Largemouth Bass Lineup

Largemouth Bass Lineup

Monday, November 28, 2011

Harman's Day 3 Round 2 2011-Evening Session

Sorry for the delay in getting this post up.  I got benched recently with another case of diverticulitis.  Now back to our feature presentation.

So, after my meal, the wife and I sat out on the front porch while I smoked my cigar.  It wasn't long before I noticed two fly fishermen journey up from across the bridge and over to where we were.  I checked the back of our cabin and noticed some people there as well.  Given that, I decided to roll out earlier and head back to the big pool I was fishing before I quit the morning session.  Waders on, rod and cigar in hand, I headed out.

I got to the big pool, and as I always do, I stopped and watched the water for a while.  It was just as I suspected.  I should never have left.  The fish were not sipping and gulping like they were when I left.  Just to make sure, I sat on some rocks and waited for a while.  I smoked my cigar and just waited.  I was able to pick up a few bows on the move here and there.  They appeared to be cruising.  So I finished my cigar and started chucking the bug.  I decided to stay with the size 18 black fly with white wings.  I also moved up some and finished the top of the pool where the faster water is.  Like I said, I could see them cruising and holding in the area.  Almost immediately, I hooked up with a bow.  I lost it just as fast too.  Cursing the fish and my luck, I kept throwing the same fly in the same general area.  I couldn't hook up with anything else in the area so I moved back to the middle of the pool.

I watched and waited again.  My patience paid off.  I observed a brown who was sipping and gulping on the far side of the stream and a little ways up from where I was.  I was shocked to watch him rocket out of the water straight up and come back down.  He must have gone up in the air a good two or three feet.  I stripped out more line, and moved up a little.  The water is very deep here and where I was standing, it was already approaching chest level.  So I watched and the brown rose again.  I cast to where he was and got an immediate rise and take on my fly.  After a quick head shake or two I lost him as well.  Now I was becoming pissed.  We have all been there right?  It is so frustrating at times when this happens.  I know it is all part of the game but damn does it piss me off at times.  So I put a new fly and started looking again.  I decided to try a rusty spinner for a change of pace.  No one was rising so I just started casting where they had been.  I was rewarded with a brown and a creek chub/fall fish.  Here is the brownie:


After a while, I switched back to the black fly with white wings.  I noticed that a decent sized bow was now feeding below me.  I decided to chase that fish.  I moved out of the water and headed down stream.  I could see this fish working it and realized that it was a bigger fish.  I spent the next five or so minutes, just watching, planning and waiting.  After I got the pattern down, I moved in.  It only took four or five drifts before the fish struck.  I played this one for a while.  I actually saw a bigger bow swimming right beside it as I attempted to reel it in.  I was so worried I was going to lose it but I didn't.  I managed to net the bow.  Here is a photo:


I actually measured this fish and it was 17.5".  Not a bad fish at all.  As you can see, bad weather was moving in so I decided to call it a day.  Only three fish landed in the evening session.  One bow, brown and one creek chub/fall fish.  Slow but worth it.  As you can see from the photo, rain was a coming:


One morning session left.  Will I be able to fish?  We shall see.

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