Kresson Lake Poppers

Wading Kresson Lake

With rain inbound for the next few days, I decided to give a quick run to Kresson Lake tonight. Having not hit it at all this year until now, I really had nothing to go on. It's a lake with a fairly stable bottom with extensive shallows allowing you to wade the lily pads.

On the first cast a fat gill slammed a #6 deer hair popper. Its hungry eyes got the best of him however tonight.

The night was all about wading slow and picking the open spots.

Finally, after hooking and losing 2 previous bass to the lily pads, I was able to drag one through the underwater vegetation. 

Last light on the water. Things began to pick up.

With the last light on the water and night coming fast, the bass started chasing and looking up. The action was quick with several fish coming to hand. This one inhaled a Deer Hair Popper.

Switching to a #10 Blonde Foam Butt Caddis as the late light swirls began to look like bluegills in nature, My guess was right.  A half dozen fat gills chased down the FBC without hesitation. My last fish of the night was a beauty though, This gill measured 10" lip-to-tail.  After that, I snipped my fly and headed for the truck.

A great night, with the lake all to myself for the last 2 hours of daylight. 

Clipping Hackle to Adjust Flotation

Clipping Hackle

Clipping hackle is nothing new to fly tying. Here are a few examples of how and why I use the technique, and how it affects several similar patterns in order to effectively fish a particular hatch.

Pond Stalking

Pond Stalking 

Last night I spent the last couple hours of daylight stalking a small local pond for Bluegills and Bass. The gills were on as usual, but not the big boys tonight. But what was hungry were the juvenile bass. The place was run a'muck with hungry 10"-14" bass.

They would run down a Foam-Butt Caddis from a dozen feet away, and then once hooked jumped like they thought they were smallmouths. 

None of the big boys were to be found on this outing. But there was enough action with the youngsters to make up for it. I came armed with a full box of poppers, and fished with the same FBC the entire night. Stalking the edges and having a blast. 

CDC Little Sulphur Dun

The CDC Little Sulphur Dun

The "Ephemerella Dorethea Dorethea" hatch, or as we know it, the Little Sulphur hatch here in the Northeast is a hatch one must be able to cover on most waters. Aside from the Caddis hatches, it is the longest running mayfly show in town, and a remembered fly throughout most of the season. The Dorothea is the smallest of the Sulphurs most will encounter, and the predictable hatch timing makes this hatch a local favorite.

Little Sulphur Dun Recipe

Hook:  #16-20 Standard Dry

Thread:  8/0 Olive Dun Uni-thread

Tail: Medium Pardo CDL

Abdomen:  Sulphur Turkey Biot

Hackle:  Honey/Golden Badger

Wing: Medium Dun CDC

The Sulphurs are Coming!

The Big Three

Left-to-Right:  LTD Sulphur, CDC Sulphur, Thorax Sulphur

Reports of Sulphur hatches are beginning to come in and that means time to double-check the bins of the "big three".  For me, these three patterns comprise nearly all of my Sulphur fishing on top throughout the season.

The LTD is my go-to pattern, crossing over nicely from emerger, to cripple and dun. 

Recipe

Hook:  Standard #14 Dry

Thread: Olive Dun 8/0 Uni-thread

Tail/Abdomen:  Pheasant Tail fibers

Thorax:  Sulphur Poly

Hackle:  Golden Badger

Wing: Dun CDC

The CDC Sulphur is where I turn on skinny water when the fish are refusing the LTD. 

Recipe

Hook:  Standard #14 Dry

Thread: Olive Dun 8/0 Uni-thread

Tail/Abdomen:  Medium Pardo CDL

Abdomen:  Sulphur Goose Biot

Hackle:  Golden Badger

Wing: Dun CDC

The Thorax Sulphur is where I go in the riffles and when the fish are actively pursuing the hatch. Its at those times when only a dun pattern can make the difference.

Recipe
Hook:  Standard #14 Dry
Thread: Olive Dun 8/0 Uni-thread
Tail:  Medium Pardo CDL
Abdomen/Thorax:  Sulphur Poly
Hackle:  Silver Badger
Wing: Dun Turkey Flat


I know what I'll be tying on in the coming months. I hope it adds to your box as well.

Good luck and see you on the water.

NEW FORUM!

Try the new Forum!

After several attempts and a handful of failures, a bulletin board is now posted for the site. Feel free to visit and add to the blog. Discuss all things fly fishing, or add your thoughts to a blog post or pattern. 

Find the BRIDGE on the right hand side and click on it. To return, follow the HOME link on top.

Look forward to hearing from you,

Ralph

Spring Gills on Top

First Gills of the Season

Tonight, the local waters finally gave up a little top-water action with the Gills looking up. Fully dressed in Spring colors, they fought just as bold as their looks. While the evening gave up a few small bass as well, the Gills stole the show.

Also was able to test a line I picked up from Cabelas over the winter on sale for $9.99, a WF6F Warmwater Taper.  Aside from leaving the water with orange fingers, it performed flawless, throwing everything from small Bluegill poppers to #4 deer hair bugs.

The fly of the day was the original chinless #10 Foam-Butt Caddis, tied with light elk hair.

A perfect start to a warmwater season.

Sulphur Cripple

Sulphur Cripple

The Little Sulphur Cripple had been in my box for many years before seeing another fly box. For quite some time it was my personal solution to short refusals during the Sulphur hatch on my local waters. With the Sulphurs coming soon, this pattern belongs in your box.

Sulphur Cripple

Hook:  Standard Dry #16

Thread:  Rusty-Brown 8/0 Uni-thread

Tail:  Barred-Lemon Wood Duck

Abdomen:  PMD Hareline Poly

Rib:  Tying Thread

Wing-case:  Dun Turkey Flat

Hackle: #18 Furnace Hen

Tying the CDC Hendrickson

Tying the CDC Hendrickson




The CDC Hendrickson is my favorite version of the Hendrickson patterns that I tie due to the fact that it fishes well over the majority of the hatch. Great footprint and floats well. This is the first, and quite often last pattern that I reach for.


CDC Hendrickson Recipe


Hook:  Standard Dry #12
Thread:  Rusty Brown 8/0 Uni-thread
Tail: Medium Pardo CDL
Abdomen:  Olive Brown/Sulfur Spectrablend (hand blended)
Hackle: #14 Greenwell
Wing:  2 Dun CDC

Tying the Tri-Visible Gurgler

The Tri-Visible Gurgler

The TVG is a great time to fish when kicking in the lily pads. It is large enough to keep off the dinks, while bringing larger than normal bass to the surface. On those lazy, muggy sunset nights, this pattern is always willing to offer up a splashy rise or two. Easy to tie and very durable.

The TVG Recipe

Hook:  #6 Stinger

Thread: Black Flat-waxed Nylon
Tail:  Pearl Flashabou
Head/Body:  Black Razor Foam
Hackle:  Black/Furnace-Greenwell/Grizzly