My first choice for today’s trip was the Sipsey
Tailrace. I knew with the overcast skies the trout would be feeding on top, but
Mike wanted to fish the lake for largemouth. We were fishing the back of some
of the sloughs trying to locate spawning bluegills. It was a slow morning with
both of us landing a few fish, me fishing my fly rod and Mike fishing his spin
cast/combo. As we were leaving I decided to fish one of my favorite rock walls
in Ryan Creek
After landing a few small
gills near the edges of the wall using the Barr Nunn popper; I connected with
what I thought was good bluegill stationed inches away from the edge of the
wall. The fish didn’t take the popper aggressively like the big
bluegills I catch. It did swim fast to deep water as all the fish I land from
the walls do, which caused me to take up the slackline at a feverish pace. After
getting the fish on the reel the drag started to sing and then I knew this was a
bigger fish and maybe not a bluegill but a big spot. After playing the fish and
getting it within viewing distance in the super clear water I knew I had a
supersize gill. As I lifted the bluegill in the boat I told Mike that he might be the largest bluegill I’d ever landed using the fly rod. The bluegill nailed the popper in water 30 ft. deep and made a run
for freedom in water 55 ft. deep. I know this fish was not in the spawning
mode, because of the depth he was in. No fish were kept today and that included
my prize catch. I released him not only for his heroic fight but because of his
size and colorful markings.
