Unsettling

[Gartooth]

I was fishing at Canyon tonight right at the dam. At dusk, the bats pour out of the downpipe way above the water and the fish congregate below to eat the guano. Water is about 120 ft. deep there.

Anyway... I catch a decent largemouth on a chrome clouser and as I am lifting him I notice he spits out a glob of something. I don't give it any thought and unhook and release him. He gives me a grinding "bass bite" on the top of the knuckle as he flops back in the water- pretty typical scrape. Then I notice the thing he regurgitated was a BAT!

I watched it slowly sink into the depths and then it struck me what a bummer it would be to get rabies from that crap. Rinsed off my hand but couldn't quit thinking about it.

So... if old Casey Smartt comes down with rabies, let there be no mystery why.

[Spooled]

Bummer. I don't know much about Rabies so I am no help for you. However, gives me an idea for tying a 'bat fly'... There is a picture of one in a Deke Meyer book, but I don't have a scanner handy to post it. Might be able to do it tomorrow.

[sghackle]

Bummer. I don't know much about Rabies so I am no help for you. However, gives me an idea for tying a 'bat fly'... There is a picture of one in a Deke Meyer book, but I don't have a scanner handy to post it. Might be able to do it tomorrow.

Fledermaus! (bat) Jack Dennis' "Western Trout Fly Tying Manual" (great book, mostly hair based flies)

I just tied one. Gray squirrel tail wing and muskrat fur body.

There are also 'bat' flies that are made with zonker strips and fished subsurface (just a variant of zonker sculpin or leech).

[T-Bart]

I've seen patterns for bats and birds. If my memory's right, they used a lot of feathers and hackle for the wings, and then the body was either foam, spun deer hair, or lots and lots of hackle.

Either way, they looked like they'd be ridiculously hard to cast.

[johnboy]

You guys are taling about fly patterns while Casy could be die'n?? Casey you know Ill take real good care of the tractor. j

[preast]

You guys are taling about fly patterns while Casy could be die'n?? Casey you know Ill take real good care of the tractor. j

LOL, I was kinda thinkin' the same thing. At least we know their priorities are in the right place! j/k Casey. Hope that turns out OK.

[kenmorrow]

dude, i'm pretty sure you'd be the first person in history to get rabies from a fish.

[Spooled]

It is all in good fun. Since the bat wasn't digested yet, it would be highly unlikely that the blood vessels in the fish's mouth (which there are very few) had rabies flowing through them yet. Good luck though! Neosporin will help.

[sghackle]

You guys are taling about fly patterns while Casy could be die'n?? Casey you know Ill take real good care of the tractor. j

?? Yeah,... your point?

Oh I see, off topic a bit... sorry for the hi jacking!
Casy! focus... get some pics for Madame Tussaudes WAX museum (you want em to get yor likeness right JUST in case you kick the old (minnow) bucket)!

"SEE* the horrid attack of hapless angler by vampire bass"

*no admission for children under 12

(better?)

[Gartooth]

My jaw feels wierd.

Bass can't get rabies, only mammals can. My concern was that a little undiluted bat spit might have been transferred from the bass' teeth to the scrape on my hand. Yes, it's incredibly unlikely... probably nearly impossible... and easy to dismiss if you're not the one who got bat juice in a bass bite.

My wife told me if I got rabies from a fish that ate a bat, then there was a higher power at work and it was my time to go. That's good enough for me. She also pointed out that if I would have taken her out for dinner instead of going fishing (again), it never would have happened.

[Frreed]

I'm thinking that you need to take your wife out to dinner and start with a bloody mary, have a salad with a tomato vinegarette, and order your steak quite rare. Then when you get home lean in ever so gently as if to kiss her, and go straight for the jugular.

I assure you, she will let you fish every night you want, especially around a full moon.

[Ron Mc]

here is a 22" Guadalupe bass that came from the mouth of a bat cave.
No question she ate a few bats

[spiny norman]

dude, i'm pretty sure you'd be the first person in history to get rabies from a fish.

You are going to be famous! Dead but famous!


We can all say we remember when he posted up about it! How cool is that!

[Barry]

Hey Casey
Does this mean that you're going to change your post name from Gartooth to Bat Bite Boy? (LMAO)

[Gartooth]

Assuming I survive and don't become a water/sun/cross/wooden stake fearing creature of the night, you can call me Bat-tooth.

Casey

[Barry]

Casey
LMAO
I like it! Bat-tooth it is!
I'm sure you're going to be just fine, however, you might want to stay away from Garlic for a while.