Man Spends Entire Boat Ride Untangling Line He Tangled While Practicing Casts in the Driveway

Angler Phil Reel spent the entirety of a four-hour guided fishing trip on Saturday untangling a baitcasting reel backlash he created the previous evening while practicing casts in his driveway, a session he had undertaken specifically to 'make sure everything was ready for the trip.' The backlash, which Reel described as 'a bird's nest of historic proportions,' occurred on his final practice cast when a gust of wind stalled the plug and the spool continued revolving for what Reel estimates was 'about two seconds too long.' 'I figured I'd fix it on the boat,' Reel said. 'I've untangled backlashes in ten minutes before. I'd have it sorted before we reached the first spot.' Fishing guide Captain Darla Gaff reported that Reel boarded the boat at 6 AM with the tangled reel and immediately began working on it. By 7 AM, he had made 'negative progress.' By 8 AM, he had introduced a second tangle while attempting to fix the first. By 9 AM, Captain Gaff offered him a spinning rod, which Reel declined on principle. 'He said, and I quote, I started this and I'm going to finish it,' Gaff recounted. 'I drove him past 15 productive spots while he sat in the bow with a tangled reel and a toothpick, cursing at intervals of about 90 seconds.' At 10 AM, Reel declared the line 'compromised beyond repair,' cut it free, and spent the remaining 45 minutes of the trip tying on new line. 'He caught one fish,' Gaff said. 'In the last five minutes. On the spinning rod I offered him four hours earlier.' Reel has rated the trip three stars on the guide service's website, citing 'limited fishing time.' Captain Gaff has not responded to the review but has updated her pre-trip FAQ to include 'Please ensure your equipment is in working order before boarding.'