Looking to get my warmwater groove on I took a drive to Mantua Reservoir. Decent action on Bluegill - by "decent" I mean that the numbers were low, but the overall quality was excellent (9 inches plus)! Zero (0) "bonus" LM bass which was a bit unusual and disappointing.
Found most fish to be suspended over depths of 12-17 FOW. Used a slow sinking (intermediate) line to reach them with Gill Getters and BBFE (best bluegill fly ever).
Water temps were 75-77* F and water was heavily stained algae green (pea soup). Fished from 7:00a - 12:20p around the Knoll area to the east.
A few pics attached.
Thanks for the report and pics. That sounds like a fun day.
Those are some nice looking Blue Gills.
Dude, you take some of the best pics!
Loved the damsel pic!
Is that a swarm of bullheads? Last time I dared peek into Mantua the crowds were nuts. How were they when you went?
(08-03-2023, 07:26 PM)joshomaru Wrote: [ -> ]Dude, you take some of the best pics!
Loved the damsel pic!
Yeah thanks! Macro shots are fun. Damsels make good subjects.
(08-03-2023, 09:00 PM)Cowboypirate Wrote: [ -> ]Is that a swarm of bullheads? Last time I dared peek into Mantua the crowds were nuts. How were they when you went?
Yes they are, balls of baby Black Bullheads!
Crowds weren't too bad considering it was the weekend. Maybe it was just too hot to enjoy it... folks stayed home with their AC cranking.
Great pics! I'm extremely new to fly fishing. What does that fly imitate? I definitely don't have anything like that in my box.
(08-04-2023, 04:07 PM)TheFishSlayer Wrote: [ -> ]Great pics! I'm extremely new to fly fishing. What does that fly imitate? I definitely don't have anything like that in my box.
It’s called the Gill Getter… a classic “rubber-legged Bluegill spider” created by Tom Lentz. One of his “Big 3” Bluegill flies along with the Pole Cat and Brim Fly.
They fish well on the drop… the legs quiver as they fall through the water column. Outside of the spawn Bluegill can get quite picky and sometimes challenging to locate. These type of flies appeal to them – bright colors, fish well on the drop, rubber legs. May have trouble finding them commercially though. I tie all my own flies… here is the recipe for each:
Great pics! Big Gills are fun!
Bluegills on a 4 wt are a kick! I too gave up on Mantua because of crowds. Maybe I need to get back there......