So, I set out this morning to a standard westside lowland lake, hoping to find bass looking up, but alas, the 55° water still has them sulking.
Since this lake has recently been stocked and the trout were showing themselves, I settled in to play.
My standard go-to lake flies (black leech, olive willy, soft hackle, etc) were getting only occasional interest.
Now, the last time I fished - different lake - I had tried out a goofy fly I'd tied up for kicks; multicolored foam "beads" threaded onto a hook and given a coat of SHHAN, with a tail added. It had gotten hit so hard then that I lost it on the first cast, trolled with 3X on a sinking line like a booby.
I tied another last night, and put it on today, but on an intermediate line this time:
Immediately caught 3 fish, then it again got hit so hard it broke off the 3X. It resurfaced a minute later and I retrieved it. A fish rose, and I zipped the...uh...caterpillar fly?...10 feet past the ring, but before I could pull it under with the intermediate line, a fish sharked it off the surface! For the next 30 min, trout attacked this thing on top, often chasing it and smashing it repeatedly before getting hooked. They wacked it stationary, they chased it waking across the wavelets, and I seldom got it back to the kayak without a fish glommed on once it went subsurface. I'm sure I sounded insane out there, I was laughing so hard!
Unfortunately, it's not a very sturdy fly, and even though it was still working with only one bead left, it wasn't floating anymore, so not nearly as amusing.
Tried a standard dry fly, boobies, and gurglers, with some success, but they were not taken with the outright abandon shown for that monstrosity of a fly.
I have no idea what they thought it represented, but it was a hoot!
Since this lake has recently been stocked and the trout were showing themselves, I settled in to play.
My standard go-to lake flies (black leech, olive willy, soft hackle, etc) were getting only occasional interest.
Now, the last time I fished - different lake - I had tried out a goofy fly I'd tied up for kicks; multicolored foam "beads" threaded onto a hook and given a coat of SHHAN, with a tail added. It had gotten hit so hard then that I lost it on the first cast, trolled with 3X on a sinking line like a booby.
I tied another last night, and put it on today, but on an intermediate line this time:
Immediately caught 3 fish, then it again got hit so hard it broke off the 3X. It resurfaced a minute later and I retrieved it. A fish rose, and I zipped the...uh...caterpillar fly?...10 feet past the ring, but before I could pull it under with the intermediate line, a fish sharked it off the surface! For the next 30 min, trout attacked this thing on top, often chasing it and smashing it repeatedly before getting hooked. They wacked it stationary, they chased it waking across the wavelets, and I seldom got it back to the kayak without a fish glommed on once it went subsurface. I'm sure I sounded insane out there, I was laughing so hard!
Unfortunately, it's not a very sturdy fly, and even though it was still working with only one bead left, it wasn't floating anymore, so not nearly as amusing.
Tried a standard dry fly, boobies, and gurglers, with some success, but they were not taken with the outright abandon shown for that monstrosity of a fly.
I have no idea what they thought it represented, but it was a hoot!
