TR: Winding Down at the Pond...

First warm shot today in a good week, and with the
season already getting late, I couldn't resist the call
of the Fairgrounds pond after work. Since we've been
seeing 20s in the mornings for several in a row, there's
little doubt that such small water is either turned over
or well on the way to it. Lord knows what mood the fish
would be in, but I was more than ready to find out. :-)

Had a fair breeze blowing (what else is new? :-), and
the trees bankside had dropped a good number of leaves on
the water. Water was *real* low -- low as I've seen, and
a good 4+' below the high water mark. Not sure how deep
the pond really is, but I wouldn't expect maximum depth
would make 10' now.

It'd warmed up to around 70F, and although the clouds
had also moved in, watching the water showed a fair hatch
of small midges coming off. In calm zones around the pond,
there were occasional rises. Being that I'd seen black
midge larvae/pupae about a month ago, I decided to tie
on a #20 black Palomino midge emerger, and would dead
drift that along the wind lanes. Hit the antron "wing"
with a bit of floatant, threw the line, and left it sit.
For such a small fly, the thing was visible, more or less
a good 30'+ from my position. Given my eyes, that's pretty
decent visibility! :-)

The fish rose sporadically, so I couldn't determine
any sort of pattern to guide my casting. Watched for where
the most activity was, and cast to the middle of that. Not
a bad strategy, as I shortly saw a bulge under the fly and
set the hook. A bit too enthusiastic set for a #20 fly,
though. Could feel the fish there for the split second it
took to get the line too tight, and *ping*, it was gone.

Checked the fly, and all was OK, so I threw to the
latest set of rises. Waited, waited, and then the bulge
came, and I didn't rip the lips off the fish this time. :-)
Played the fish too hard, though, and it got off after a
decent fight.

Well, at least they are there, and some are willing
to play. :-) When the wind would come up, it'd put the
fish down, even though bugs continued to come off. The
fish seemed quite skittish, and one had to pick one's spot
just so to have a chance at getting one interested. I'd
rigged up with a couple feet of 5X flurocarbon tippet so
that I wouldn't have leader on the surface near the fly.
With the floatant on the antron, this worked a treat.

Made another cast, and left the fly sit a good while
before I had a rise. Maybe 10 minutes or so. *This* time,
I did everything right, and brought an 8" bluegill to hand.
Waited to see where they were rising after the wind sent
them down again, and cast to the spot. Time passed, and
finally a fish obliged, and a 6" bluegill came to hand
in short order.

Fished an hour and a half total. Hooked six, landed
three, running 6-8". Not fast and furious action, but
*any* dry fly action on bluegill is good, especially this
late in the season, and coming out of a cold spell to boot.
Every fish was somewhat bittersweet, as there won't be
*too* many days left before the snow and ice claim their
hold on the land, and the rods are put away until spring.
If we're lucky, there might be a month left. I'll be
taking advantage of every decent day left! :-)

Todd (remove hook to reply)

A fine trip report. Thanks for the continuing series. I feel like I know
this pond now.

Joe C.


"Todd Enders" wrote in message
...

First warm shot today in a good week, and with the
season already getting late, I couldn't resist the call
of the Fairgrounds pond after work. Since we've been
seeing 20s in the mornings for several in a row, there's
little doubt that such small water is either turned over
or well on the way to it. Lord knows what mood the fish
would be in, but I was more than ready to find out. :-)

Had a fair breeze blowing (what else is new? :-), and
the trees bankside had dropped a good number of leaves on
the water. Water was *real* low -- low as I've seen, and
a good 4+' below the high water mark. Not sure how deep
the pond really is, but I wouldn't expect maximum depth
would make 10' now.

It'd warmed up to around 70F, and although the clouds
had also moved in, watching the water showed a fair hatch
of small midges coming off. In calm zones around the pond,
there were occasional rises. Being that I'd seen black
midge larvae/pupae about a month ago, I decided to tie
on a #20 black Palomino midge emerger, and would dead
drift that along the wind lanes. Hit the antron "wing"
with a bit of floatant, threw the line, and left it sit.
For such a small fly, the thing was visible, more or less
a good 30'+ from my position. Given my eyes, that's pretty
decent visibility! :-)

The fish rose sporadically, so I couldn't determine
any sort of pattern to guide my casting. Watched for where
the most activity was, and cast to the middle of that. Not
a bad strategy, as I shortly saw a bulge under the fly and
set the hook. A bit too enthusiastic set for a #20 fly,
though. Could feel the fish there for the split second it
took to get the line too tight, and *ping*, it was gone.

Checked the fly, and all was OK, so I threw to the
latest set of rises. Waited, waited, and then the bulge
came, and I didn't rip the lips off the fish this time. :-)
Played the fish too hard, though, and it got off after a
decent fight.

Well, at least they are there, and some are willing
to play. :-) When the wind would come up, it'd put the
fish down, even though bugs continued to come off. The
fish seemed quite skittish, and one had to pick one's spot
just so to have a chance at getting one interested. I'd
rigged up with a couple feet of 5X flurocarbon tippet so
that I wouldn't have leader on the surface near the fly.
With the floatant on the antron, this worked a treat.

Made another cast, and left the fly sit a good while
before I had a rise. Maybe 10 minutes or so. *This* time,
I did everything right, and brought an 8" bluegill to hand.
Waited to see where they were rising after the wind sent
them down again, and cast to the spot. Time passed, and
finally a fish obliged, and a 6" bluegill came to hand
in short order.

Fished an hour and a half total. Hooked six, landed
three, running 6-8". Not fast and furious action, but
*any* dry fly action on bluegill is good, especially this
late in the season, and coming out of a cold spell to boot.
Every fish was somewhat bittersweet, as there won't be
*too* many days left before the snow and ice claim their
hold on the land, and the rods are put away until spring.
If we're lucky, there might be a month left. I'll be
taking advantage of every decent day left! :-)

Todd (remove hook to reply)