I like fishing in the rain.
Maybe I’m weird… well, I know I’m weird… but for whatever the reason I really enjoy fishing in the rain. Now, I’m not talking about an all out downpour, or anything involving lightning, however if it’s slightly overcast, a bit drizzly, count me in. Especially living in Florida where any respite from the heat is appreciated.
Yesterday provided an excellent opportunity to get wet.
With some time to kill on Sunday afternoon, I decided to head over to one of the neighborhood ponds with the fly rod and see what I might be able to dredge up.
I started by tossing out a small ant pattern. I have no idea where it came from. I usually fish foam ants, not epoxy ants, but whatever… it quickly caught a small fish. Ding, ding, ding!
While that was productive, I really couldn’t see the fly all that well, so I decided to tie on a highly visible Booglebug. It was actually a Booglebug factory “second” that I bought in bulk on eBay. I don’t know what’s wrong with it, but you can see by the Sharpie over the branding, it didn’t measure up to the standards of other Booglebugs.
That said, the fish didn’t really care much. The fluorescent floater summoned some micro lunkers from the deep.
Cast that bad boy out there, let it plop down, twitch once, then pause – it usually ended up with a hit. Either from a bass or a bluegill, the latter of which often didn’t have a mouth quite large enough to accept my offering.
This continued for about two hours as I made my way around the pond in a clockwise fashion. The resident turtles were relentlessly following me around in a wolf pack, I suppose either thinking I was going to feed them in a direct (or indirect fashion). Fortunately, none of the fish I released appeared to get ambushed by the waiting turtles.
I will admit that it was fun casting a fly rod again. With all the tenkara fishing I’ve been doing lately, I was concerned I had forgotten how to get the job done. Sure, my line management skills were a little rusty, but I had no issues getting the fly out to where I wanted it to go. With no trips planned to trout water in the near future, I think I’ll be doing a bit more fly fishing (with a reel) in upcoming weeks. Maybe even (gasp!) dust off the 8-weight.
In any event, this was a fun little venture. And in my book, the rain only made it better.
Pond fishing – some of the best!
Disney ruined Star Wars <3
Give the keys to Filoni, Favreau, & Waititi and don't look back.
It scratches an itch.
Mike you picked a fine fly rod to change your style, probably not permanent though.
Hey Mike. A little late commenting, but I always loved those little ponds. The first photo brought back a ton of memories.
MichaelDon't you just love it when you see that popper get nailed by a gill or largemouth? It is second only to a hungry trout killing a dry on a silk smooth surface film. Just curious how many ponds do you have access to near your home? I have tried those reproduction boogle poppers which doesn't last long hitting those rock walls on Smith Lake. My lake season is nearing an end for this year, only a few more trips if the weather continues to get cooler. I start fishing the Sipsey Tailrace in the coming weeks. Thanks for sharing
Depends on what I'm chasing… Reels are fun, especially click & pawls.
Nice, a little late replying, but happy you swung by. So many ponds to choose from!
There's a ton of ponds in my development. Probably too many. Most have houses that ring them, so I don't like to fish those, even though I could. There's probably 6-8 that are solidly in common areas. I just know this one has nice sized fish in it, not that I ever get them.
Hi Mike! I've never heard of that bug, but hey… It worked great for those guys! Glad you got the fly rod out again. Pond fishing sure can bring out some fun species of fish! Hope the family is doing well. Take care and stay safe!