All Around Angler

People who don’t fish ask me all the time….”Why do you call certain fish ‘TOADS’ and other you do not?” I thought maybe I should put it down in writing for everyone to see. I guess this dovetails into the ‘Glossary’ discussion I’ve had before….but I just can’t help but think Glossaries are super cheesy. So for now we’ll stick to the definition and application of the handle: T.O.A.D. I’ve decided it stands for a Totally Obvious Anadromous Dandy. If you don’t know what ‘Anadromous’ means then it’s time for you to visit Dictionary.com but I will say if you are a river junkie you should know it’s definition at least. Is it important you know the Greek origin of the word? Not really. Although I could tell you I’d be digressing way beyond the weeds we’re already in. I’ll dig us back out. A fish doesn’t have to be HUGE to be a TOAD. Although most big fish would naturally be considered a TOAD by virtue of the fact we are all hunting the big ones..ultimately. A small fish can be a TOAD because of it’s characteristics or features. Big shoulders against chrome bright skin. A tight, fat belly packed full of beautiful glowing cherry eggs might define it as such also. Here’s a TOAD that I caught on Sunday with Pete ‘Big Burge’ Burgess on a float set at 11′ deep. You may have seen the video entitled: TOAD the Wet Rocket. If you haven’t…check it out.