HARES EAR AGAIN
It was one of those days off that you don't want to have. I had a good friend that needed some help. One thing lead to another and I found myself having about an hour to be out on the water.
I grabbed two rods, a box of flies, and the fish basket, and headed out to a pond that is close to home. I wanted to be fishing and driving or hiking. Not sure this was the best time to be out since the wind was blowing about 25 mph.
Even with the wind, I have time to be out so I am on the way. When I get out to the pond and see that the wind is coming over the dam. If I stand on the pond side of the dam I will not be blown away. Beside that, it is probably the best place to fish in the pond right now.
The water is clear. I can see down about 8 feet. I have a hares ear and PTN on the two rods. Same rods I used last week. There is too much wind to fight to bring the 3 weights or lighter rods.
I went down the dam until I knew I am at the place where there is a break line from the flat on the west side of the pond just to my left. The break line for the dam is about 12 feet out from the edge of the pond and drops about 8 feet. I can cast along the break line to the left and bring the fly across the break line in front of me.
I'm hoping that the fish are someplace along there. I grabbed the rod with the hares ear first; not by choice, it was just the first rod I picked up. I cast it out and let it drop. The fly had dropped about a foot when I saw the line twitch. I set the hook and had a nice gill. The rod tip danced as this fish did its thing.
I got the fish in the basket, and made another cast and let the fly drop. When it was about two feet deep I started to do a short strip and pause retrieve. The fly had not moved far when another fish took it. I saw the flash as the line moved and thought crappie. It turned out that I was right. The fish hit the fly as it was dropping from the cast, or after it had moved a little
When starting the retrieve; if the fly moved in more than about four feet then it was time to cast again.
I decided to see if the PTN would work. I cast it out and let it drop the same way, and then retrieved it the same way. I got a few fish, but it was not nearly as effective as the hares ear.
I decided that I needed to leave to have time to fillet the fish, before having to be at another place. When I arrived at home I found that I had 13 gills and 11 crappie. Not bad for a short trip. I had a lot of fun having the fish make the tip of the rod dance. It's also fun to feel the vibration that comes down the rod as the fish is moving around.
I got all the other things that needed to be done. Wished I had been able to spend more time on the pond. There is the question if there is ever enough time on the pond?
Hope you can get out on the water.
Rick