Combat flyfishing

Hit a lake yesterday figuring some gills on the beds what with the full moon and warmer temps. I'd hit all usual spots and only had a couple of fish in the cooler. I sat there in the boat, looking around, and struck out for new cover.

Well, they were bedding alright, but where was a terror. Whether as a defense or what, they'd forsaken the usual bedding areas on the lake and headed waaaay up in there. You know, just pad those few lily pads. Up under those over hanging trees. Right up tight against the bank. And I mean tight. It was hard enough to find open water to lay a fly on, but they wanted it no more than a foot away from the bank. And to get there you had to sidearm it under the trees. I prayed every shot that I'd get a fish on because getting the line, leader, and fly off the water was an exercise in how fast I could tie on another fly. Second part of the equation is it almost always had to be a natural looking presentation and fly, I got all but a couple on #14 elk hair caddis's and Adams. Managed a couple with a small spider.

Had 40 Saturday, slipped back up for a couple of hours this morning and mustered another 23. What a hoot. Now to tie more flies....

Grandad

That sidearm cast can be a real pain in the butt!!!! The elk hair and adams are always good patterns to use, fish of all types seem to love them.

Fatman

Yeah, let's not talk about them too much, someone might be lissenin', they work too well to have everyone tryin' them.

Sometimes I get lucky and sling a fly up under the trees. I'm going to go today after I get done here at the tutor lab. I'm thinking a green foam caterpillar will be what I tie on first

Might work real well. I was watching spinning down out of the trees yesterday and there was always someone there to grab them. Most of the takes on them were splashy and sounded like small fish, I think the big 'uns had breeding on their minds here in the north Hoosier.

Try ''shooting'' the fly like a jig under a dock. It takes some practice, but it works short range.

Good idea, but I worry about my club fingers and a size 14 fly, all I can do to tie one on a 5x tippet these days. But now that you mentioned it I know I'll be trying it. I'll be sure to report back about how many I had to dig out of my fingers.

If you were catching them with the adams you could also try a Dark Hendrickson. Even some of the fancy wet flies should work

Fatman

Wet flies were out of the question. Once I got the fly onto a pocket of open water I needed it to stay right where it was until a fish took it. If it'd sank I'd have had to strip it in through the slime and pads.

I hate lily pads.