HISTORY FOOLED ME
It had not rained for a few days so I decide that it was a good time to go to the pond. I needed to hike in as water was still standing in places.
I arrived at the pond and faced muddy water again. From the past few weeks I thought I knew what I needed to do. Flip the fly in and bring it in shallow. Did this several times. No fish. Time to move to find the fish.
I did the same thing as the last few weeks and nothing happened. I made another cast and got into a sneezing fit. Allergy time of year was really getting it on. By the time the sneezing stopped the fly had dropped a fair amount, so it was time to see if a retrieve at that depth will find any fish. I brought the fly in until it was about 10 feet off the bank. I saw the loop in the line move and set the hook. It was the first bluegill of the day.
I cast about 10 feet to the side of where the last cast went and I let the fly drop longer and brought it in slowly. Again about 10 feet off the bank a bluegill took the fly. This was on a black boa yarn fly. I decided to try a yellow only to see what that might do. I got one nice bluegill on that fly.
I moved across the dam some more and by fishing deeper and slow I got some more fish. From three to five in each place. I got to the place on the pond that crappie hang out at times. I cast out and let the fly drop and bring it in slowly. About 20 feet off the bank I saw the line move and I set the hook and had a nice crappie come to hand.
I cast out again and brought the fly in the same way. Again about 20 feet out another carbon copy crappie took the fly. I made a shorter cast of about 25 feet and let the fly drop. I had not moved it far and another fish was on the line; another nice crappie.
The next few casts were uneventful. I changed to the other rod and tried again. The fly had not moved far and the line twitched. I set the hook and thought that a nice bass was on the line. I spent a few minutes and then saw that it was not a bass. I did not know that crappie that large were in the pond. Then all the stupid things that could happen to make me lose this fish went through my head. All the things that I did not need in my head. Eventually I did get the fish landed.
I tried the black fly again and got another nice crappie on it. The next few casts did not produce any fish. I tried the yellow only again and got two more nice crappie. Then the area shut down.
I continued to move around the pond and found a few places where there were fish. Three to five fish would come out of an area. About evenly split between the two flies.
Eventually I ran out of fish and this fisherman was getting hot and thirsty. I decided that it was a good time to head home.
Here is a picture of the three best fish.
Right one on the black boa yarn fly. The other two on the yellow Only. Great fun.
Hope you can get out on the water.
Rick