A Few Fly Tying Patterns

There were a few fly tying videos that were made available on YouTube last week.  They all look pretty amazing so I thought I would share them all with you.  Variety is the theme here too.  There is a foam popping bug, a big streamer and nymph.  Hopefully you see something that you want to tie and something that will help you put some fish in a net!

Sam's One Bug- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2UhUmra66c&t=2s

Wooly Sculpin from Fly Fishing the Ozarks- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=139DaD561XU

Mayfly Nymph from Black Fly Creations- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVhwrsAUS8Y

Mason's Success & Another Natural Hybrid

Mason, Cody, Waylon, and I fished at Watkins Mill together last night.  I should point out that neither of the boys jump at the chance to hit the water but always have fun once they get there.  Waylon on the other hand already understands the phrase "Wanna go fishing?"  We took both of the two-man boats.  Mason and Cody were in one while Waylon and I were in the other.  The fish were a little harder to find than the were a couple of mornings ago but eventually we located them.  They were also a little less aggressive and I missed a lot of takes.  I was hoping for the same scenario that I reported yesterday because I really wanted to the boys to experience some good fishing.

While they played around in their boat and ate snacks, I scouted and tried to find the right place and a fly the fish wanted.  In doing so, I caught a few fish myself.  Yes, that was to get the attention of the boys.  That's a classic parenting move.  Anyway, while bringing in a few fish, I think I caught another natural hybrid.  This one looks similar to yesterday's picture but the markings and coloration is a little different.  The fish definitely has more bluegill qualities but also has that red coloring on the gill flap.  The turquoise coloring also points to redear.  Regardless, it was an interesting catch.

Eventually, I talked Mason into wetting a line.  It didn't take him long to catch a small one and oddly enough, that was the fuel needed to light a fire.  Usually Mason likes to catch one fish and call it quits.  Sometimes he won't even fish unless, and these are his words, "The fish are active and I can catch a big one."  After that small fish though, he wanted a bigger one.  I was glad to see that motivation.  He ended up catching a slightly bigger bluegill and then caught a decent redear.  While he was taking some pictures with the redear, he got another bite but missed the fish.  I accidentally snapped some pictures of the situation that played out and the results were pretty funny.  

He ended up catching one more but the real success came in the independence he gained.  He was able to operate a boat (with his younger brother in it), cast a fly rod out of the boat, hook fish, unhook fish, and release fish.  He only had a couple of knots with the fly rod and only but one fly in one tree.  He was pretty proud of himself and even said out loud, "That was a lot of fun.  It's kind of boring when you're not catching fish but catching them was fun."  I was happy to hear him talk about something other than YouTube and see him smile at something other than an Xbox.  

Watkins Mill State Park Fishing Report- A Bluegill Bonanza

While it felt like I caught the same 7 inch, male bluegill about 30 times, it was still a heck of a morning at Watkins Mill State Park a couple of mornings ago.  There were a couple of streamer eaters but most fish were caught on a standard under an indicator.  I also caught a couple of redear and a 12 inch bass as well.  I also MIGHT have caught a natural hybrid too but I'm not sure.  It has some of the markings of a redear but also has some bluegill features as well.  I have caught natural hybrids before that looked a lot like this but they could very well have been redear that were just colored up in a unique way.  

All of the fish were caught near breaks in the aquatic vegetation.  At some points in the year, the fish will hide in the cabbage and ambush passers-by.  At this time of the year it seems that they could be looking for bedding areas or actively hunting in clearer water.  Either way, they bent a four weight really well and a lot of fish ended up in my hands and at the end of Waylon's nose.  Watkins Mill is a beautiful place and a good fishery.  While bass and bluegill are pretty plentiful, there are also crappie, catfish, and even hybrid stripers.  The hybrids are getting pretty close to 20 inches and with the lake only being 100 acres in size, a person with some good electronics might be able to locate them and catch a few.

Another picture of the potential hybrid.

A Good Night on an HOA Pond

Monday night I was able to hit my favorite HOA pond.  It can be a little moody at times but this time of year is usually pretty good for the bass, bluegill, and hybrid bluegill bight.  I hooked into a decent bass and one of the biggest bluegill I have ever caught.  All of the fish were caught on a black, bead head wooly.  I chose this fly because the water was a little high, a little stained, and the sky was overcast.  Those seem to be the perfect combination for a black wooly and it was nice to choose the fly that worked right out of the gates.  

Some of the best moments came when I was doing some spotting and stalking along the bank.  I was actually able to target active fish that seemed to be feeding in the shallows.  On two occasions I was able to catch the fish that I was observing...I think.  I might have caught other fish instead, but in my mind, it makes a better memory.  I actually saw v-shaped wakes chase down my fly before it got eaten.  Both the bass and the big bluegill were caught this way and it was pretty darn exciting!  

Whether you are new to fly fishing or are a seasoned veteran, don't overlook the bodies of water that could be right under your nose like HOA ponds, farm ponds, or conservation areas.  They can hold some good populations of fish and quality fish as well.

 

Lake Taneycomo Fishing Report from Saturday, May 29

Anytime I get to fish Lake Taneycomo is a good time!  There's a lot of fish, many of the fish are good sized (to me at least), and the scenery is beautiful.  What more could you ask for?  However, it's not all rainbows and unicorns.  I found that out on Saturday.  I knew the water was going to be high but that also meant that I was going to be able to take a boat to locations I had never fished before.  I thought that the fish would be hitting on white lures in the trophy area but the size of the trophy area was significantly larger due to the four generators and two flood gates moving water.  It appeared a little daunting prior to hitting the water but a healthy amount of pre fishing trip optimism can do wonders.

The theme of ups and downs continued throughout the day.  Don't get me wrong, you will read other fishing reports where people will claim that they slayed all day...and they probably did.  You will also read that other folks struck out entirely, which is also possible.  Our day was somewhere in between.

The idea of using a fly rod was almost nonexistent on this particular day.  I could have ran a 12 foot leader with a bunch of lead, a huge indicator, and picked moss off flies all day but that didn't sound like my cup of tea.  It sucks being stubborn by the way.  I instead opted for some heavy jigs fished on a spinning rod.  I chose to fish Lilley's marabou jigs and it was the right choice.  Every fish that we caught came on a 3/32 or 1/8 ounce jig with the 1/8 ounce jig outperforming its counterpart.  White was also the color of choice.  I was thinking that olive would be an option with the overcast skies but there must have been plenty of shad coming through the dam.  

Oddly enough, the first fish I caught would end up being the biggest of the day.  It was a beautiful 17 inch rainbow and was the highlight of the trip.  When that fish hit, my confidence went through the roof and I thought that we were on the pattern.  While we were indeed on the right track, the bites were few and far between.  We were probably fishing the wrong spots and I will be the first to admit that my jigging skills are less that stellar.  I chalk the low production up to my lack of experience and not the conditions.  At one point we went a few hours without a bite and I'll be honest, I was ready to quit.  I know!  It probably sounds as strange to read that as it was to type.  However, my stubbornness came out on top.  It's great to be stubborn by the way.  Eventually, Wendy and I found a groove just downstream from the boat ramp along the north shore.  I was able to pull about 5 fish out of there with many of them being beautiful and one of them in the 15-16 inch range.  I ended the day with 8-9 fish.  

It was a roller coaster of a day but it still produced some good memories.  Sure, we all want to boat 40 fish or more in a day, but how many of those will you remember?  Days like these make you appreciate every bite and every fish that ends up in the net.  It also helps to put things in perspective and bring about some humility which, in turn, presents learning opportunities.  Sometimes you just have to take some lumps and appreciate the rare success for a bitter-sweet day.  I take that back.  Any day on Lake Tanecyomo is sweet...as long as you boat at least a few.

Link to Lilley's Hand-Tied Marabou Jigs: https://lilleyslanding.com/marabou-jigs/