Dad's McMannus Moment

I don't go fishing I have adventures. I went fishing at High Savery Lake on Saturday. My favorite spot is a steep sloping hillside where the water is deep. The lake was completely full. After a few casts I hooked into a large fish. There was a tremendous fight. A lot of trashing about until exhausted the fight finally ended. The fish was tired too. Just then I looked up and there was a boat passing by. I had the full attention of the three fishermen the boat. The were anxiously wanting to see the size of the fish that put up the fight. That was when I realized I couldn't get the fish up the bank. The water was about four feet straight down below me and the waves had under cut the bank a little. There was a little shelf of grave two feet under the water. Below me was maybe the biggest fish I would catch this season. I was standing there in my hiking boots and pants but I didn't even think about it. I took off my fishing pack, sat down on my rear end and slipped over the edge and into the water. I don't even remember if the water was cold. I reach down and pull out a 24" four pound tiger trout. I held it up for the fishermen to see just as they went around the point. It was at that point I turned around and saw that the bank was about chest high, undercut with no rocks to step on and I was in two feet of water. I put the fish who had become quite docile up on the bank with my pole and considered my options. To the left and right of me was sage brush down into the water and I couldn't get around them without going into the water over my head. How was I to get up? I could just reach a small green bush about 10" high. I put my hand tightly around it and hoped it roots went deep enough. With great effort I pulled myself up enough to grab a sage brush. With two hand holds I could get my belly over the edge. Then I could get one leg over the edge. Just as I had got both legs up I turned and looked at the 25" fish who seemed to be enjoying the show. He all of a sudden realized that I was going to keep him and started to flop around and was slowing moving back towards the water. Then with great effort the fish jump and went over the edge and back into the water. I tried to grab him but I was a little slow still laying on my stomach. I stood up and watched the 26" trout swim away. Maybe the state record for tiger trout.