Small Fish in Omaha

by Harold Brown
(Indianapolis, Indiana)

While spending a few weeks working in Omaha I slipped out to a small pond in a city park. It was a warm sunny afternoon, not ideal for fishing.

Not knowing what might be in the pond I started out with my Amago with a 1" twister-tail on a #12 hook. I find almost any species of fish will strike a small twister-tail. I soon caught a 3" bluegill, then shortly later a 4" crappie. I soon realized that about all I was going to catch was small fish so I switched to my Soyokaze 27, 9' rod with #3 line and a Tenkara Bum Killer Kebari. Just a rod, a line and a fly.

In spite of the fact that the light did not allow me to see my line I fished the Killer Kebari without any kind of strike indicator, I was fishing completely by feel. I found if I allowed the fly to sink slowly, then gently lifted it an inch or two at a time, the fish would strike as it rose. A slight amount of resistance would indicate a fish taking the fly. After a while I could almost anticipate the strike. I ended up catching 3 or 4 dozen fish of four different species in about 3 hours.

It was a great afternoon, the ideal escape from work. You just can't think about work while you're holding your breath waiting to sense that light twitch on the line. With a good spinning rod I may have been able to cast to the center of the pond and catch two or three big fish, but in my mind the little fish are a lot more fun.

“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.