I chose a shaded pool on a quiet stretch of stream for the first outing of my new bamboo 5-wt. rod. Gentle casts off a black sponge spider beside a submerged log and quivering imparted action produced a violent strike. Continue reading →
A large threatening cloud drifted south of the pond as I launched the float tube. Armed with a 6 wt. rod, floating line, and a 9-ft. leader with an 8-lb. tippet and our new H.O.T. Streamer (Hold On Tight Streamer), Continue reading →
A gentle breeze swayed the Queen Anne’s Lace and Black Eyed Susans as I descended into the river valley in search of bronze. Armed with a 4-wt. bamboo rod, intermediate sinking line, and size-8 copper-colored Woolly Buggers called “Red Hot Continue reading →
Just in time for June bass! After having dozens of big bass grab our hooked sunfish, we learned it was the vibrations of the frantic fish that triggered the lunkers’ interest. Our desire to replicate that vulnerability resulted in the Continue reading →
More rain led to an evening float tube pond trip with a 7 wt. and our weedless Diving Frog. I cast to the tops of the weed beds and crawled the fly to the edge before stipping them to dive Continue reading →
Some days it’s not about size; it’s about the beauty of the fish that delights me. Three smallmouths of 9 to 11 inches came to hand (one lept 7 times) before I became fascinated with Longear Sunfish. Their bright orange Continue reading →
The rains have slowed enough to permit wet wading a favorite stream. While still a bit high, there were fishable eddies and pockets. Most held big green sunfish and brightly-colored longear sunfish that hit black Bully Spiders. Just as the Continue reading →
Frustrated by persistent rains and raging rivers, I’ve turned my attention to the upstream portion of smaller tributaries. My hope was that the smallmouth population sought more placid pools there. I spent midafternoon drifting North Fork Nymphs along the seams Continue reading →
Between threatening storms, I headed to a pond with an 8 wt. and a box of our size-2 Diving Frogs. Every shaded weed pocket and deadfall seemed to hold bass. After splashdown, the frog remained still for long seconds before Continue reading →
A small frog chorus happily serenaded me as I brought my float tube ashore following a fantastic late-evening pond trip. Forty fish fell for my minnow and bug imposters. Only one was a bass of 13 inches and only two Continue reading →
