Publisher's Note:
Rick's fishing season is over until the ice melts,
but we have a nice stash of articles he has written
in the past as ideas or events occured to him. We hope
this will explain apparent 'out of season' articles.
I headed out to the lake again over my lunch
hour. The weather was a little cooler and there
were some clouds in the sky. It is still a nice
way to spend my lunch hour and may even help my
waistline a little. I had thoughts about fishing
the little settling pond again. It had rained a
little last night and I thought it might make the
fish move around a little more.
I had just turned off the highway and onto the
country road that goes to the lake when I had a
car zip by me in a big hurry. He had to be passing
me when we turned off the highway. I decided to
slow down and give him a lot of room. When I came
over the hill and started down to where I would be
fishing there was the car parked right there.
I decided that I would go down and fish the flat
near the far jetty and see if anything was happening
there. As I started to go by the parked car the
driver waved me down. I stopped and he informed me
that he had this spot and I was to stay away from
it. I just looked at him and went on down the road
a hundred feet or so and parked.
I had a slight breeze blowing from right to left
quartering over my right shoulder. It was just
enough to help my casting distance. Since the
water was really pretty flat, I decided that I
would start with a popping bug. I think we all
like to see fish hit on the surface.
I know there is a mat of weeds that extend out
about 30 feet from the corner where this flat
starts. I cast very well for me and got the bug
to hit just at the edge of the weeds. I let all
the rings from the fly landing disappear and then
let it sit still even longer. I was just getting
ready to move it when there was a swirl and the
popping bug disappeared. I hesitated for a second
and then set the hook. It was a foot long bass that
did not appreciate being hooked. This fish jumped
four times before I got him in. The popping bug was
in the corner of his mouth and I was able to twist
it out without having to handle the fish.
I thought if there was one fish there just might
be another one. I need to explain that the area
around this flat has been mowed and baled. There
are a few small trees in this area and there is a
ring of weeds and grasses about three feet wide
around the trees and at the edge of the field by
the rip rap. I have been known to catch these trees
a few times a summer.
As I made my cast I must have let the backcast drop
too much and I managed to snag some fluff off of one
of the weeds. It did not stop the cast it just got
impaled on the hook. The bug whet out and dropped
in the water a little farther out than I wanted it
to. I was chastising myself for my poor casting,
and taking a minute to calm down that little bit I
need to after making a bad cast.
The rings were still going out from the bug when
there was a little slurp and the bug was taken down.
I was surprised but set the hook. Whatever I had tied
into had some weight on its shoulders and decided to
head for the middle of the lake. I was into the backing
on the first run.
I finally got the fish to turn and could gain and
lose a little line as the fish swan around out in
the lake. I was guessing a carp or a catfish.
I had one of the old geezers drive by and sees me
with a fish on. He stopped to see if he would have
dinner. I told him it might be dinner before I got
the fish in.
After 15 minutes of swimming around in a loop in
the lake I finally started to gain some line on
the fish. I also started to get some control on
which way the fish would swim. I had fly line
back on the reel when the fish came up to the
surface and I could see that it was a big carp.
The fish made another run but did not go as far.
I was able to turn the fish a little easier and
gain line faster. The old geezer told me that he
knew someone who would like to can this fish if
I would let him have it.
I finally had the fish up close where it was going
back and forth and I let it do this so it would be
easier to land. The old geezer came down with a net
and I led the fish into the net. This fish turned
out to be 26 inches long. One of the biggest carp
I have caught, the biggest this year that I can
remember.
My guess is that the fluff on the fly looked like
a cottonwood seed or something and the fish came
up and took it. In any case I carried the net to
the car for the old geezer and headed back to the
office to make a living. Even though another
fisherman had taken MY SPOT, I was able to have
fun. Guess I will have to put a sign or something
else up to keep people away from it.
Hope you can get out on the water. ~ Rick
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