A fly-fishing story

I learned to fly-fish while I was stationed at Fort Devens in Massachusetts in the ‘80s. The fellow who taught me started me out on bluegills and they are still my favorite fish on a fly rod today. While I do fish for trout, I will pass up trout water for a good bluegill bite.

After leaving New England, the bride and I moved to Texas just outside of Dallas. While moving in I loaded my truck with cardboard boxes to take to the local dump. As I was entering the dump, I noticed a small pond that ran along the side of the road. After getting rid of the garbage, I pulled the truck onto the shoulder of the road and dug out the 5wt rod that lives behind the seat. I went down the embankment and it was not long before I was catching little bank-runner bass and some healthy bluegills.

I was enjoying myself and I noticed another pick-up had parked behind mine, and a fellow was heading down the bank toward me. He stood off to the side and behind me and watched me fish. Then he gets my attention and tells me in a rather matter of fact type voice “There ain’t no trout in this water.” Well as if on cue, a good-sized bluegill swallows my rubber spider with a loud gulp. As I am unhooking my catch the guy, without saying a word, turns, walks up the bank, gets in his truck and spins the tires in the gravel leaving. I can’t figure out why he left that way.

Not five minutes later the same pick-up pulls up behind my truck again and this time two guys get out and head my way. I can hear the first guy saying, “There he is – watch what he is doing.” So here I am on the side of the road, teaching these two Texans about Fly Fishing and how you can catch bass and bluegill and lots more with a fly rod. We spent the next hour trading the rod back and forth while these two whoop and holler every time either one of them connects with a fish. We went through a dozen rubber spiders and had a great time.

i hear ya.not many fly fishers where i'm at.am totally self taught.tied flies first as i could not get the big gills to hit bait when they went on bug bite.casting bubbles and small bobbers worked ,well kind of .then i remembered an old gent who would row up on hot in front of a cottage we used to visit in the summer.the lot next door was over grown and there was a collapsed pier in the water.this man would fling little flies toward shore and catch big sunfish and crappies non stop til the sun went down.first i bought a cheap flyrod.then a little better one.i think i have a dozen now.have moved beyond the highspeed graphite and gone to modern and vintage glass.gonna go after the giant carp i encounter while pursuing panfish and bass.i have not used a bait caster in years.

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Originally Posted by Clint

I learned to fly-fish while I was stationed at Fort Devens in Massachusetts in the ‘80s. The fellow who taught me started me out on bluegills and they are still my favorite fish on a fly rod today. While I do fish for trout, I will pass up trout water for a good bluegill bite.

After leaving New England, the bride and I moved to Texas just outside of Dallas. While moving in I loaded my truck with cardboard boxes to take to the local dump. As I was entering the dump, I noticed a small pond that ran along the side of the road. After getting rid of the garbage, I pulled the truck onto the shoulder of the road and dug out the 5wt rod that lives behind the seat. I went down the embankment and it was not long before I was catching little bank-runner bass and some healthy bluegills.

I was enjoying myself and I noticed another pick-up had parked behind mine, and a fellow was heading down the bank toward me. He stood off to the side and behind me and watched me fish. Then he gets my attention and tells me in a rather matter of fact type voice “There ain’t no trout in this water.” Well as if on cue, a good-sized bluegill swallows my rubber spider with a loud gulp. As I am unhooking my catch the guy, without saying a word, turns, walks up the bank, gets in his truck and spins the tires in the gravel leaving. I can’t figure out why he left that way.

Not five minutes later the same pick-up pulls up behind my truck again and this time two guys get out and head my way. I can hear the first guy saying, “There he is – watch what he is doing.” So here I am on the side of the road, teaching these two Texans about Fly Fishing and how you can catch bass and bluegill and lots more with a fly rod. We spent the next hour trading the rod back and forth while these two whoop and holler every time either one of them connects with a fish. We went through a dozen rubber spiders and had a great time.

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:ThumbsUp

Whether it's bluegills or blue marlin, the fly rod works.