GREAT DAY
I had a day off. There was a slight wind and the temperature was warm enough to just wear a shirt. Although it was March and still too wet to drive into any ponds it was time to go to a pond
I grabbed two rods and headed out. I had a fanny pack with a fly box and five hook boxes of flies in it. My forceps were on a lanyard, with a pair of nippers. The fish basket completed the equipment list.
I got to the pond and went to the dam. I went to the far end as it is the farthest from the truck. This way if I catch fish the basket gets heavier as I get closer to the truck. I'm not sure if this is from smartness or laziness.
I had a black boa yarn leech on the one rod, and on the other I had an EP bait fish type fly I tied up out of Congo Hair. I had been wanting to try some of these flies.
I decided to try the black boa fly first. I knew the water was shallower here and I thought that there might be some gills there. It's very nice when the act comes together, and I was getting a fish on about every other cast. I did a slow strip of about 3 inches and then pause the fly. The fish hit on the strip or the pause, but they hit the fly. In the process I also picked up a few bass on this fly.
When it slowed down I moved about 40 feet and started casting again. I picked up a few more gills. Then I tried the other fly and picked up a few crappie. I discovered that I did better with the baitfish pattern if I did less with the fly. The crappie seemed to take the fly when it had been setting for a while.
As the water got deeper I found that I got a few fish at each place I stopped. It was a mixture of crappie and gills with the occasional bass. I was still catching fish on each of the flies I was using, and since they were working I was not inclined to change. Later in the year I would probably change.
I got to a spot where I have caught some nice crappie before so I cast one of the bait fish patterns and let it set. I soon saw the line going to the side, and I set the hook and had a nice crappie come in. I did this several more times, and I was having a ball catching nice sized crappie.
The next thing I knew there is a person on each side of me. They told me they want to catch some crappie, and that I could move because they want this place. I left as they both had dilated eyes. I was wondered what they might be on and what they might have done if I had not vacated the premises.
I moved about 100 feet away and found another spot with fish. I caught several more, and I even caught a few fairly large bass at this spot. I noticed the other guys were not catching any fish and then I saw that they were packing up to move and head off down the pond.
They went to where I had been, but they still did not catch any fish. I picked up a few more as I kept moving down the pond. I finally decided that the basket was getting heavier and heavier. I walked back to the pickup and put my gear away and headed for home. I had a great time on the water.
When I got home and found that I had picked up 46 crappie and 44 bluegill. With the bass that I threw back in it was a triple figure day. That's crazy this early in the year.
Hope you can get out on the water.
Rick