GALE
I had a chance to get out. Not the best of conditions since the wind was blowing about 30 mph with gusts up to about 40 mph. Temperature was about 55 degrees. The main thing was that there was time to get out to the water.
I grabbed two 5 weights, the vest, basket and headed out, and went to a pond where I knew the wind would be blowing toward the dam. I thought this would be the best place to try to find fish. Harder to cast, but the fly must go where the fish are.
I got to the pond and noticed that the water was a little discolored from the rain that had fallen a few days before. Visibility was still about five feet. I tied on a black furl tailed leech and a white boa yarn fly. I choose dark and light colors so the fish could clue me into what they might like the best. I cast out and let the wind blow the line back in. The waves were about 4 to 5 inches high. I began by moving the fly slowly and I keeping the line fairly straight, but it was very hard to tell if the line was doing anything.
After a few casts, it dawned upon the slow learner that maybe there were indications that fish were taking the fly. I watched the end of the line and when the line stayed on the wave tip instead of riding up, the hook was set.
It turned out that there was a nice crappie on the line. The next several casts did not produce anything, except casting practice. Then I connected with another fish.
I spent some more time casting without success so I decided to move and try again. Again I made a few casts and had no results so I decided to try the other rod, made a cast and started to reel the line in immediately. I was surprised to find a fish on the line, which turned out to be another nice crappie.
I tried this again and had the same result. I lost this fish, but they were taking the fly just under the surface. I continued to cast with each fly and got a few fish, but I lost several as they did not hit the fly hard enough to get hooked.
As I headed out there was another placed that called my name. I know there is a trench about 3 feet deeper than the rest of the water around it. It is about 5 feet wide and 12 feet long, and I hoped there might be a few fish in this place.
I made a cast and had a fish hit the fly as it hit the water. I caught several fish out of this area before it was fished out or the fish spooked. Every fish hit the fly just after it hit the water.
When I cleaned the fish in noticed that many of the crappie had large egg sacs in them, so it looks like they might start spawning soon. I had plenty of fillets to share and to eat.
Hope you can get out on the water.
Rick