HOT EXPEDITION
This is probably one day that I should have skipped going out to a pond. It was hot and muggy. The relative humidity was over 90%. Even with this I had the time and that time needed to be spent on the water. I wondered if I might be able to just net fish that might swim by in the humidity.
As usual I had two rods with me. In addition I had two boxes of flies, forceps in the pants pocket, and a big bottle of water. I had a minimal amount of tackle with me because it was way too hot to carry any more.
I decided to go to a pond that I have not been to for a few years. I know on this pond there are some large trees that would give me shade to stand in. It limits the places to fish on the pond but the shade is worth it. The pond is about 5 years old and slightly larger than a football field, including goal posts and sidelines. There is a deep ditch that runs down the center of the pond. The edges of the pond were cut down about 5 feet to get dirt for the dam. My hope is that the fish might be along the edge of the ditch or wandering over the flat of this pond. Not sure if it would be true, but a plan of action is always nice heading into a pond. The plans often get changed, but it is a place to start.
When I arrive the water is not very clear. There is a breeze that is rippling the water. In this heat a breeze also feels good on the fisherman.
I decide to use an emerger type fly that can just set on the water. It's better than a popper as it sets lower in the water. This fly could just set as I cast the other rod. The question to be answered is if the fly would draw fish up from deeper water? The second rod had a black boa yarn leech on it.
I cast the emerger out and let it set, and then I cast the black boa yarn leech and let it drop before starting a slow retrieve. No luck on the first cast. On the next cast the fly had not dropped far when a fish took it. It turned out to be a nice sized gill. The fly was very deep in this fish. It made me wonder if the fish were going to hit on the drop. On the next cast I let the fly drop and had a crappie take the fly. This fish had taken the fly very deep in the gullet also. Just as this fish went in the basket another fish took the emerger. I waited a few seconds to set the hook and had another nice gill on the line. This fish had ideas about not being landed. It did a lot of twisting and turning before coming to hand. Love having the rod tip dance like that.
Several more casts did not produce any more fish so I moved down the pond a ways and tried again. I picked up a few more fish there, and all had taken the fly very deeply. All were on the drop with the boa yarn fly. Only a few would come up and take the emerger.
I worked my way around the pond were it was clear to cast. Even in the shade the sweat was coming off. When I finished the water I thought it would be wised to head home. I needed more water to drink and fish needed to be filleted.
When I arrived home and found that I had more fish than I had thought. I had a totalof 18 crappie and 26 gills. I had more than enough fish to share.
A few folks wondered about my sanity being out in this weather. It is not insanity, it is being a dedicate fly fisher.
Hope you can get out on the water.
Rick