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Updated October 16, 2009
Greetings everyone, Now that fall has arrived and the temperatures are dropping Maj Baker expects the activity to pick up. During the summer he was out during the early mornings on Sundays and never had any skunk days, but the best bite he had was mid to late morning. I'm catching mostly Asp and small 'Barbi' carp on a small Clouser minnow type of fly. He's wishing for a kayak or a cat to get to some spots, but water craft or even wading is not allowed. I got this story in from SFC Mario Valenzuela, back in July. Seems every summer we get a new story about a giant fish. Here is this years: Hello Baghdad Fly Fishing Club, Apparently out on FOB Kalsu they are getting organized in their fishing efforst. Dave Hall sent in a shot of the "Fishing Guides of FOB Kalsu". He was trying to get dialed in out there and they helped him out, sort of. They each reeled in a 2 lb carp from the fishing pond here, and gave me some good pointers for my first time. Dave didn't include a photo of himself, all he caught was a turtle. "Terp On!" Andrea Lyn Van Benschoten and her husband sent in a care package of gear - thank you so much!!! They run a discussion group The Bluegill Journal CSM Mitch Prater sent in a report from Ramadi just before the Iraq Army took over the area near the the Euphrates. He says it is beautiful out there, and there were some fish popping the surface that you wouldn't want to mess with..huge! Jay Van As is at it again. He reports now that it is date season, he is catching mangar. His first Mangar of the season was caught on 6LBS line, and took 25 minutes to tire out. That is the latest from the front lines. For the guys on the ground, stay safe keep the pictures and stories coming. One closing thought, on which I have mixed emotions. We are at the time where planning needs to begin for Operation Catch Fish III. Joe Mercado is up for it and is beginning the work of pulling it all together. Stay tuned for updates.
I fell victim to the tyranny of time - it waits for no man and my day job has kept me hopping. The lack of updates however does not mean the guys and gals on the Victory Base Complex have not been on the water. The fish are still biting and putting a bend in the rods of those who can find a bit of time to be on the water.
I thought you might enjoy this story.
Yesterday was a very good day. Me and a couple of 1st Med Soldiers (SFC Ramsey and SFC Seitz) decided to go fishing at Lost Lake. This is what transpired:
We arrived at about 1830, and got rigged up to fish with some bait (aka leftover Dfac food). After rigging up three rods with bait and casting them out. I rigged one up with a Gold Rooster Tail that my lovely wife had sent me a week before (what a great wife). I tried a about ten cast with the rooster tail, with no luck.
SFC Seitz had also tried about fifteen cast with the baited rod (I don't know if she thought that you were supposed to keep throwing and reeling back baited hooks like a lure; but she was having fun so I let her keep throwing and reeling).
SFC Ramsey decided to have a try at fishing with a lure when I put my rod down for a split second. He tied on a swim bait, and I asked him "you know how to tie a fishing knot?" He replied "hell yeah". He then threw the swim bait out about three times, and came back saying " I think I got a hit cause it took the lure" (fishing talk for "I Didn't tie a good knot".
Meanwhile I had retrieved my baited line to check if it was still baited and to make sure I could put another piece of bait on before SFC Seitz had used up all the "lure bait" casting and reeling. I threw out with a fresh piece of bait and caught a small Asp fish (used him as cut bait).
I then asked Ramsey if I could use my rod to fish with a lure again. He was hesitate at first but then I reminded him that the fish were biting on bait, so he gave me back my rod. I put on a 1/4 oz gold rooster tail and proceeded to cast out. After about five cast a fish hit, I yelled out "there he is". Ramsey and Seitz were asking if he was a big one. I told them that he felt pretty good. He must have been swimming towards me, but when he came close he took off into deeper water.
I then realized this was a big fish, I told Ramsey that this fish might be as big as the Famous Big Fish email. Ramsey replied "not on no fourteen pound test". I told Seitz to grab the camera for some action shots. I loosened up my drag a little more so he would not bust my line; when I loosened up he almost took all of my line (about 120 yards). I had about 15 turns on the spool before I was out of line, I thumbed the spool to slow him down. I managed to turn him and reel in close again, this went on for about 25 minutes.
Finally we got him close enough to where Ramsey and another local fellow, could get a hold of him. Ramsey was hesitate to touch the fish at first, thinking it would pull him in the water; he had stripped down to just his PT shorts. We finally got him out of the water, after a few pictures, the local fellow and his compadres took the fish. I took all four of them to load it up on a truck. Yesterday was a very good day.
Details:
Lost Lake at about 1900
SFC Ramsey (Net man) and SFC Seitz (Photographer) helped Land the fish after about 25 minutes.
Daiwa 7 ft Rod and Reel
14lbs Stren Original
1/4 oz Gold Rooster Tail
Most of this is true.
v/r
Mario Valenzuela 
"Fishing Guides of FOB Kalsu"
Guy Hollis, Kurt Kozat, Bill Troemel. 
SRA David Segafredo shows off his catch 
CSM Mitch Prater and a decent asp. 
Fish on! Joel
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