Sometimes you just have to laugh

While fishing on the Metolius the other day, I found some rising fish.  After several failed casts, I thought I figured out the fly that I needed.  Sure enough, on the second cast I fooled what I thought to be the biggest of the bunch.  I was feeling pretty good about myself and took note of just how smart I was.  After a short struggle, I had the rainbow trout almost in.  He decided to swim towards me in a last ditch effort to get free.  I stepped back in hopes of keeping the line tight and I succeed in doing that.  I also succeeded in having my feet slip out from under me and go crashing to the ground.  I somehow managed to land on my line and the fish quickly broke the line.  So, I tied on new tippet and a new fly.   I hooked another, much smaller fish and had it at my feet when the fly popped out and somehow flew up into the tree behind me.  It was higher than I could reach and I had to break it off.  All I could do was laugh at this.  The fish had won this round.  I was no longer feeling so smart, but that didn't really matter as I laughed at this misfortune.  I'll be back again and next time I'll try to find more solid footing and I know what fly to try again.