Fishing In Tough Conditions

by Herb S.
(Southwest Michigan)

A few days ago I hit my favorite warm water stream. An extremely rainy spring and early summer had raised the river to unfishable depths but it had come down enough to wade with caution a couple of weeks ago. Since then we had one heavy rain which I hoped didn’t do much damage. I was wrong. The water was still quite deep and very cloudy…and 84 degrees!

From experience I knew the weed growth at this time of year was going to make mid-stream fishing difficult and figured fish would be holding in the weedless spots along the banks under overhanging branches. So I came armed with my Nissin Fine Mode Kosansui 320. Its 10’3” length is perfect for side casting under foliage. The line was 8’ of 6# Stren Gold monofilament with 2+’ of 5X tippet. After fishing for quite a while and going through several fly changes I put on a #10 bead head Coachman streamer (red wool tail, peacock body, white sparkle yarn wing) and that did the business. Five bluegills in the 7 to 7 ½” range and a small rock bass weren’t much but after slogging through weeds in waist deep water for a couple of hours it was enough and I was happy to have done that well.

Happy fishing,
Herb

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” - Benjamin Franklin

"Be sure in casting, that your fly fall first into the water, for if the line fall first, it scares or frightens the fish..." -
Col. Robert Venables 1662

As age slows my pace, I will become more like the heron.

We've all had situations where seriously chewed up flies kept catching fish after fish after fish. It is no sin to tie flies that come off the vise looking seriously chewed up.

Seriously, all the hooks sold on TenkaraBum.com, whether packaged as loose hooks or incorporated into flies, are sharp - or as Daiichi says on their hook packages, Dangerously Sharp. Some have barbs, which make removal from skin, eyes or clothing difficult. Wear eye protection. Wear a broad-brimmed hat. If you fish with or around children, bend down all hook barbs and make sure the children wear eye protection and broad-brimmed hats. Be aware of your back cast so no one gets hooked.

Also, all the rods sold on TenkaraBum.com will conduct electricity. Do not, under any circumstances, fish during a thunder storm. Consider any fishing rod to be a lightning rod! Fishing rods can and do get hit by lightning!