Dusted Off Fly Rod

[papaperch]

Haven't used me old buggy whip in a decade or so. Noticed quite a lot of surface activity on previous trip to a local pond. So I packed my little 4 weight a handfull of bluegill baits.

I forgot how much pure fun gills can be with the flea rod. It was pure murder and the strikes were downright vicious. Just a little yellow popper with a royal coachman as a dropper fly ties about four inches back . None of the gills exceeded 8 inches and even caught one that looked like he was an egg last year. But probably caught and released well over a 100. I released all of them as I have plenty of fish to eat.

Took the time to snap a pic of two of them one on the dropper and one on the popper. It was just non-stop fun. Was casting toward some trees that line the pond. It was a little breezy and the fish were making an easy living on the bugs being blown in or trying to hatch. I was surprised how quick my casting skill returned to me.  The gills just bent the h out of that little rod and for awhile I was 12 years old again.

 

[Hawnjigs]

Yup, nice you remember how it felt to be 12 yrs old. Got my 1st rod & reel that year.

 

[LedHed]

Awesome!!!!

 

[papaperch]

My paternal grandpa had me fishing at 3 years old. With a short cane pole he hand made just for me. My maternal grandpa had me fly fishing at eight years old. My dad was just flat out crazy about fishing. When I reached 12 years of age the fly fishing Grandpa. Presented me with a fly rod . He had won several trout contests and the normal " trophy " was a fly rod.

I wished I still had it. For the life of me I don't remember what happened to it. My mother may have thrown it away while I was overseas. It had a canvas case with two extra tips and all rolled up and broke down to three piece fit in a steel tube. The steel case was beaten up and didn't look very good. So she may have mistaken it for just normal junk and never looked inside.

 

[duffy]

Sounds like an excellent Day! Those are some might fat gills, I can imagine them fighting pretty good.

 

[AtticaFish]

Fun stuff. Glad you got to knock the cob-webs off. I actually got my fly rod out last night..... you kind of inspired me to give it a few throws. It was quite enjoyable and already thinking about pulling it out again for the weekend.

 

[AllenOK]

Nice report!

I absolutely love getting into a mess of 'gills on a popper or hopper with a fly rod. It really does take you back to when you're a kid.