Epic Day Fly Fishing

 This post follows up on the one I did a couple of weeks ago, which involved Jason's fishing trips to Smith Lake with me and our trip to Oak Mountain State Park for some top action using the Boggle poppers. 

For those unfamiliar with the park, it is the largest park in Alabama, covering 11,644 acres, and with the new addition of the 1600 acres of Belcher, trach, which has two small 15-acre lakes, it will become even larger. The main park has three larger lakes, each covering 85 acres and one covering 75 acres. The 75-acre lake has a beech and paddle boats to rent. Miles and miles of trials are available for those who enjoy hacking. 

Jason and I decided to fish on the 85-acre Beaver Lake this past Sunday morning at daylight using my 10E Pelican boat. We were the only ones fishing the lake, which was a plus because you don't need someone fishing ahead of you, either landing the fish you are trying to catch or disturbing fish that may not be hitting another individual's bait. 

It was a perfect fall morning to cast some poppers without dealing with humidity. We were working the edges of weed beds using a smaller version of the boggle popper in size 6. The water was extremely clear, and I've found that a smaller popper works best in clear water as opposed to a larger popper. Within thirty minutes of fishing, Jason proved my point. 

He landed this giant largemouth using his 8 fl. Temple Fork 4wt fly rod paired with a 7 1/2 ft. leader tipped with 5X tippet. The fish hit light, making us think it was a smaller bass or bluegill. The minute it inhaled the popper, it went for the weeds instead of the deep water. Jason was able to lead the fish back into deep water, and after a 3-minute tug of war, I netted the fish for him. It was the largest bass he ever landed using the fly rod, making it special. This bass was the largest bass ever landed by a Trussell fly fishing. It was an epic morning for Jason, and I am glad I was along for the ride. A few smaller bass were taken before we left, but nothing compared to this fish, which was released to fight another day. 

If you want to see how he managed to get the fish to the boat without the bass breaking his fly rod and tippet, take a look at the video. You will see my fly line in the water, which got tangled with the fish, but it didn't affect getting the bass to the net. 

Guys, I had no scales or tape measure in the boat, but we both agreed it was between 5 and 6 lbs.

Looking Forward to Spring

 The coming months are considered a slowdown in my fishing trips, especially on the lake. Lucky for me, I don't live in the frigid Northeast or out West. Hats off to any of you guys who brave the elements to wet a fly in the streams or rivers in that part of the country. Here, 30 degrees is considered super cold. So, I will occasionally visit the tailrace to land a few rainbows and keep abreast of the latest fly fishing news compliments of the internet.   

I have been following a couple, Torin and Paige Rouse, who are walking across America, all fifty states. Their travels are being done in loops, which will take two and a half years. Their first loop started in Chillicothe, Missouri their home state, traveling west into Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma. They made their way into Alabama on Monday starting their next loop into Florida, then Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and farther northward. If you would like to join me as a follower of their website   Walking America Couple

This couple makes me wish I was young again! 

One of my recent trips to Smith Lake with my son, Jason, is still fresh in my memory. The trip occurred in June when the water temperature was 70 degrees. Jason landed this 12" plus spotted bass using his Streamflex 4 wt. 9ft. flyrod. The drag on his Gloomis fly reel engaged several times while landing the bass. He was using a 6X tippet which is the reason he was careful landing the bass. This size spotted bass on a light fly rod such as a 3 or 4 wt. can pop a light tippet quick. 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

Time Lost

 I'm back after missing the month of September without submitting a post. Cathey and I have been busy with our Grandchildren and helping our son finish work on his house in Birmingham. This has been the longest time for me to go without fishing in the fall. One of my fishing partners decided a while back that he was getting too old to fly fish anymore, so that was another setback in my days fishing on the lake. I hope to find another fly fishing partner for next season. There are only so many fly-fishing guys located in Jasper, Alabama. I am glad Jason came home last week, which allowed me to catch up on fishing at Smith Lake. 

We managed to land a couple of Spotted Bass fishing the rock wall in the background using a couple of streamer patterns. The crawfish and the bluegill streamers were the patterns the bass were hitting using a slow-motion retrieve. The hits were light and not as aggressive as in the Spring. The water temp has cooled to 70 degrees, which accounts for the slower takes. 

The Fall colors are starting to take shape on the lake. It was good to be out on the water and feel the tug of a fish on the streamers. During this time of the year, the pull-down is on, meaning the lake is now at its lowest of the season. 

-

We were surprised when I got this largemouth bass to soft-hit my boggle bug popper. We kept thinking we would get a take on the top before we left, and this bass proved us right! A great way to end the afternoon! 

Fall Popper Action

 Fly fishing in the fall compared to fly fishing in the spring for warm water species is different when it comes to catch ratio. In the spring the fish are more active and move into the shallows to feed and get ready for the spawn. The fall brings cooler water temps, low water levels, and cold fronts that cause the fish to become dormant. This time of year tests your skills as a warm-water fly fisherman if you fish small bodies of water or large lakes. As the water cools the fish tend to move to deeper water causing one to work harder for a hit on surface flies and poppers. 

Friday's trip fishing Smith was planned before I ever left the house knowing I was going to fish on top using  Bea's popper in a size 8. This popper is not large but still got the attention of some of the spotted bass lingering near the walls. This bass slapped at the popper twice before it finally inhale it. I've noticed the hits are not as aggressive when the water temps are colder. Today the surface temps were ranging between 63 to 65 degrees. Patience is the key when fishing surface poppers on the water this cold. 

All the hits today occurred 7 to 8 ft. away from the walls; this area showed a depth of 40 ft. away from the wall. I like to fish in an area of water like this that is silky smooth. Moving the surface fly with a little twitch can at times get a reaction in the water this deep. 

The only bluegill of the morning which is unusual when the water temps are this cold. My four-weight 9 ft. was the only fly rod that got tested today. I will have my five-weight 9ft. spooled with a sink-tip line using a wooly bugger or a streamer for the next trip. It's hard to stray away from the top action knowing at any minute you might connect with a super size spotted bass. 

I will continue to fish Smith until the water temps fall below 60 degrees. After the season ends on the lake I will move to the tailrace and fish for the rainbow below the dam using my Euro Nymphing ten-foot fly rod.