I think im in love..

[JLG78]

....with bass on a fly rod!!

Got my personal best large mouth this sunday didn't measure it but got a good pic. ended up with 6 lmb's.. also a nice fat rainbow and had fun with some gills. Didn't spend a lot of time fishing for the gills but got me some chunky one's!

This week has been good to me.. not a ton of fish but i'll take quality over quantity any day.. I'll quit patting my self on the back about that muskie ..but i got my biggest TM on a fly on thursday and my biggest lmb on a fly on sunday..Im feeling pretty awesome right now [cool].

Here are some pic's from sunday..The first to pic's are the same fish.
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[TyeDyeTwins]

You are awesome. Coming a long ways from last year. I remember you trying last year, now your my inspiration. And with all the time I fish I might get there faster than you have.[]

See you on the water again soon!
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[JLG78]

Thanks! I am progressing a lot this year thanks to the help of my BFT friends.
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[SatanLBZ801]

Good looking fish there Jay! So, did you catch any gills? Or just targeting the LMB? Still using that same fly you sent me a picture of?
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[JLG78]

Ive been using a couple different streamer trying to see what the bass like the best. I haven't noticed that any of them have stood out. Just been tying natural colors on #2 hooks and trying to get it in there face.

I did catch some bluegill but didn't spend much time chasing them. That big lmb was my first fish of the day so I had bass on the brain most of the day. The trout was a surprise.. I caught him in really shallow water for how warm it was.
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[EvilTyeDyeTwin]

Nice you and TDT have started my passion for the art of the fair wanding. I did manage a few bluegill on the fly sunday, and missed tons since I was not using an indicator. Of interest I only got a bite when stripping the fly in. Great times, definately gonna go back sunday and chuck more flies at them. Glad the habbit has become an addiction.
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[EvilTyeDyeTwin]

P.S.

You have inspired me to start fly tying eventually here. I have got to start learning so that I can make some perch patterns...I know I could slay the fish at Mantua, PV and Yuba with them! Here are some ideas for patterns that interest me. Better start saving my pennies!




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[JLG78]

Of interest I only got a bite when stripping the fly in

They definitely like a chase.. I assume you were using a nymph.Nothing wrong with stripping it in when going after gills. As far an indicator just use a popper or dry fly. It works as an indicator and also catches fish. I was using that setup the other day and they all hit on the popper. Guess thats just the mood they were in Plus if your popper is on the bigger side it keeps the smaller ones off.

Another note/question to anyone reading this... All morning long I kept having Damsel nymphs climbing on my tube.So i tried a damsel nymph. even though the fly I had was almost exactly the same color and size of the live ones I got no interest from the fish. Any thoughts?
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[flygoddess]

FULL MOON. I am betting movement.
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[cpierce]

How were you fishing the damsel nymph? It is effective to do a slow swim just above the weed tops. Here is a you tube on a real damsel swimming. Try to imitate that.

Then there are the days that they just want something else! [:/]
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[JLG78]

I was fishing it under an indicator. Letting it sink then a slow retrieve. Maybe I was letting it sink to much. Thanks for the video.. now I see I had totally the wrong idea of how they swam. So would you say maybe put floatant on my leader but not on the fly? So it rides just below the surface?
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[flygoddess]

Great question. I like you fish them deep and have used the indicator system as well, but I KNOW I have the perfect Damsel nymph imitation[][][cool][laugh]

These two patterns worked killer on bass:




And this pattern is working real well this year


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[JLG78]

Those thing are works of art art especially the first two. I don't know if id have the nerve to let some bass chew those up.

Speaking of damsels.. I tied some tiny streamers size 8 in brown and olive. I made them specifically for bluegill and they don't look like much but work amazing. Now I wonder if they see them as damsels? I fish them more like a jig then a streamer.
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[flygoddess]

Probably. Another suggestion, try a Denny Rickards Seal Bugger in Burgundy and black.

http://stevenojai.tripod.com/sealbugger.htm

Be sure and tie it as he does with 20 wraps of .20 by the eye. Very important.
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