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I went out for a normal Saturday morning on the pond.
I went out a little later in the day as I had been gone
to CE. I needed to put the canoe rack back on the pickup
and then load everything to be able to go fishing. It is
also into October and the temperatures are a little warmer
later in the day. It does not make that much difference
to me, but the fish are a little more active later in the day.
I got out about 9:45 in the morning. I also needed to get
the mail for the office out of the mailbox as they would
be closed Monday for the Holiday. I will not give you my
tirade on the circumstance.
In any case I was out to the pond. I had been asked
to try a new pond to see if there were any decent
sized fish in it. The land has just changed hands and
the new owner lets me fish his ponds. I give him some
fish and he likes the way the bass get bigger for him
to catch.
The only problem is that this pond faces north-south,
with the dam at the south end. The hills on each side
of the pond are fairly high and steep. The dam is about
halfway down the length of the hills and parking is on
the dam. There is no access farther up the pond. That
is OK, but the hills act like a funnel. Any time the
wind blows, it is magnified on this pond. And the wind
decided to blow not long after I got to the pond.
The pond covers about five acres, with the deepest water
being 18 feet deep. The north half of the pond is about
6 to 8 feet deep. The dirt was removed during the
construction of the dam to make this happen. There is also
a 4 foot deep 12 foot wide swath cut around the edge of
the whole pond during the construction. I was able to go
out and see this pond being built. The other thing that
was done was that the top soil was moved to the side and
then the clay taken down for the dam. The top soil was
then put back to fill in where it was before. So there
is fertile soil around the edge of the pond.
I got out on the pond and started casting. I put on a
Gilly
(Ricks Favorites in the archives) and a crow body feather
leech. This would give me an attractor fly and a fly with
a lot of movement. I had not been fishing for three weeks
in Iowa, due to vacation and the fish were going to have
to tell me what they wanted.
I anchored about twenty-five feet off the dam and started
casting toward the dam. This would let me fish the shelf
and then drop the fly off into deeper water. This would be
the fastest way to figure out where the fish were. At least
I hoped it would help me locate the fish, but it sure sounds
like a good plan doesn't it?
I had several fish that were only on for 5 to 10 seconds
and then gone. I guessed that these were crappie that we
rolling on the fly again and I was hooking them in the
thin flesh of their cheeks. This happens to me a lot in
the fall. I have seen this happen in some clear water
where I could tell it was the crappie doing that.
My next try to get these fish was to go to a size #12 boa
yarn leech. I hoped that they would take this farther in
their mouth and I might be able to hook them better. I went
black first to see how it would work. I did get a few gills
to take this fly, but the crappie were not interested. I
switched to a white one so see if that might interest the
crappie more. I had more fish hit this fly and stay on long
enough for me to get them near the canoe, at which point
they threw the hook. Any time they got up and flipped on
the surface the fly was coming out.
I did manage to land a few by keeping my rod tip down near
the surface of the water after the fish hit. Doing this
seemed to keep them deeper in the water column for a longer
time. I still lost some near the canoe but managed to get 19
crappie into the canoe. I also picked up the odd bluegill now
and then.
About 11:30 the wind really picked up. Even with both anchors
down, 25 lbs. total weight between the two of them, the canoe
was moving. That means that it is time for me to get off the pond.
I ended up with about thirty fish and was able to show the
landowner what I caught. He was working a field near this
pond and I stopped to show him.
Hope you can get out on the water.
PS Fishing three noon hours at the lake has been
two strikes and no fish. Winds are about 25mph.
I am not always successful. ~
Rick (Written 10/13/06)
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