Thursday, July 5, 2018

A Warmwater Sunset

The colors of Sunset


The colors of sunset,  as seen from the seat of my float tube.




The therapy of quiet time on the water is without measure





I feel better already!



Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Tying Little Gill Replacements

Little Gill Streamer


It's always a good sign when mid-way through a season, you are already re-filling patterns. 




A solid pattern from my book "Summer Bugs", this year a thin section of peach added has made a difference for the better. 




Sunday, July 1, 2018

Lilies, Gills & 100 Degrees

Lilies, Gills & 100 Degrees


When a June 30th forecast calls for 100 degrees there is only one real option for the fly fisherman....do chores....or be on a favorite warmwater haunt at dawn and fish until the heat gets the best of you.  I chose the latter.  Reality is however, that on days like this, I get excited the night before in anticipation of kicking through lily pads on water I know I will have most certainly have sole possession of.   

I was right. 



I decided to begin where I left off on my last visit, with the CGR 7/8 and Martin MG-7, rigged with an Orvis WF7F Warmwater line, hand twisted 12lb Trilene Big-Game leader & 8lb Orvis AR Tippet.  

Starting out with a #2 Gurgling Frog.  




The view of an empty lake launch as you fin away is Christmas-in-July, even if it was one day early.




The first few fish came to the larger Frog, but it was soon apparent the #4 Wog in its black attire was going to be the fly.  

This fish has the entire #2 Frog in its mouth...tail and all.




On this morning, where I would expect some bucket mouths to be hungrily lurking, I found none.  What I did find however, was several dozen gills with an attitude that they owned the place.  Several of which, on hook-set I would have sworn were bass. 




Gills in their post-spawn bronze are some of the prettiest fish that swim in my opinion




In the end I found enough fish to wear out my shoulder on a sunny morning with no wind, no fisherman and huge mats of untouched lilies in morning bloom.

As I was crawling out of my tube back at the launch just before 0900, two trucks carrying three kayaks and a 12' Jon boat arrived and a family was dragging a cooler to the end of the far pier.

The sun was on the water & it was already 93 degrees....time for breakfast.

Besides, none of these folks want to watch the old guy in the big "floatie" and fly rod laugh to himself and talk to bluegills.



Good fishing and happy 4th!