A 60-degree day with full sun forced me to enjoy a small pond in the hope that the warmth would entice bluegills to suspend a couple of feet over deep water. It’s a pattern I have fished many times before, but it usually occurs in late winter or very early spring. If the surface temperature rises a few degrees, some of the bluegill population will be drawn to it, and their metabolisms will be elevated so that they will be more aggressive. In most circumstances, fish will shun the bright sunlight, but this is a rare exception. In these conditions, fish will not forage in the shallows but instead will suspend over deep water and feed opportunistically. This requires a rod capable of 40- to 50-foot casts even if there is a stiff breeze. It’s also important to select lightly-colored, nearly neutrally-buoyant fly. The light colors will reflect the most light and will be most visible to the fish. I have never found bluegills to be “schooled up” in this situation. They are single fish, which require the angler to stay on the move and cast over different areas. This fishing is seldom fast, but it can be very satisfying. Unweighted size-12 white or yellow Bully Spiders enabled the capture of 15 bluegills in a couple of hours of midafternoon casting. The fish were located at 2 to 3 feet of depth, and my unweighted flies were counted to that depth then slowly retrieved.
Think It’s Too Cold To Fish? Read This . . .
