A few nights ago, I got the chance to go to Watkins Mill State Park to chase some hybrid striped bass and test out some flies. My hope was that the hybrids would be chasing shad to the surface because it was hot and a calm night. As luck would have it, that is exactly what they started doing. It was my goal to hook a big one by trolling a streamer on a sinking line. After unsuccessfully trying that (and probably giving up on the idea a little early) I switched over to trolling a couple of woolies on floating line. I just couldn't resist seeing the fish busting the surface and not throwing at them. I managed to catch one small one which was a little disappointing but better than getting skunked.
I also field tested the new dragon tail gurgler. This too was a little disappointing because at first, it just didn't have the wiggle that I was hoping for. When it is twitched, it has a little action in the tail and then turns sideways in the water. Maybe those are good things, and maybe they aren't. I haven't really made my mind up on that yet. When it is on a constant retrieve, the tail has good action but that can be hard to achieve with a fly. The material stood up to about 20 casts or so which was good because it's a cheap child's toy and I was pessimistic about whether it could stand the abuse of being cast.
Overall, it was a night where I learned a few things. I need to fish this fly more and troll deeper for bigger hybrids again. Thank goodness there is still some summer left for both!
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