Thursday, June 2, 2011

Rock, Bluegill, Spots, Largemouth Combo


Little did I know this morning at 3:45 AM, which by the way is the time I crawled out of bed I would land a four species combo? Why so early to go fishing? Well in the Deep South especially during the summer months, you have to be on the water early to avoid the heat and humidity. After 10 AM it starts to get humid and hot and the longer you stay on the water the more it feels like a sauna bath. In other words don’t brother to go the gym and sit in a sauna, just get out in this weather and in a few minutes your clothes are all wet and you have accomplished the bath.
Back to the combo where it all started with the typical Kentucky Spot which Smith Lake is famous for and shortly later a good largemouth . Both these fish were taken on the size 4 Boggle Bug Popper using my 5 wt Redington 8 ½ ft. As the morning progressed I picked up a few more Spots and a another largemouth. Both of these fish were taken on a size 8 orange popper using my Temple Fork 4 wt. The 4 wt. also help me land some nice bluegill and one Rock Bass which gave me the combo. This was not one of those hot popper days. The fish were somewhat finicky so I started to scan through for fly box for a different color popper. As the morning progressed I fish through 4 different colors and two different patterns. Yellow was really early, followed by a white and then I lost a turquoise popper because I didn’t brother to check my line at the fly eye, and it broke off with a tiny gill, which may still be swimming with my $4.00 Boggle Bug Popper. Around 8:30 I tied on the Green Grasshopper, which I could see after some casting that it was too close to the color of the water and it was put back into the fly box. The trip ended  around 10 AM with the Orange size 8 popper which actually produced most of the fish I landed. It is an amazing little fly because it is so unusual in color and has black legs not white legs to compliment the look. I have used this fly for the past couple of years and it always seems to rescue me on slow popper days. Today’s conditions were a slight wind out of the south, with water temps hovering around 85, which I think before by the end of the day would have reached 87. Some days fishing with the poppers produce violet hits, but today all the takes were very sudtle with the fish rolling onto the fly. Sudtle or violet I'll take the hits either way. Charles made the trip with me today, and I hope we can get together again real soon.
Sorry for the dark image, but it was still dark when I took this picture of my first spot of the day on the Boogle Yellow Popper
This largemouth kills this white popper deep down
A nice largemouth on the white popper, no this fish did not die, he had a small cut in the roof of his mouth from the popper hook, I watched him swim off.
This big gill gave the 4wt all it wanted, it made numerous deep runs before it finally gave up. Great fighter.
This 2lb. largemouth was taken on the little orange popper, he just roll on the popper, no violet hit
Nice Rock Bass on the orange popper, first one of this season
This big gill inhaled the orange popper deep in its throat. Forceps was the ticket to get to the popper
Last Spot of the day on the little orange popper
One good meal from these 3 bulls
I will be getting more of these little bugs



12 comments:

  1. That's one slab gill in the middle of your picture sequence. Always rewarding to find a fly that produces.

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  2. Very Nice! You have got to get up early to get those. Geez, its been in the high 90s down here and brutal during the day. Great catch!

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  3. Michael
    This little fly seems to work when nothing else will. I don't know what the color reminds the fish of. Thanks for the comment

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  4. Year
    Thanks for the commnet, the weather is brutal here also, today is 98--heat index 108--ready for fall and winter.

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  5. Hey Bill. What is hot and humid? We had a blazing high of 60 yesterday with rain due tonight through Monday. It may never get warm in California. On top of that, I understand that several of the lakes upcountry are still frozen over. Burrrrrr. The Word Verification is chainge. We could use some change.

    Mark

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  6. Nice fish Bill. Always great to catch them on top water. My Safety Cone Slayer popper works great as well. It also has black and orange legs. Sometimes it is the little things that make a difference.

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  7. 4's a charm! Nice to get all that business taken care of before the heat of the day....great looking fish!

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  8. Mark
    We need some of those cool temps down this way, I am ready for fall and summer hasn't even begun here yet. Thanks for the commnet

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  9. Sanders
    The humidity is worst than the heat, by mid morining it really starts up. thanks for the comment

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  10. J & M
    I really like to fish the poppers and yes the little details can make a big difference. thanks for the comment

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  11. Doesn't get much better then top water bass. Nice job on the slam Bill.

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  12. Blake
    I agree top water is the best when it comes to fly fishing. Thanks for the comment

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