My Second Home Lake

 This post was supposed to be about learning the Euro Nymph fishing technique fishing the Sipsey Tailrace. That trip got washed away with heavy generation occurring on the tailrace below the dam on Smith Lake. This time of the year is a tuff time to try to fish the tailrace or the lake because of generation. So I loaded the Pelican Boat in the back of my truck and headed for Walker Lake. I seldom fish this lake with my Bass Tracker because it's much easier to navigate the small nooks that make up the body of the lake. My fishing season always starts each year on Walker Lake because its waters warm up much quicker than a large lake the size of Smith. 

Cold and clear lake water was what I was going to be fishing for today. The water temp was 55 degrees, which is the coldest I've ever fished here. The county is still recovering from the 12 to 15-degree temps we experienced the week earlier. I knew today was going to be a challenge but I was up for the task and just glad to be on the water!

A quality bass on the Yellow Gant, which was the last one I had in my fly box. This fly brings back a lot of memories because it is a fly my brother, who passed away a couple of years ago had tied for him and me some years ago. He also had the same pattern tied in black and red. I've written posts concerning this fly over the years. I like to fish the Gnat using a slow retrieve while watching for line movement. Even in the cold water, this bass put up quite a fight against my 7 1/2 ft. Redington 2wt.

A better view of the fly with red added as an attractor. 

The bass and this Shellcracker are two fish I seldom catch on this lake, but today I got to touch both species. I got my best fight of the day from this fish. As quick as it hit the Gnat he headed for deep water making me think I had a large bass or one of the big carps that roam the lake. The poppers didn't work on this day all they wanted was something slow and easy to latch onto. 

Hugh, Huge Bluegill Landed on Ryan Creek

I decided to see if I could land some super gills Friday by fishing before a weather front coming in on Saturday. Your fish-catch ratio can improve fishing before a front. I couldn't ask for a better morning with cloudy skies and very low humidity to fish the popper and black gnat on Smith Lake. In fact, I had clouds overhead until 10 AM after that the sun took over and the bite practically stop.

This scene is why I love to fish Smith Lake. One of my favorite banks in Ryan Creek to fish, I've landed numerous bluegills and spots from this area.

This bluegill was taken using the Barr Nunn popper letting it sit motionless for what seemed like forever for a hit----but the patience paid off. This was the way the bluegill wanted the fly the first hour of the morning; a complete contrast from the spawn where the fish will kill the fly as soon as it touches the water.

 The bass wasn't as active as the bluegills, which was alright with me, because the mission today was to improve on my bluegill numbers. This spot gives the 4 weight quite a workout making me think he was much larger.

The prize of the morning was this monster bull gill taken using the black gnat fishing with the sink-tip line. The last spawn ended the first week in August on Smith Lake and this bluegill showed the signs of that spawn. He was not in good shape as far as body weight. He would have weight in at a pound before the spawn but today he tipped the scales at 12 ounces. Both big bulls deserved their freedom after an epic fight against the 5 weight------GOT TO LOVE LANDING THESE BIG BLUEGILLS USING THE FLY ROD!!!

When Poppers Fail Part Two

If you are a fly fisherman, then you have fished surface poppers and landed fish using them. There are times when the popper isn't as productive as you've like for it to be, today was one of those days. A lot of factors always affects the fish bite on a big lake like Smith. Falling water, clear blue skies, heavy rains off and on for the past week can put a dent in how the fish will react to any lure presented their way. When conditions get tough then one has to experiment and work harder for the bite, whether you are fishing warm waters or cold waters.

I started the morning at daybreak fishing silk smooth water, perfect for popper action. The rock walls wouldn't give up the quality spots or bluegills this morning using the size 4 Boogle Bug, neither would the Barr Nunn popper produce. As I worked the walls I encountered sticky humid conditions so bad that the seats in the boat were moist. Thank goodness the humid conditions improved some after sunrise. 

I retired the poppers after an hour of landing a couple of small gills; when I say small I mean the kind you could actually false cast with. Lucky I had my 5 weight spooled with the sink tip line that I hadn't used since 2015. I like to fish a short leader when casting the sink tip usually 6 ½ to 7 ft. I've found that I can control the cast better and get a little more distance using the shorter leader.

The black gnat tied to the short leader was the fly that got the most action during the 3-hour trip. Four nice gills like this gem produced 16 fillets giving Cathey and I a delicious meal mixed with a green salad and sweet tea.  

The Quest Begins

I finally get to fish between the heavy rains, we have been experiencing here in Alabama. What a great day to start my bluegill quest for this season. The temps were in the seventies with the water temp reading 65 which is on the verge of the spawn. Some of the big gills were on the move and staking out areas close to cover in water four to five feet deep just off the shaded banks.

My first nice bull of the morning was taken hugging the shaded bank in the brush pile. The Black Gant got its attention. I’m glad I was using my 9 ft. 4 wt. otherwise I would’ve had trouble landing it.

I felt like the top image could grace the wall of any den, with its lush green canopy of trees lining the banks of this nook. RFD's FlyBox Foam Butt Caddis would get a savage hit on the other side of the sunken tree; again shade and cover was the ally for this nice gill. I thought I had found the honey hole, but again the fish were not bunched to spawn; one fish and keep casting. 

I would end the day landing numerous small bluegills and this fighter on my 3 weight. I feel good about actually accomplishing this year’s quest because I’m back on my home waters; 23 away from the finish.