I was standing near the edge of the hole, casting up and across so my small dry fly would drift over the hole. I had just made a cast when I noticed some ripples passing my legs from in back. I thought it might be another angler entering the water but there was no one there. The ring of ripples indicated the source had been no more than four feet directly behind me, yet I had not heard a fish rise. If it had been a fish bulging, it had to be a really big one. By that time my fly had drifted past the hole and I made another cast up and across. Just seconds after the fly hit the water, the mystery of the ripples was solved. A big fat beaver surfaced, heading for the far shore. Directly across his line of travel was my line. He hit the line and the line began to staighten, bent at an increasing angle with the leader and fly sliding closer and closer to the critter. When the rod began to bend, I knew he was hooked. He never felt the hook which was apparently caught in the dense underfur. The beaver continued swimming toward the far bank.

The following thoughts race through my mind:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Do the catch and release regulations apply to beavers?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> How do you release a beaver?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> How do you cook a beaver
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> What's the size limit on beavers?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Will I have to buy a new rod?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I've got a lifetime supply of dubbing!

The beaver began to slow down and when he was about 4 feet from shore he was paddling furiously and not going anywhere. Then he decided he had to do his beaver thing. It sounded like a rifle shot as he slapped his tail and did a crash dive. That solved his problem and mine too. The hook apparently pulled loose and I ducked as the line came back at me.

Now when the fish stories start and someone brags about the size of the fish they caught, I top them with:

>>>>>>>> "I caught a thirty pounder in the Y pool !"