A First and a Second

I went to the Bell Pond today to see how the carp were behaving. The initial feed is ending and many fish have began cruising and 'sleeping', these fish are all but impossible to tempt with a fly. But is has warmed up enough that big bass are starting to move into the flat, and that is exciting. Remember last year? I caught my biggest largemouth on a fly very early in the spring on the flat:

Well, today I caught the first decent sized largemouth of the year, and it was a freak of nature. Perhaps you have heard of Hyperpigmented Melanosis? It is a skin discoloration found occasionally on black bass. It is becoming increasingly common on the Susquehanna, and largemouth in Lake Fork have been caught that are entirely black! It doesn't appear to have any negative health effect, as this is the second bass I have caught with it and both were very strong and very healthy weight wise.

Urban fishing ladies and gentleman....