Went out to the lake yesterday afternoon for a few relaxing hours of fly fishing. It was one of those days where you throw everything in the fly box at them and get nothing. Not even a strike. So I decided to go to the other end of the lake and wait until near sunset. I killed some time talking to the park ranger as we watched tiger muskie fingerling’s hanging around the docks.
After the sun got near the horizon the wind started to die down. I noted the beginnings of a hatch. I grab the 8wt Orvis and tie on a bead head #16 pheasant tail nymph. Now the strikes from pan fish are picking up but only on a very slow strip and sink retrieve. I forgot my strike indicators so I am missing a few strike here.
I feel what I think is a strike during a retrieve so give a little extra strip for hook set. Feels like nothing is there so I decide to cast again. Now, I normally use my 6’6" 2wt for pan fish, not the 9’ 8wt Orvis that I am using today. So I haul the line out of the water for the first false cast. I notice some slight resistance and haul a little hard. Out of the water pops the end of my line with a very small blue gill attached to my nymph!
The fly goes zinging past my ear, the poor little gill goes rocketing straight up in the air and then lands at my feet in the water. I wonder if those two guys in the boat across the lake ever figured out why the guy with the fly line was chortling and slapping his knees![url=http://www.thesmilies.com:79f1c][/url:79f1c]
That gill better be glad I mash down the barbs on my hooks. I never saw a fish swim away from me so fast![url=http://www.thesmilies.com:79f1c][/url:79f1c]
Did that with a 4 inch gill the other day on my 6 weight. Felt a little bit of weight but figured it was moss… zing the fly out of the water quickly to snap the moss off the fly. OOOPS!!! that’s a GILL not moss!!! came off the hook and fell onto the only chunk of concrete within 500ft! landed on his little head and flopped into the water, Dead on the spot. I felt a little bad. AFTER My stomach stopped hurting soooo much from laughing sooo hard!!!
Wish I had a nickel for every bluegill I gave “flying lessons” to. They like to take it as you lower the rod tip to begin your back cast. That slight hesitation in the fly seems to do it. It always brings a chuckle when it happens.
Eric,
It seems to be a big surprise everytime it happens. That is exactly how my son Joe caught his first fish flyfishing. He was 4 yrs old watching me cast a fly on the Firehole and Joe asked his Mother, “Can I fish like Daddy?” We cast the fly together, picked the line off the water for the first cast, and Holy Cow! a little tiny trout goes flying past us!! :lol: A treasured moment.
By the way! Joe (Almost 25) and I went to see 3:10 to Yuma tonight and WOW!!! Christian Bale and Russell Crowe were GREAT!!! Second Half was the Best!
Doug P.S. I have the GREATEST SON (In the WORLD)
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We cast the fly together, picked the line off the water for the first cast, and Holy Cow! a little tiny trout goes flying past us!! :lol: A treasured moment.