I have had a LOT of time to fish in the interim between my job at Covenant and my new job at Petsmart. Here are some recent photos with brief descriptions.
This is lake 36 out at Busch Wildlife; it was hot, but once the rain started it cooled off and the fishing really picked up. The Greenie below was taken just shortly after I took this picture.
I have had a lot of "luck" recently with beadhead prince and nymph patterns, and so I have been fishing those a lot. This 8" Green was taken on a #14 BH Pheasant-tail and put up a strong fight. The hole I found him in was bordered by rocks on the left and millfoil on the back and right, so I was really thankful I had stuck to a 3X tippet. The picture doesn't really do him justice; his mouth was enormous (Green Sunfish mouths always amaze me) and he was just as fat as could be.
This little 9"-10" LM was also taken on a beadhead nymph, but quite unexpectedly. I had a #18 on for sight fishing for bluegill and redears on lake 10 at Busch. I had just finished a strip-in and was neatening up my line when just in front of me I saw a LOT of movement. I suppose this guy just had the opportunity for a very small snack and took it; it's always funny to take larger fish on tiny flies (and the opposite is even funnier). Since he was hooked so close-in, he didn't get tired out fighting and was a real trouble maker out of the water. (Just for perspective, a buddy caught a 17.5" LM from 36 just a few days ago, also on a 3wt).
Here is one of my largest 'gills to date. This was from a private pond. I had been fishing a BH nymph but decided to switch it up a bit and tied on a #14 Olive Drab Crackleback. I had heard something about how these are great fished deep and slow--and they ARE! I caught two more just like this one seconds after the cast letting the fly sink down. I'm always astonished how hard these little fish fight, pull and jump, but this one put the rest to shame. I was convinced it was a bass until I got a look at him. One thing I've learned about anything nymph or beadhead--they take them
deep really quickly; only about 1 in 6 arrives with the hookeye outside the mouth.
And here is my trophy bass. I challenge anyone to catch a smaller one!
This is lake 36 out at Busch Wildlife; it was hot, but once the rain started it cooled off and the fishing really picked up. The Greenie below was taken just shortly after I took this picture.
I have had a lot of "luck" recently with beadhead prince and nymph patterns, and so I have been fishing those a lot. This 8" Green was taken on a #14 BH Pheasant-tail and put up a strong fight. The hole I found him in was bordered by rocks on the left and millfoil on the back and right, so I was really thankful I had stuck to a 3X tippet. The picture doesn't really do him justice; his mouth was enormous (Green Sunfish mouths always amaze me) and he was just as fat as could be.
This little 9"-10" LM was also taken on a beadhead nymph, but quite unexpectedly. I had a #18 on for sight fishing for bluegill and redears on lake 10 at Busch. I had just finished a strip-in and was neatening up my line when just in front of me I saw a LOT of movement. I suppose this guy just had the opportunity for a very small snack and took it; it's always funny to take larger fish on tiny flies (and the opposite is even funnier). Since he was hooked so close-in, he didn't get tired out fighting and was a real trouble maker out of the water. (Just for perspective, a buddy caught a 17.5" LM from 36 just a few days ago, also on a 3wt).
Here is one of my largest 'gills to date. This was from a private pond. I had been fishing a BH nymph but decided to switch it up a bit and tied on a #14 Olive Drab Crackleback. I had heard something about how these are great fished deep and slow--and they ARE! I caught two more just like this one seconds after the cast letting the fly sink down. I'm always astonished how hard these little fish fight, pull and jump, but this one put the rest to shame. I was convinced it was a bass until I got a look at him. One thing I've learned about anything nymph or beadhead--they take them deep really quickly; only about 1 in 6 arrives with the hookeye outside the mouth.
And here is my trophy bass. I challenge anyone to catch a smaller one!
I like the pictures!
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