Less than 5 ninutes from your job is a pond that just got stocked with 10 inch rainbows. By the time you allow for drive time, getting rod ready swallowing a sandwich etc you’ve got maybe 40 minutes free. What would your set up be? Which fly would you use? What if you’re not the best at knots and don’t want to waste precious time changing flies?
What say you?
hNt
PS. What if there’s a spot where you can park where there’s no trees close by so you can actually fish versus getting hungNtree?
If all you have with you is a floating line, then I’d go with a long-ish leader (9’ or so ) tapered down to around 5X. Tie on a weighted or Bead Head #10 Olive ( clear water ) or Black ( slightly stained water ) Crystal Bugger. Chuck it out there, count it down and start retrieving it back in one to two inch rhythmic - twitching strips. Cover the water until you score consistently.
The fish are pretty aggressive right after they’ve been stocked, plus they tend to hug the shorelines, which is GREAT for a guy fishing from shore.
I use a No-Knot Fas-Snap on my tippet, so I can quickly change flies. If you choose to tie directly and just want to pick ONE pattern to use…well…here would be my top 5 choices (in no particular order):
-FishnDave’s “Something” (the streamer hook with a marabou tail, gold mylar tubing body, and ostrich herl head)
-#10 or #12 beadhead Woolly Bugger (black tail & hackle, olive chenille body)…use a SMALL bead, or even a glass bead…it doesn’t need to sink fast since you will be fishing close to shore.
-soft hackle nymph under an indicator
-#8 Blue Thunder streamer
-#14 flashback Scud under an indicator
(Note…the fish that get stocked here are generally 11"-13", so you might scale down hook size accordingly from my suggestions.)
If there are chironomids about, I’d try one or two under an indicator. Otherwise, olive (peacock) bugger or half back nymph. And…practice, practice, practice those knots.
Beside mosquitos, what kind of aquatic insects do you see around the pond in the summer? I’m guess dragon flies, maybe mayflies. I would go with nymph pattern for those. Do the locals feed ducks on nice days, a bread fly or a pellet fly might be the ticket.
The Wet Mouse by Jack Gartside. Easy to tie and catches planted pond trout. Even easier is leave the collar off. Size 14 Scud hook, tie on a fluffy aftershaft feather and a hen soft hackle collar(or NOT). All trout like it too, not just planted. Easy tie streamside too with vise, hook, thread and one feather. Jerry
Sz 10 tung BH bugger with some flash in the body, but NOT any in the tail (inhibits the motion of the maribou). 8-9’ 3 or 4X leader fished with a 5 or 6wt rod for ease of casting for more distance or wind. May even want to have a reel set up with a 10-15’ sinktip for days when they are down deeper. My best colors for stockers are Olive, Black, all White and Peacock herl body with brown maribou and brown hackle.
9’, 3wt, with a floating line, a 9’ 4x tapered leader. A # 12 hares ear, then have a kid standing around throw a handfull of fine gravel out into the water. Put the fly in the middle of it. Those fish are so used to being fed by food thrown into the water that they will all be at your fly.
