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3. "Bonefishing" for bass

Hi folks, Jonathon here, after a bit of a hiatus. I thought I might post a somewhat interesting fishing situation that I find in my local waters that I have been having a HELL of a lot of fun with lately - and to see if anyone else has had any similar experiences.

The situation involves a local pond in the local Botanical Gardens owned by the University of Michigan. This is no secret location, as anyone who finds it and spends any time whatsoever looking into it will realize what I am talking about, but I try to fish it lightly and practice strict catch and release. However, I'm pretty sure I'm the only person who ever wets a flyline there. Anyway, this pond is gin-clear with a very lightly weed-covered bottom (Chara or stonewort, only gets about a foot tall) and appears to be either an old gravel pit or a farm pond; there is a steep, tree- and shrub-covered berm along one side of it. Stand on the shoreline for any period of time and you will see plenty of bluegill, and then every so often a big fat largemouth bass (or two or three!) will come cruising by looking like a submarine. The thrill of this fishery is throwing at these cruising bass, getting their attention, and then having to more often than not TEASE them into taking the fly, all of which is clearly visible. Sometimes they hit it almost as soon as it hits the water, and at others you might throw ten flies at the same fish, only to have it watch them all sink into the weeds or just turn and ignore them. I've gotten them up to 17" so far - solid 1-3 lb. fish with broad shoulders. And since the area of perimeter one can access the water is limited due to thick brush and trees, I've no doubt there's even bigger ones out there since so much of the pond isn't fishable from shore. (I use a 7-ft. 3-wt. since backcast space is also VERY limited - I've lost lots of flies to trees out there - so that makes the fight all the better!) Oh, and the bluegill get up to about 7 1/2" and take dry flies very nicely...

This type of fishing is especially enjoyable to me because of targeting individual fish. My passion for flyfishing was stoked on the Hexegenia hatches of northern Michigan over twenty years ago because it involved stalking individual fish that you KNEW were there and WERE definitely feeding, like combining hunting and fishing. As much fun as lobbing flies out into a river, stream, lake, or pond is, shooting for likely-looking habitat while you don't know if they are there or not, or hungry or not, seeing your prey and then straining your abilities to target and convince (or fool) it is a rush like no other! Or, maddening as hell when nothing works!! Having never (yet) been bonefishing on the flats or worked for tailing redfish, I can understand a good part of the thrill in my "poor-man's" version.

Speaking of being a poor man, I am out of a job as of about three weeks ago. If anyone hears of anything in field biology/environmental consulting/research in the Michigan/upper Midwest area (wetlands, threatened/endangered species, aquatic entomology, tree and botanical surveys, ecosystem mapping, stream ecology, forest ecology, fisheries research, reptiles and amphibians, etc. etc. etc.), let me know. Resumes on request!!!

Tight lines, heavy hatches, and (especially) effective mosquito repellent to you all,

Jonathon

P.S. Huron River fishing is all f-ed up from heavy storms over the last couple of weeks, still waiting for dry-fly feeding activity to start. I guess it's really the Ephoron hatch (or Light Cahills?) that get them going, plus the weed growth gives them more security to feed on top (there's a huge blue heron that swoops up and down this whole stretch of the river - Island Park in Ann Arbor - that probably scares the bejezzus out of the smallies...). At a local lake in my home town of Troy, MI, the bluegills are on the beds by the thousands and take dry flies. I actually caught black crappie on dry flies there this spring - anyone else ever done that?

Jonathan sorry to hear you are out of work, but glad to hear you are doing the right thing and taking advantage of your situation to get in some fishing. I was in the same situation-- lost my job in January. I got out at least once a week for the next three months and it was the best thing I could have done. So good luck and hopefully you'll land soon. I just started a new gig in May (you timed your off-time much better than I did!).

Jonathon, best of luck job hunting. Fascinating fishing story.

Sounds like a blast, Jonathon. I've done similar bass fishing before, and it is really quite incredible when the gettin's good. When it's not good, though, it sucks beyond belief - a filthy, mosquito- and tick-ridden mess. I've had it both ways.

As for the job situation, my condolences. My advice is to become a teacher. Loads of employment opportunities and job security and 3 months per year of state-sanctioned unemployment! Plus you get all the other things that make teaching such a "rewarding profession," like nurturing the children of permissive parents and getting paid lucratively for it. And the classes you have to take to get certified are a total joke.

Just a suggestion, only some of which was tongue-in-cheek. I wouldn't trade it for anything, really. Good luck in your search.

-Shawn

Jonathan,

I'll add my condolences and best wishes as well. I wish there was something that I could do to help, but given my current situation, the best I can offer is sincere empathy.

The pond that you describe reminds me very much of fishing Boiling Springs Lake during my youth. This springfed "lake" (more of a pond, really) was (is) stocked with trout, but the bass, sunfish, and a few pickerel could be more interesting and challenging targets. Sometimes the bigger fish would hide in the weeds, and I can remember spending endless hours sight-fishing for little "blacktails"--baby bass that were often fussier about my flies and presentations in that clear water than the stocked trout.

Best of luck on the job front Jonathon. I've been where you are a few times and it isn't much fun. But like they say (whoever the hell "they" are..): "When one door closes, another opens".

What they sometimes leave out though is how long the hallway between the doors can seem to be..

Sight fishing has always been one of by favorite ways to chase bass, mostly smallmouth, with a fly rod. In NW PA, a lot of the bigger trout streams get low and very clear in the summer and with their strong SMB pops, they're perfect for this sort of fishing. I used to fish Tionesta, Oil, Brokenstraw and a bunch of other smaller marginal trout streams this for bass. A pair of polaroids to help you spot the tails, a 9' 5 wgt. and a handful of all black or brown fur leeches in size 8 or so. Great fun and not all the bass are dinky. Every once is a while, you set the hook and 16-17 inches of smallie comes vaulting out of the water..

Amen.