Last year I guided for a Casting for Recovery event in northern CT. It was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed introducing a cancer survivor to fly fishing while supporting this great organization. This year’s event was just as special. The weather was perfect and we had a chance to cast to a lake filled with bass and bream. My partner had never been fishing, so it was a real treat to see her cast and experience the tug of a large fish. Special thanks to the Mianus TU chapter. Not only did the chapter members donate their time, they tied some really nice flies for us to use.If you have a chance to support an organization like this, do it. You’ll have a great day on the water and a chance to share your passion for this sport with someone who will greatly appreciate it. Enjoy!
bream
Bass After The Rain
I really need to check the weather app on my phone more often.
For Saturday afternoon, I planned a quick kayak fishing trip to a local lake. It was the first day of the year that you could comfortably wear shorts, and my cadaver-white legs were in need of some sun and exercise.
I unloaded the kayak on the bank, set up my rig, a 9′ 5wt with a frog popper, and grabbed the paddle, life vest and fly box. It was a somewhat overcast sky with a few clouds as I cast off, but nothing that looked imminently dangerous.
What a difference 15 minutes makes. Once across the lake, winds quickly changed and a dark band of towering cumulonibus clouds rolled in. Strong wind raced through the trees. Heavy drops began to break the previously glassy surface of the water. What I hoped would be a sunshower intensified with heavy winds, thunder, lightening and pounding rain, turning the landscape into a monochromatic squall.
With limited options to reach the bank, I paddled back towards the car. I left the kayak and gear on the bank and spent the next 30 minutes sitting in my soaked clothes watching the lake take a pounding by winds and rain.
And just as quickly as it came in, it was gone. Blue skies returned and the water turned glassy again. I returned to the kayak and drained the gallon or so of water that had collected in the bottom. I checked my gear and paddled out again, this time with much better results.
The fishing started out slow, but I picked up a number of bream that looked remarkably like this guy.
Then I headed to the part of the lake with slower moving water.
I usually don’t visit this section of the lake because it’s typically choked with lilypads and logs, and is home to one less-than-friendly beaver. It’s a trade off – I give him his space and he doesn’t chase me around the lake pounding his tail and scaring the fish. This agreement has worked for two summers.
That said, it is still early in the season and the area is fairly navigable. The storm had left the surface littered with small twigs, leaves and pollen, but nothing too severe.
I began casting into smaller coves holding water that looked like dirty motor oil. I continued to pull out bream but also discovered bass as well. I had several non-bream strikes, and was able to bring this one to hand.
He fought, flipped and jumped, but once inside the boat, held still while I took a couple of pics. I was really surprised to bring him in on relatively light tackle.
As with the bream from this lake, the colors on this bass were deep and ranged from green and black to copper and brown. He looked really healthy.
If you’re heading out this time of year, take my advice and check your weather app before you hit the water. Enjoy!
A Day of Spring
For most of us in New England, spring has been slow in coming this year. April continued to deliver snow and cold, and the heavy rains of the past two days have left us with with flooding, washed out roads and streams swollen with water that could be easily mistaken for chocolate milk.
But May is already starting to show promise. This morning started off with rain and fog, but by the afternoon it was blue skies and temps in the 70’s. After work I fired up the grill for some steaks, and found that there was enough time after dinner to spend some time at the local pond.
It was great to see these guys again. Their colors seemed to have deepened over the winter, and they were eager to take anything from a popper to a wooly bugger.
Best of all, as the sun set the temps did not drop dramatically, making it a comfortable walk back to the car.
Hope you’re getting out for some early spring action. Enjoy!
My First Fish of 2014
Saturday was opening day of trout season in Connecticut. My first fish was . . . not a trout.
That’s right. Instead of hitting a local river for rainbows, browns and brookies, I spent most of the day waiting for a plumber to arrive and unclog a bathroom sink.
The first plumber I called promised to arrive by noon, but at 4pm I was still waiting. I called another service which arrived around 5pm, and by the time he was finished I had about an hour of fishable daylight.
I loaded up the truck and headed to a lake that’s about a mile from my house. When I arrived there were no rises, so I tied on a small red popper and soon had a strike. Within the next few casts I landed a solid little bream.
The sun was setting the air temperature was falling fast. I headed home, happy to at least score one fish on opening day.
For those of you who are keeping score, this is not only my first fish of the year, but also my first post of 2014. A new job, family responsibilities and spring weather that took forever to get here all contributed to my absence.
Happy Easter to all!
November Scenes
Haven’t had much of a chance to get out and fish recently. Mostly short trips to the local ponds. Here are a few phone pics that I took along the way.
Yesterday I spent a couple of hours prospecting with a small black caddis pattern. Pulled in a few of these.
Hope you get out and try some November fishing. Enjoy!