Sometimes we get fly tying gear, start tying with it, and don't get to fish with it right away. Honestly, this blog was just like that...I started it weeks ago and life got busy... better late than never. I was fortunate that I was able to get out fishing with the new flies less than 2 weeks after receiving it. Between me and the wife's 9 year wedding anniversary and preparing for Mother's Day I was pretty busy. It took some doing but I was able to whip up a few small poppers and some other bluegill flies and make it out on the water the Friday before Mother's day.
I arrived to the body of water I was going to fish around noon. I strapped our 9 month old daughter into the stroller, set up the 3-wt and tied on a go to Chartreuse Ice Dub Leech (step by step tying video here) and we navigated our way down to the pond. The CID Leech has been one my most go-to bluegill flies for years. A few quick casts and the first bluegill of the year was fighting like a crazy fish trying to run away from me. It was a blast! Catching a fish that fights that hard is always a special blast!
A couple more quick fish and it was time to tie on the orange and black popper. I couldn't wait to see what would happen. And, well, something did happen! A quick cast out, strip, strip, strip, booom!... well more maybe a small boom... a small bluegill tried to obliterate my popper that was probably just as big as he was. Feisty little water gremlins!!
I decided to try to hit the edge of the weed bed just across from me, a cast of 35 or so feet. As soon as my fly hit the water I was rewarded with a much larger explosion. A solid strip set and the fight was on! The fight didn't last terribly long and I was rewarded with this beautiful bass! First bass on the new popper!
It wasn't a monster - but you know what? It was awesome!
The Preliminary Report of the Popper Kit that Mel (The Bluegill Bug Shop) recommended to me definitely worked and I can't wait to get a few more poppers tied up and in the water!