June Poppers

Summer temps bring on top-water action 

On both large and small warmwater haunts, summer signals popper time.  Nearly all species on a given water will start aggressively hunting the lilies, shorelines and shallows. 

Deer hair bugs and foam Wogs can provide exciting takes and great action.

Bluegill will take poppers they aren't even capable of swallowing

Tying the Firecracker 

Tubes and kayaks in the lily pads provide the perfect situation for dropping poppers in those tiny pockets

Top water fishing is such a visual method of fly fishing, which absorbs your focus.  

Tying the Gurgling Frog

Walking the banks of smaller ponds and catch basins can bring nice fish to hand

Scenes such as this...water glass calm...become violent acts of nature when bass begin to look up

Dust off the bass rod and grab a handful of poppers.  

See you on the water!

 

Wading Through Memorial Day

 

The Flag, Trout & Heat

With gobblers shutting down & heat going up, the water was a welcome respite.  Fortunately the fish felt like playing along.

The C2C nymph carried most of the weekend bringing a few nice fish to hand.  Along with a few nearly too large to land that promptly taught me what happens when I make a mistake.

Tying the C2C Nymph

Mostly Browns on the weekend with a few Rainbow mixed in.

Hatches were to be had as well, but surface action was tough to find. The 3M Midge fished in the surface film made the difference.

Tying the 3M Midge

It was a good weekend.  Hope all had a good holiday as well.

See you on the water.

The Many Shades of Gills

 

The common Bluegill...the best friend to every young angler is the most targeted warm-water fish.  Easy to entice on average and usually found within easy reach of a bank angler with bobber and worm.

Yet for a short time in the spring, there are those of us who search for the spawning bulls as they grow shoulders and become painted in some of the most brilliant colors found in nature.  The largest of fish in a given water, they require accurate casts in the tightest of lily pad lies.  But put your fly in the correct place, and it will strike like a 5lb bass on a frog.

Each fish is different, wearing their own painting for the spring event.

  Some are breasted in yellow gold with moss green lateral lines and turquoise gill plates.

Others are solid gold a mossy-back appearance resembling a small-mouth.

Amazing blood-red breasted with turquoise and red gill plates

One of my favorites are the pink breasted fish with pearl hued sides.

My personal favorite is the copper-breasted bulls. Each spring this variety accounts for my largest fish. 

Try counting the colors on this heavy fish.

Pound-for-pound the hardest fighting fish.  A fish colored for spring with aggression enough to feed on flies they are not even capable of swallowing. 

They are to me, the spring gobbler of warm water fly fishing.

See you on the water

Easter Colors

 

"Easter Colors"

New Jersey Gills

With a chance to get on the water in the float tube Easter weekend, the gills did not disappoint.  

The fish were willing to look up and if pressed with accurate casts the bulls were aggressive enough to  move.

A couple dozen fish came to hand showing off a myriad of colors.

Few small fish with colors ranging from brilliant Oranges and Reds, to Silvers, pearls and bright blues.

It was a great few hours in the tube tossing the FBC with the Mojo Bass St Croix.

Hope everybody had a great Easter!

Spring Gold

Nicest Brown to round out the Opening Day trip

After 10 days of sporadic weather and water conditions, the trip gave up a nice 21" Brown.  

The last fish of the trip was the best. Buttery Gold.

After a short reviving, a clean release

Hopefully we shall meet again

A well-earned release after a great fight.

Hope you all have a great season.  

See you on the water.

 

Opening Week 2022

 

Opening week 2022 

Opening day began with normal early spring weather. On-and-off light rain and temps in the upper 50's, with fish not too sure if it's warm enough to feed yet and #16 Dun Caddis coming off with each break in the clouds. 

The fish came to hand, but not without pounding a lot of water.  Most came to the C2C Nymph, with a few willing to take the Little Crappie Fly and one taking the RP Starling.

RP Starling

Little Crappie Fly

C2C Nymph

Another spring, a few more days on the water with the Livingston Glass and another chance to stand in trout water bringing fish to hand.  

See you on the water.

The Thaw of '22

 

The Thaw of '22

Spring of 2022 has arrived, and the first opportunity to get a tube on the water along with it. Another 1st was christening a new warmwater rod, a St Croix 7wt Mojo Bass Fly rod.  

Tying on a Foam Butt Caddis, the Gills were there in the shallows and looking up.  All larger fish, which told me they were pairing up on beds.

Foam Butt Caddis

The Bulls were beginning to show color, but not in full spawn yet. My guess is another week or so yet to go.  

The chance to get on water was welcome sign of spring.  And so far, I am very pleased with the Mojo Bass Fly rod as well.  It picks up off the water with ease and is a real cannon shooting line. Yet plays fish more like glass.  Looking forward to more time with it for certain.  

My best and see you on the water