once had a bat chasing a caddis around but it never bit the fly. I thought it was recognizing it as a fake from about 5-10 ft. away and flying around and seeing it again, repeat. Just speculation based on the behavior. Interesting how far away dippers (maybe) and swallows can recognize a fake. I've definitely seen swallows examine the flys, but from like 15-30 feet away. Not interested. Dippers never seem interested in a fly mid cast, on the surface or otherwise, just completely uninterested.

Oh, yeah, paging Roman Craig.

[goldengatestinx]

I once hit a bat with a ukulele, knocked it silly such that I could pick it up and place it outside. It came to its senses and flew away after a couple minutes.

An in the house bat hunting expedition?

When we were kids 12ish or so a bat got in the house when mom and dad were out. Had some friends over and we were watching TV when WTF was that flew over our heads and then back out of the room...Door gets slammed. And then what?

Of course we arm up...tennis racket, broom, BB gun. And go hunting.

Chase ensued. Room to room. Finally saw it land on the curtains in the living room. Hopefully it's off to the side of the big picture window...

Took a shot with the BB gun and actually got it. Didn't break any windows with BBs or tennis racket.

Was quite an adventure.

[neckdeep]

I've seen a bat hook itself trying to snatch a lure (not a little fly but an actual lure) out of the air mid-cast.

[east or bust]

hooked a bat once on the Willowemoc in the Catskills. it hit the sulphur on a forward cast and other than it getting a bit wet it was a clean release.

seagulls can be tricky especially when fishing from the rocks. luckily I've only had them tangled and not hooked.

[I've seen black diamonds!]

I've hooked a harbor seal, a snapping turtle and a couple seagulls. Never a bat.

[TNKen]

I've caught myself, snapping turtles, soft shelled turtles, cliff swallow, laughing gull, brown pelican, water snakes, and the recent and worst was an osprey.

We were planer-boarding alewives below a dam. About 15 osprey sitting on the rails. One whacks a bait and gets hooked. Flew around the boat hooked to the line for a while before we pulled him in. I've handled all kinds of birds of prey up to Golden Eagles, but this bird had the biggest talons I have ever seen. Long, skinny and sharp. Friend finally got him to grab a fishing rod with both feet, and I took some needle nose pliers and extricated the hook.

And of course, catching yourself isn't' fun either.