Sunday, March 10, 2013

Hidden farm ponds:an early spring gem



           Spring has sprung; much earlier this year than in years past, probably because of the very mild winter the Pacific Northwest has had. Steelhead season is slow; trout season hasn’t opened on most local streams, and it is 57 degrees and sunny for the weekend, but there is hope early this spring. I made my way to the locked rusty gate at the farm ready to roll; my fins, rod, and tube in tow; my 4wt rod rigged with a possie bugger nymph for some bluegill action. 


        After making my way downhill the small pond becomes visible,the sun above the trees beating down on it. Upon launching my tube I realized that fishing may be a bit tough, nighttime temps got down to the mid 30’s and chilled the pond making the fish lethargic and less willing to eat a fly. I worked my way to the northwest corner that had the most sunlight and began to slowly work my fly at a drop off; soon enough there was a wiggle of hope on the end of my rod, a bluegill splashing around on the surface signals the start of a good day on the water. After catching 4 gills I made another cast tight to the drop off and slowly worked the fly until it suddenly stopped and my line went tight “snag” I thought, though I set the hook and pulled up; only to have what I thought to be a snag start moving and shaking its head, I knew I had hooked a bass, but the question was, how big? For the next three minutes the fish pulled all over the place and bent my 4wt in two; then it finally surfaced, a large bass had somehow found my size 12 nymph appealing. I chuckled, took a few pictures and released the fish in hopes of catching another; and it so happens on the very next cast I hooked into another strong bass, but this time smaller.
Very healthy early spring bass

Small bass taken on a possie bugger nymph
          
After the bass bonanza I caught a few nice gills,then another one of those "I think I’m snagged on a log hits" but knowing there are no logs where i was fishing i assumed it was yet another bass, as this fish went wherever it wanted and bent my rod almost as much as the large bass I caught. I yell to my friend” I have another big bass”, only to have a huge bluegill come to the surface...in shock I grab the big gill and admired its size while taking a few pictures, then released the beast. Content with experience I caught a few more bluegill and headed home. It just goes to show you never know what Mother Nature will hand you on an early spring day.


Huge bluegill almost broke the pound mark

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