Winter Pond Fishing

I noticed some ducks swimming in a local pond, so I decided to go grab my gear. I tried a few streamers, as I know pickerel hang out in there. No fish showed up, so I switched to a bright little pan fish nymph. That didn't help. I left not too surprised, but still bummed out.

Flies

I've been doing a lot of tying this week. I'm filling in the holes in all of my boxes. I like fishing for any species, I like small stream natives the best, but I'd chase anything from carp to bluefish. Therefor, I have lots of boxes, and that means lot's of tying! Here are some of my latest creations:

Glass Bead Bodied Nymphs

Bass and Pike Streamer

Floating Shad Imitation

2014 Finally Starts

Today the weather was decent, and previous rain had brought stream levels up in the area. I set out on my first small stream trip of the year. My destination had left me skunked on a previous expedition, and I hoped today it would give up one of its little resident natives.

Upon reaching the stream, I tied of a prince nymph and went to work. I came to a promising pool with an ice shelf that would conceal me from view. After quite a few casts I had a hit. Jumping the gun I yanked the little nymph from the trout's mouth. The next cast he returned and this time I had him good. The native I brought to hand made the new year finally real.

I changed tactics and tried for a dry fly fish. The yellow Humpy I chose got no attention, so on went another nymph. I got hits, but no more fish were caught. I ended the day by a beautiful plunge pool and had no regrets.

Largemouth Bass

I learned to fish while chasing largemouth bass. I learned to fly fish chasing bass and sunfish. I still enjoy observing and casting flies to these obliging fish. This post is dedicated to bass in their habitat.

This bass tailed along slowly and occasionally dipped down and grabbed water beetles or dragonfly nymphs.

I tossed some dandelion buds at this little guy, but he only curiously examined them. 

This big fella inhabits a small stream where he chases small sucker fish for dinner.

The posse arrived and demanded some pieces of my hot dog. The leader is an easy 8 lbs.

Playing With Fire

This may not start like a fishing story, but trust me, it is.

 Today I got bored and tossed an entire block of magnesium in the fire. The type that comes with a lint striker. It glowed a powerful chrome light that blinded me for several minutes. I had never seen magnesium burn, other than little shavings. This was a whole new story.

As much as I prefer native or wild trout, stocked fish can be fun. The bright and powerful burn reminded me, somehow, of fishing for rainbow trout in the spring. They were recently stocked and gullible, but had been in the river long enough that they had some fight. The fish my father and I were hunting were easily taken on a hair's ear. I hooked a small wild one on a march brown, my dad landed one on a sucker spawn pattern.

The fish we were catching were being as acrobatic as a rainbow gets, jumping left and right, tail walking, and diving. They would jump far from the leader-line connection, including once when we were doubled up. We were confused as to whose fish was whose!

The trout were chrome and flashy like the magnesium as it burned down, but with patches of peach, green, and black.