Carrying a 3 wt., floating line, a 9′ leader tapered to 4X, and a size-10 black Bully Spider, I crunched across a gravel bar in search of Green Sunfish and Longear Sunfish. Deadfalls divert the current from protected pockets in Continue reading →
A hunt for big bass sent me to a pond armed with an 8 wt., 4 i.p.s. (inches per second) sinking line, and a 4-ft. length of 16-lb. tippet, and our H.O.T. (acronym for “Hold On Tight”) Streamer in the Continue reading →
Recent rain showers left our nearby stream stained, which raised concern that the fish would be unable to locate our flies visually. Our Ozark Woolly Bugger, with its bead head, was the logical choice for “rock-banging” presentations. It would enable Continue reading →
A falling barometer meant the pond’s microorganisms would be rising to the surface and that minnows and small baitfish would follow. In turn, the bass and bluegills would follow. A black sponge spider with red and black banded legs proved Continue reading →
As one who is willing to fly fish in any environment for any species, I must confess to a lifelong passion for wading warmwater streams. Nature’s beauty, quality fishing, and solitude provide an overwhelming inducement to continue slogging up and Continue reading →
A day or two ago, the river I chose to fish was slightly off-color from recent rains, but that shouldn’t have caused an hour and a half of fruitless casting. Suddenly, the wind quickened and distant thunder announced a downpour. Continue reading →
A quick-hitting rain soaked me while float tubing a pond. The fish continued to hit size-12 black Bluegill Buggers as long as they were slowly retrieved near bottom. One bass of 12 inches and 20 bluegills to 9 inches were Continue reading →
The massive heatwave has delayed our pond fishing to late in the evening and beyond into darkness. In the last hour before sunset, we targeted bluegills at the edge of the weedline with Bully’s Bluegill Spiders. Most of the 8-inch Continue reading →
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 →
