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It was Sunday afternoon before I got a chance to get
out to a pond. There were just to many things to do
on Saturday. Besides that it was supposed to be warmer
and not as windy on Sunday.
It was about 2:00 pm before I could get things loaded
and head out to the office to pick up a few things and
then go to a pond. I keep my vest and hat at the office,
so I can replenish boxes from my stock when needed.
I should have known that it was going to be a rough day.
I was almost to the office when I blew out a tire. There
was a 3" X 3" patch of rubber gone. I went through the
tire changing routine. I then found that the spare was
low on air. I drove to the gas station and put air in it.
When I came out of the office, I noticed that it was low
again. So I went home and got the spare from my wife's
vehicle and put it on. What great fun.
I finally got out to the pond. The temperature was about
60 degrees and the wind was blowing about 15 mph, from
the southeast. Not bad weather for the beginning of November.
I got everything out and loaded into the canoe.
I tried a few casts from shore and nothing happened.
I launched out and headed for the dam end of the pond. I
wanted to fish from the shallows out over the break line.
I had three rods with me. I had a black crow body feather
leech on one. A white boa yarn leech on another and the
third had a Marabou Miss on it.
I cast the black leech out first and let it drop for
about five seconds. I then slowly started to retrieve
it. I was slowly pulling it about one to two inches
and then pauses for about five seconds between strips.
This has been working for me the past few times that
I have been out. I had moved the fly a few feet when
I felt a little tick on the line. I thought I had hit
a weed and continued the retrieve. This happened twice
more on the retrieve. On the next cast when I felt the
little tick, I tried to set the hook. I had a fish on
for a few seconds and then lost it. I did this three
more times.
I tried the other flies but they did not get any responses
for me. It was time to change. I went to another black
leech fly in a smaller size. Maybe the fish were short
striking and this was the answer. I cast this fly out
and went through the routine again. Again I felt the
little ticks on the line but did not get any fish. I
decided to pick the line up and cast it again. On the
pick up, I found out that I had a fish on the line. It
turned out to be a nice crappie.
Several more casts in the area did not produce any more
action. I moved about 30 feet and tried again. I got
several more little ticks on the line, but did not
catch any more fish. I was trying but not succeeding.
On the next cast I kept the fly up higher in the water
column. I kept the fly about three inches under water.
This way I could watch the fly the whole time. I had
moved the fly about a foot when the color disappeared.
I was very curious so I did not set the hook and just
kept retrieving the line. The line moved about two feet
when I saw the fly again and felt the little tick. This
happened one more time as I retrieved the line in.
On the next cast I moved the fly a foot or so and then
did a hook set motion. No fish so I continued the retrieve.
On the third try I hooked a fish. I got it close enough
to see that it was another crappie before it got off. A
few more casts did not produce any action, so I moved
along the dam again.
I cast the line out and let it fall to where I could
just barely see the fly. I then started to retrieve.
As soon as the fly disappeared, I set the hook. I had
another crappie on the line. This was the only fish I
caught at this spot. So it was time to move.
I moved on around the pond and continued to retrieve
the fly just under the surface. I hooked several fish,
but lost most of them. The crappie were rolling on the
fly and I was getting them in the side of the mouth
again. I did manage to catch a few more fish. By this
time the sun is getting very low in the sky.
It was time to head home. I had six crappie and two
bluegills to my credit. Not the fastest fishing I
have ever had, but I still got a few fish. Every one
of them was a female, with egg sacks starting to
develop. The fall feed is on.
I still need to figure out how to get flies tied
so the hooks ride horizontally. My experiments
have not worked so far. That or I need faster
reactions.
Hope you can get out on the water. ~ Rick (written 11/08/05)
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