Mr. Bumpkin - over the years, I have fished Purdy and the Cahaba River numerous times with my uncle who lived in Birmingham. Fishing mostly during visits around Thanksgiving and Christmas we used subsurface flies - scuds, midges, etc. In the summer, we almost always fished topwater in the morning and evenings, sizes four to eight for bream and bass, most any pattern would work at these times. Plenty of fish in that lake!!! It's a good crappie lake too, easier to catch them in the middle of the lake over brushpiles situated near the bottom. Good luck and tight lines.