Fly Fishing Bass Ponds – 101
Believe it or not, I’ve probably spent just as much time fly fishing on bass ponds in my life than I’ve spent traveling around chasing trout.
Fishing farm ponds is where I originally found my love for fly fishing. From 5th grade until I graduated high school, my daily afternoon routine consisted of dropping off my backpack, and picking up a fly rod until the dinner bell rang. I was religious about it, and many that new me may even argue I was a little OCD. Looking back on it all now, there’s a good chance I was, but it’s all good because it molded me into the angler I am today. That’s why, when I look back on those childhood memories or find myself randomly driving by one of those small 2-acre ponds, I pay my respects and give thanks.
Fly fishing for bass on ponds is a great way to get into the sport. There’s usually plenty of fish, and you always stand a good chance at catching them. One of the greatest things about ponds in my opinion, is that most of them are small enough to fish their entirety from the bank. And the smaller the piece of water you’re fishing, the easier it is to locate fish. If you don’t agree, go out on a big public lake, and you’ll quickly understand what a bonus this is for an angler.
The eight years and thousands of hours I spent fly fishing bass ponds growing up, I learned a great deal about fishing them. Below is a list of tips that I’d like to pass on in the hopes it will help others find success.
1. Casting parallel to the bank allows you to quickly locate where the fish are holding and feeding.
It didn’t take me long fishing ponds to figure out the best method for consistently catching fish was casting my flies parallel to the banks of ponds. The reason it’s so effective is because it allows you to cover water systematically and thoroughly. Furthermore, when you cast parallel to the bank you can follow your fly with the natural contours of the pond, work it along edges and keep your flies in similar water throughout your retrieve. Instead of spending your time casting out into deep water and working your flies back to you, start out casting your flies just off the bank, then slowly working your parallel casts outward into deeper water. Doing so, you’ll be able to locate where the majority of the fish are located and feeding, eliminate unproductive water and concentrate your efforts and first casts in the hot zones.
2. Bass are just like trout, in the fact that they go where the most food is located.
Warmwater species of fish are very similar to trout, in the fact that they spend most of their life span staying close to their food sources. The majority of the food found in ponds is located in close proximity to the banks. This is even more true when your fly fishing on ponds that lack lots of cover and structure. If you take the time to look along the banks, you’ll find bream and juvenile bass, newly hatched fry, frogs and tadpoles, dragonfly and damselfly nymphs and crayfish. All of these species use the banks and it’s vegetation in and out of the water for cover and safety. If they venture out into open water, they know their sitting ducks for predators. Bass use two methods for foraging on their food sources. They either set up stationary in ambush spots close to cover or structure awaiting prey, or they stay on the move, slowly patrolling the waters where the majority of their food sources are located. The key here, is to have a strategy with your presentations. Don’t randomly cast your flies around the pond.
3. Bass can be spooky just like trout.
A lot of novice fly anglers seem to think bass pay little attention to their safety and feed with total abandon. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Maintaining stealth during your approach and your presentations can often determine whether or not you find success on ponds. Move slowly and quietly at all times, and make your
Martin’s Boat – A Film By Pete McBride
How about a virtual dory trip in the Grand Canyon?
Take a few minutes to sit in the rowers seat with Grand Canyon legend Martin Litton. While this is not a fishing trip this beautiful film is full of heart pounding excitement and natural beauty, on one of the world’s greatest rivers.
MARTIN’S BOAT – A FILM BY PETE MCBRIDE
Read More »The 3 C’s of Trout Fishing – Current, Cover, and Cuisine
Here’s the Million Dollar Trout Fishing Question….
Are you putting enough emphasis on the 3 C’s in your trout fishing? The availability of Current, Cover and Cuisine most often dictate where trout decide to set up shop. Being able to consistently pick them out will ultimately determine how much success you have on the water. Furthermore, if you can find a spot that has all three C’s, you’re probably staring at a honey hole that holds the trophy of your dreams.
As a ignorant rookie fly fisher, I recall early on in my career, how I’d start out my day selecting a section of water, and go about mindlessly fishing its entirety from point A to point B. I had no understanding of trout’s survival instincts and how it influenced their whereabouts. All the water looked good to my untrained eyes, and I’d spend equal time fishing the entire stretch of water, regardless of the depth, where the current and food were located, or if the spot had any elements of cover. Back then I was completely clueless there was a reason 20% of the water held 80% of the fish, and in turn, I spent way too much time fishing in all the wrong places. It was amazing how long it took me to figure out why I wasn’t catching very many trout.
Don’t make this common rookie mistake, you’re better than that. Instead spend your time eliminating unproductive water, and locating and fishing productive water that has all three C’s. Doing so, you’ll find your catch numbers and size increase dramatically. Below are basic descriptions of current, cover, and cuisine, and why all three are equally important.
Current
Trout have a love hate relationship with current. They love the fact that current
Tarpon on the Fly: 10 Rookie Mistakes
I’ll never forget heading down to the Florida Keys for my first fishing trip for tarpon on the fly.
Cruise control set and adrenaline pumping through my veins, that fifteen hour drive south only felt like it took four hours. My rookie confidence was overflowing, leaving me zero doubt that I had the necessary fishing skills to step up to the challenge of landing a tarpon on the fly. After my first trip was completed and I played it all back in my head, I realized I could have been a whole lot more prepared. My guide Capt. Joel Dickey did his job. He put me on plenty of fish, I hooked up with a couple nice tarpon, but I never landed one because I made too many rookie mistakes on the bow. Below are 10 common mistakes I wished I would have taken the time to read over before I made my first tarpon outing.
Read More »DIY Emergency Boat Anchor: Video
Have you ever lost your boat anchor during a day on the river?
If you haven’t, you probably will. Or at least you’ll forget to bring it one day. It can make for a pretty frustrating day of fishing but it doesn’t have to be. There’s and easy and inexpensive way to make an emergency boat anchor.
Keep a basketball net in the boat. It cost $6 and takes up no space. In a pinch it makes a great boat anchor. It could be the best $6 you ever spent.
WATCH THIS VIDEO AND LEARN TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY BOAT ANCHOR FORM A BASKETBALL NET!
Read More »Tandem Tactics for Trout Part Two: Below The Surface
DRY DROPPER SET UPS ARE ONLY THE BEGINNING. SOME OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE TEAMS RUN DEEP.
Tandem nymph rigs are hands down the most effective way to catch trout. Let’s leave behind the aesthetic arguments about dry fly fishing for the minute, there’s a reason that all competitive trout fishing is done with teams of nymphs. It works and it will increase your numbers.
There are a host of ways you can choose to fish nymphs. I’m not going into the details of Czech Nymphing vs. French nymphing or Merican nymphing, but I will include some links at the end of this article. For now I’m going to focus on choosing and rigging nymphs that work effectively as teams.
Rigging
There are two common ways to rig tandem nymphs. The simplest and most commonly used for indicator set ups is to tie the dropper off the bend of your lead fly’s hook. Sixteen inches of tippet between the flies is a good average length. You might assume that the dropper would fish sixteen inches deeper than the lead, but that’s not the case. It all depends on the distribution of weight.
It is pretty common to fish a weighted lead fly with an unweighted dropper. This team will fish at about the same depth. This tactic offers the fish two choices at the same depth. If your goal is to fish different levels of the water column, you must use a weighted dropper or a split shot four inches or so above the dropper. An unweighted dropper with a split shot will have better action but is a little more maintenance and can compromise your tippet strength. The difference in depth between the two flies will only be about half the length of the tippet which separates them so you may want to go longer than sixteen inches, depending on conditions.
This is the setup I use most commonly
Read More »Destination Fly Fishing On The Cheap
Everyone wants to fish like a rock star, but not everyone has the budget.
Fortunately you don’t have to have deep pockets to have big fly fishing adventures. While storied Atlantic salmon rivers and Christmas Island my stay off the list, there’s plenty of awesome fishing in reach and you can have a quality experience without spending a lot of money.
I’ve done a lot of budget fly fishing travel. While I get some really great fishing opportunities these days I’m still pretty frugal in how I take advantage of them. There’s not a lot of first class seats on the G&G tour bus. Over time, I’ve figured out how to stretch a dollar pretty far and how to maximize my chances of success.
Here are some tips for destination fly fishing on the cheap
Choosing a location
This is the cornerstone of a great fishing trip. Every decision and outcome depends on making a good choice of fishing location. There’s lots to think about, so take some time and make a solid choice. Here are a few things to think about when choosing a location.
The Experience
What kind of experience are you looking for? You could choose a total immersion like boat camping where you are on the water every minute, or you could travel to a new place with lots to offer culturally or things for the family to do while you’re fishing. There’s no wrong answer. What matters is that you come home feeling that your time and money were well spent. Know what you want and be careful where you compromise.
The Timing
Where you fish may depend on when you can go. Ideally you’ll be able to hit the location you choose when the fishing is at its absolute best, but there are plenty of variables. It might not be so fun to bang it out on a famous river during peak season, so you may choose to throw streamers after school back is in session rather than fish dry flies in a throng. You might, like I do, choose to go bone fishing in the winter to get away from the cold, knowing you might catch more fish in April when the weather is unbearably hot and there are clouds of horse flies. It may also be a matter of finding a place where the fishing is good the week you have time off. Do your research and know what to expect.
The Weather
Weather is always a source of stress when planning a fishing trip.
The Trifecta For Fishing Solitude
It seems like every year it gets harder and harder for me to find complete solitude on the river.
Solitude is not a necessity for me by any means, but when I’m blessed with it, I find it does wonders for purifying my soul and improving my fishing game. Time seems to stand still when I’m in complete solitude on the water. Every fish I land with no one there to confirm it but me, seems to add further reward and satisfaction. There’s no competition from other anglers, it’s just me and the fish. This allows me to open my mind, think clearly, and get in a zone to fish at my best ability. I don’t care what pace I’m fishing or how much water I cover while I’m out. I just take one fish at a time, like I’m challenging each of them to a game of chess. But to be frank, it’s not even about winning or losing. It’s more about taking in the big picture and understanding why I’m out there in the first place; I love to fly fish.
Over the years I’ve developed a betting strategy I call the “Trifecta for Fishing Solitude”. Although gambling never offers us sure win bets, searching out and placing these three bets in order when possible, usually pays out plenty of solitude on the water.
Bet #1. Fish off the beatin path
Being lazy and choosing to fish water that’s easily accessible generally will bring you company instead of solitude in your fishing. Hiking into difficult terrain is great but you don’t always have to go that far. Sometimes all you have to do is
The Double Figure 8 Loop knot
Loop knots give your fly superior action in the water.
There are several good options for creating a loop knot but tied in heavy salt water tippet, like you use for tarpon, most get quite bulky. In the first of three videos on better salt water knots, Capt. Joel Dickey shows us how to tie the Double Figure 8 Loop Knot. An excellent choice for strength, size and action.
WATCH THE VIDEO AND LEARN TO TIE THE DOUBLE FIGURE 8 LOOP KNOT!
Read More »Dickey’s Mighty Mantis
I WAS, FRANKLY, A LITTLE SHOCKED WHEN JOEL DICKEY DECIDED TO SHARE THIS FLY WITH US.
I have fished Joel’s Mighty Mantis for years and I can attest to its mojo. Friends, this fly works. It’s the most productive bonefish fly I have ever fished and we’re proud to have it on the site.
The mantis shrimp is a leggy little critter found in most all tropical waters. It’s apparently quite tasty because bonefish inhale them with reckless abandon. The pile of rubber legs and teased out hairdo on this fly make for a lifelike silhouette that bonefish can’t resist.
Watch the video and tie up some Mighty Mantis for your next bonefish trip!
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