HEAT
Spring disappeared. It is hot. By the time I can get out to a pond it is 85 degrees out. I would have liked to have been out earlier, but other things got in the way. It has not rained for a few days. Hopefully the water will be clearer, but that means that the fish might be deeper.
The wind is blowing about 20 mph. Not a great time to be casting, but it is my chance to be on the water. Fish when there is a chance, not just when the conditions are perfect. Sun screen is slathered on. I have two water bottles with me. I take water with me so I can try to be out a little longer.
I Took two 5 weights to the pond. I picked flies out my boxes and put them in two hook boxes, because the vest would be too hot to wear. Forceps in a pocket and it is time to get flies in the water. A Goldie Jr and a black furl tailed mohair leech are on the rods. Good flies to start with.
I cast in some water that is about 5 feet deep to start with. That is where I came in the pond, but I did not get a fish with either fly. I moved down the pond and tried again and picked up one gill on the black mohair leech.
I decided that I would change the Goldie Jr to a hares ear type fly. I got some Icelandic horse hair, and I tied the fly using that material. I used a dubbing loop so it was very spiky, and I also had a brass bead head on it.
I cast this fly out and let it drop. The fly was down about 5 feet when the line started south and that is a good indication that a fish is on the line. Indeed it was a very fat sassy gill was on the line. The rod tip did a lot of dancing before this fish got into the shore and into my hand. I tried it again and the same thing happened.
This seemed to be the fly for the day. If I could get the fly down about 5 feet the fish would take it. Not every time, but often enough to keep me out on the water. I moved back and forth on the dam, pick up a few fish at each place every time I stopped at it. It was not very fast fishing, but still fun.
Finally I got to the point where I was getting hot, and I had used up most of the water. I started thinking about having to fillet the fish and thought this was a good time to head home. By the time I got the fish taken care of it would be a good time to just loaf some.
When I got home I found that I had 32 gills and 11 crappie. As usual I did not remember catching that many. I just put the fish in the basket and then I am interested in the next one. Even if I try to count, for some reason the total never comes out to what is in the basket.
I had fillets to eat and share. We have been baking some fillets with nothing on them and then using them the same way as tuna. That makes a very good eating sandwich.
Hope you can get out on the water.
Rick