The summer heat is changing my bass and maybe your's

[Adam Grace]

The summer heat seams to be pushing my bass out to the deeper water.

I went out two nights ago and caught some fish on top but nothing like a month ago. The top water action was slow so I switched to a wooly bugger and slammed a couple of larger bass, 1.5lbs. I had what felt like a much larger fish on for a couple of head shakes but it got off. That darn fish grabbed the fly so gently I didn't fell him enough to know to set the hook. I simply increased the tension on my line and he went crazy, never really set the hook.

Oh well that's fishing.

[Jasonh]

Adam, the same thing seems to be happening down here in texa. As teh temperatures reach into the high 90's and 100 the water warms considerably and the fishing slows. guess that means its time for me to hit the vice in preparation for steelhead season.

Jason Hartwick

[Adam Grace]

I grabbed my 4wt instead of my 3wt last night. I also grabbed my intermediate sinking line and my bugger/leech box and left the poppers at home.

I was determined to fish deep last night.

I caught more fish than the night before by lettin the line sink down about 5-7' deep. A slow retreive worked better than faster strips. First, I tried a small baitfish pattern stripped in very short quick bursts and got crushed by a couple of bass. After that I switched to a large polar chennile leech, very simple, picture below.



Long marabou tail, lead wire for weight(as much as you want), polar chennile palmered body. very simple and yet so effective.

I hooked another fatty bluegill, he crushed my #6 leech like a bass.

Here's one of the bass from last night.



It was very hot last night, but I still had fun for the hour and half that I fished.

Try to go deeper for your summer bass. Try this simple leech pattern, it produces for me, maybe for you too.

[Jasonh]

Sounds like a fun night on the water. It is always nice to try fishing using different methods and flies and seeing if you can still hook up. I like thta leech fly. Looks a lot like that polar chenille steelhead fly you showed me last winter.

Jason Hartwick

[Adam Grace]

Very similar, no fl.pink chennile head.

It looks awesome in the water.

Tons of movement.

[Hairstacker]

Adam, looks like you're still doing just fine at the pond, hot weather be damned, ha, good for you! I really like your leech pattern, it DOES look like it would have a ton of movement in the water. David Lee turned me on to some leech patterns last week that have a similar profile, and I tied up half a dozen myself last night. Plan to use 'em next Sunday on some smallmouth. I'm going to have to try to imitate yours as well. "Polar chenille" you say, eh? I'll be damned though if, once again, that isn't something else missing from my materials collection. Aaaargh!

[Adam Grace]

Bill stocks this polar chennile if you would like to tie some up.

Good luck.

[David Lee]

The Polar stuff is nice for shine , but I prefer African (angora) Goat mixed w/ some angel hair - That combo holds its shape better in most conditions .

Leech flies are really amazing .... even in places where I haven't seen a live Leech , the Leech flies really get the fish . One that you shouldn't be without .

David

[Jasonh]

Adam, brett and i floated a short section of the san marcos river here in texas today and i fished that polar chenille leech with good sucess. Hooked a decent sized bass, maybe 1.5 lbs and a lot of big perch and small 6" bass with it. It seemed to outfish bretts woolly buggers. I think i am going to have to tie a lot more of those. Thanks.

Jason Hartwick

[brett humphries]

Thanks for the "it seemed to outfish Brett's wooly buggers" poke. I appreciate it. That fly did seem to wokr pretty well. We need to float more of that river.

Brett