Panfish

[asherman]

I have fished a few local ponds in the evening over the past few days and have had a blast catching panfish on flies. The bite for the larger bluefill seems to be be now that it was when they were spawning.

 

Once night the fish were sucking in foam flies like there was no tomorrow. On another night, the fish were not going hitting much on the surface, but they were chasing and clobbering wet flies waked just underneath the surface. It is fun to see the wake of a fish chasing down a fly. The bonus bass have been great, but it has been tough pulling bass through the weeds with a four weight rod. A #8 Pass Lake wet fly has been the ticket for big bluegills.

[John Loebach]

Glad to hear you have been getting out, Alan. With the high water this year I have fished flowing water ONCE & the season is well on to the half way point. I haven't found much on the ponds by me as far as bluegill but I have gotten some nice bass & I'm fishing large flies. I'll have to try the small stuff next time.

[ronk]

For pure guilless fun nothing beats b'gill fishing with a flyrod.Makes you feel like a kid again.

[asherman]

I've been switching back and forth from using a heavy rod for bass and a light rod for panfish. The two ponds that I fish close to my house hold excellent populations of panfish, lots of small bass, and a few big bass. If I use big flies, I usually catch just one or two bass, the size is pretty good. Some nights I feel like lots of actions, some nights I go for the big ones.