A pond at night

[Mike Churchill]

Is a beautiful thing.

Dropped my oldest daughter and her boyfriend off at movie and then headed down to a local pond for some sunset tubing. (Ed and Phil, the one we discussed on our trip up 88.)

Just a couple of bank fishermen and dog walkers when I hit the water and they left before dark. Then I had the place to myself.

Picked up a couple of small bluegills and missed several others. Around 8:15 I had a good sized bass eat a micro-popper. I put the stick to it--as much as possible with a 3-wt--to try and keep it out of the weeds, but the knot popped before I got it to hand (that was 2X.....).

A little later I grabbed the 5-wt and started throwing a small Umpqua Swimming Frog. Froggie brought me a chunky little largemouth and a fat smallmouth of about 14 or 15 inches. Both hit a steady retrieve of short strips. No action on the "let it sit" retrieves.

Got a little startled by a couple of good-sized bass that rose 5 to 10 feet from the tube in the dark (but not on the fly).

Given the weather, I can't think of a nicer way to spend an evening. Water was 80 and crystal clear, air was 90 at 7:15 and 78 at 9:15.

If not for having to go pick the kids up at the movie, I'd still be out there....

Maybe next week....

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

We must have thousands of private ponds in CA that never get fished too?

Those bass must be so lonely?

** Andy Guibord has a zippy 7'5" #3 rod with a WF5F that is so killer for light bassing.

[Ed Wahl]

I think that for night fishing I'd rather use the 8wt and throw the biggest flies I have. Why waste the opportunity to hook and land the biggest bass in the pond?

Just my 2 cents.

Ed

[Mike Churchill]

Ed, as I was loading the truck I hesitated over grabbing the 8 wt. vs. the 5, but went the lighter route. It's such a dramatic change to put down the 3-wt and pick up that stiff Redington 5 (which is loaded with a 260 grain "nymph taper" floater for throwing bass bugs) that I don't know if my arm could handle the immediate switch from 3 to 8. (grin)

The 8 would definitely make it easier to keep them from diving down into the weeds, though. Are you interested in hitting it next weekend for some nocturnal bassin'? Phil left his box of wet flies in the pocket of my extra float tube....

Bill, I was using one of the 7'6" TFO 3-wts I bought from the shop two years ago, loaded with a 5wt floater. That is a sweet combo for tossing bugs from the tube and small bass and bluegills are so much fun to fight with it. Now I just need to stop in and pick up more of those micro poppers.

Mike

[Darrin.Deel]

I have an old cabelas starter rod. it was a 9' 6wt until i slammed it in the door at pyramid. that broke the last 10" off, so I just glued a new tip on. Now i throw a 9wt bass line. This throws huge bass flies very well for a 6 wt.