Simpler Fish

I enjoy panfish. I like tying flies for them, I like catching them, I like looking at them, and sometimes I like eating them. Some fisherman think they've 'grown out of' fishing for sunfish and perch. I, for one, never will. I've caught Atlantic salmon, 26inch trout, giant carp, and 35lb striped bass, and I still love going down to the farm pond, casting simple flies and catching simple fish. Maybe it's just a love for nostalgia. But maybe not. I still keep learning about these fish, and I thin anyone that thinks they know all they can possibly know about catching bluegill and crappie are kidding themselves.

Yesterday I spent a lot of my time just sitting and watching the water. I was on a very familiar farm pond. Between the gusts of wind that frequently disturbed the water's surface, midges were emerging. The popped through the film so abruptly they actually sent out a ring of tiny ripples. Then they began to flutter their wings rapidly, propelling themselves across the surface, making a wake. Occasionally they would sit still for a few moments, but usually they were on the move and for good reason. Bluegills and crappies were cruising just below, and they ate most of the midges that attempted to emerge.

Usually this time of year my approach to farm pond bluegills does not involve any kind of retrieve. I'll typically fish a dry dropper or unweighted small nymph or soft hackle, make a cast, let it sit a long as I felt necessary, then re-cast and repeat. Today that was not the best presentation. Today they wanted flies moving. It was fun and a little bit new. A slightly different bite than I see most of the time. An opportunity to fill in another gap in my database.

Water 44° Fahrenheit.
Air 46°.
Mostly cloudy, variable gusty wind.
Midges hatching. Sz. 18.
Bluegill and crappie rising to fluttering midges.
AK Best Winged beetle and Black CDC caddis took fish, skated.