IT WORKED
There is a pond near town that has been over populated with little crappie and bluegills for a long time. I had tried various things to see if that would improve the fishing, but nothing had.
Any bass that were put in the pond were quickly caught out, as they were the only fish big enough to eat. Trying to talk to people about the health of the pond and what was needed to increase the size of the panfish was not very successful. They were putting fish in the pan and that was all there was to it.
I gave up on the pond for a few years. With no other fish going into it, people gave up on it as all they were catching was stunted panfish. Two years ago I asked a friend to put half a dozen flathead catfish in this pond.
He likes to fish the river, but does not like flatheads. The fish are usually about 5 to 8 pounds in size. I thought they smite do a number on some of the small panfish, improving the pond. We did not tell anyone what we had done.
It was time to head back out to this pond and see what had happened in the past few years. I headed down to the dam end of the pond as that has always proved to be the best place to fish. It might help that several large limbs from trees have been sunk about 30 feet out from shore.
The water was clear and the sun shining. Time to try a Goldie Jr and see what would happen. I took some time to find that the fly had to drop for a long time before starting the retrieve, but then the fish really liked it.
I had several fish in the basket. On the next cast I let it drop a little to far and hooked up on a limb. I got the fly loose, by pulling on the line. I was going to need to leave in abut 15 minutes so I started casting again.
I had several fish hit, but did not land any of them. I would get them close to the bank and then they would get off. I figured it must be that I need to change something about the way I did the hook set as I must not be getting them hooked well.
All the things I tried with the hook set did not improve anything.
I found the problem as I started to put the fly in the hook keeper. The point of the fly was missing. The whole area where the barb, which I had smashed down, was not on the fly. This must have happened when I caught the limb.
I should have known better and checked the fly, but there were fish biting and I wanted them on my line.
I got them on the line, but not in my hand. It is early in the year and maybe I will do better the next time. In any case the pond is better.
Hope you can get out on the water.
Rick