Find A Pond Near You

 

For many fishermen, their first experience with catching a fish was at a small pond. Hooking that first sunfish has put a smile on the face of many kids. I know that was the first fish I caught almost 65 years ago. In my case, I caught it in Marblehead, Ohio, near Cedar Point, long before the park became a popular destination. Now, maybe in an attempt to reinforce my belief that the size of the fish doesn’t matter,  or to smile like that kid again, at least once a summer I head to one of the local ponds near my home. It’s usually during the hottest and driest portion of the season, when the rivers are low, and in need of a good rain to freshen the flow. 

 

Hot summer day on a small pond.

Instead of a cane pole and worm, my tackle of choice is now a 3wt fly rod and a small popper. But, any lightweight rod will make catching these willing panfish a lot of fun to land. And, if you happen to hook a bass, so much the better. Panfish are not shy. They will sip just about anything off the surface.

Panfish love small poppers.

So, find yourself a pond, and spend an hour putting that kid smile back on your face.

Go out and fool a fish!

How To Kill An Hour

Do you have an hour of free time? If you do, find a pond near your home and rig up a small panfish fly or a worm and bobber. Then, spend that hour catching some gems.

This hour will be fun not because you caught something huge, but because you were able to steal an hour on the water. That time will recharge your batteries. You may not catch a monster but that won’t matter. In fact, save trying to catch something big for another time. What will happen is you will have a lot of fun. But if you do catch something, more than likely it will be a nicely colored bluegill or sunfish. And, with an ultralight rod you will be surprised how much fight they have.

This is the darkest bluegill I have ever caught. It couldn't resist a black popper.

Another panfish fooled by a popper. Find an hour, find some fun!

So, if you want some quick fun, find that hour, and find that pond.

Go out and fool a fish!

The Rivers are Back

If you live in Ohio then you know how much rain we received during the Spring and early Summer. For the most part, the rivers in many areas have not been fishable. Even if you have a kayak or canoe it’s been difficult getting out. Well, the weather finally broke in northeast Ohio and the rivers are now in good shape. In fact, as with all spate rivers that get their flows from weather fronts, we could use some rain. The flows and levels are quite low.

I had one of those weeks when I was able to get out three times. As much as I like steelhead season nothing beats this time of the year. Warm temps, early sunrises, and empty rivers make ideal conditions. I fished three different spots on the Grand and Chagrin rivers and did not see another fisherman. I’m sure they were out somewhere, just not where I was.

During the middle of the summer these rivers have a variety of species for an angler. For the panfisherman, there’s crappies and bluegills. On light tackle or a 4wt fly rod they are fun fish to catch. Smallmouth bass provide a fight for any fisherman. The resident smallmouth, while not the size of their lake run brothers, will not give up when hooked. Finally, for those fishermen looking for a bruiser there are bottom feeding carp. I’ve not hooked one but word is they will run you into your backing very quickly.

Smallie caught on the Grand with a black wooly bugger.

(Click on image for a larger view)

 

Most of the fish caught this week took several different colors of wooly buggers. White and chartreuse have been my best colors but now I’ll have to include black. In the past, I’ve not had much success with black but that changed this week. Several fish came to the net dangling a black wooly bugger out of the corner of their mouth.

I've also been throwing some terrestrials with some success. The bluegill below took a beetle pattern.

This bluegill grabbed a beetle pattern only seconds after it hit the water.

 

This morning I hit a stretch of the Chagrin, and using a white wooly bugger hooked into a nice size smallmouth within the first ten minutes. A few casts later another one grabbed the fly but I must have not set the hook well. It was off after a brief fight.

Moving downstream to a deep pool I switched to a topwater Sneaky Pete. This has a size 8 hook which may be too big for most of the fish. Over the course of 20 minutes I had about six hits but missed the hookset on all but one. It was time to downsize. I pulled a red and white popper from the fly box that is designed for panfish and two casts later a smallmouth attacked it. I played it for a bit but close to the net it got off. Fishing on the surface is so much fun!

This smallie fell for a white wooly bugger. It put up a good fight.

 

Walking back to the car I realized that I may no longer be a beginner. I’ve been fly fishing for five years and looking back at where I was two or three years ago there’s a big difference, and it is not only because I’m catching more fish. There’s a comfort level in knowing where the fish may be holding. Learning how sunlight affects the fish and the rivers has me looking at areas to fish differently. There have been many outings when I would catch a couple of fish early before the sun hits the water only to lose the bite once the sun makes an appearance. Find the shade and you will find the fish. This was true today as well, concentrating on shaded areas of the river I was able to extend the bite.

Can’t wait to get out again and learn something else.

Get out and fool a fish!

4th of July on the Pond

The rivers around northeast Ohio were not quite fishable due to the volume of rain we  received in the last few weeks. In fact, it has been three weeks since I’ve been able to do any river fishing. Itching to wet a line I decided to put the 4wt in the car with a few surface flies and hit Veteran’s Park in search of some panfish. Spending a few hours casting to these eager eaters is fun especially watching them grab a dry fly or small popper.

Being July 4th I knew the park was going to be busy so I got an early start and beat everyone to the water. The early morning started cool with temps around 56°. The first half hour was slow, and I wondered if I was going to take the skunk on a pond where sticking a finger in the water attracts several sunfish. As the sun made its way higher in the sky the temps and the fishing warmed up. The elk hair caddis started to see some action. I pulled in five sunfish in about a ten minute period.

The Elk Hair Caddis got a workout.

(Click on image for larger view.)

 

After the EHC was swallowed by more than one fish I changed to a small red and white popper. What was interesting is that a lot of sunfish came to the surface, inspected it, and just swiped at the short marabou tail. For awhile I didn’t think any of them were going to hit it, until one did. Then it was steady action. Over the next half hour I brought 10 sunfish to hand.

Red and white popper was appropriate for the 4th of July.

By now the pond was getting crowded and I gave myself only another half hour before heading home, so I quickly switched to a Griffith’s Gnat. I love this fly for panfish. It must look like filet mignon to them and has a hook size that makes it easier for them to grab it with their small mouths. In the course of that last half hour I brought in another eight.

The Griffith's Gnat...filet mignon for panfish.

Now none of these fish will equal the fight of nice smallmouth or trout but with a lightweight fly rod they will put a bend in it. So, when the rivers are not an option and you need a fix head for a local pond. You will have fun.

Go out and fool a fish!