HIKING IN
It is another day to go fishing. Not sure that I can drive into any places, but the ability to walk in is still there. I find that it is still too wet in the low places to get into. I get to the pond and find that the water is not to clear. Figured that with all the rain that we have had, but it is time to get a line in the water. If the fish cooperate it will be a great day instead of a good day. I have two rods with me on this day. Both are 6 wt, 9 foot rods. Easier to do roll cast with and that is what I will have to be done in many of the places on this pond. I have put a Godlie Jr and a black boa yarn leech on the lines. Opposites to see what might work.
I made several casts before I got the first fish. It was probably my fault as I thought I was hitting weeds with the fly, but it might have been fish that were just nipping the fly. After the first one without any resistance, tap, a hook set was done. Caught a lot of weeds but got some fish also.
I figured out that there were not very many fish in any one area. Get one or two on each fly and then it was time to move. Move about 30 feet and try this again. The Godlie Jr worked better higher in the water column, but letting the black boa fly drop farther in the water column made it work better.
Got to an area where some branches have blown off a big oak tree. I used a side arm cast so I don’t hook the tree or have the tree eat my flies. I dropped the fly near a little branch that was sticking up out of the water and there was a huge swirl as the fly was taken. I knew right away that this was a big fish. It took a long time to get it near the shore to see how large it was. Finally I got it up to the shore and found that it was a good size bass and it turned out to be just a smidge short of 24 inches long.I returned her to help keep the pond in balance.
I got a few more bass in this area and found that there did not seem to be any gills in this area. I moved on around the pond and found some more places where the gills were cooperative.
I did try other flies and found that most of them worked. Lighter flies higher in the water and dark flies lower in the water column. It was one of those days where pattern did not matter. Just get it in the right place.
After I made it around the pond I headed home. I was surprised at the number of fish that I had. Getting a few at each place adds up.
Turned out to be a great day at the pond. Hope you can get out on the water.
Rick