My Longkang

It is finally acting like summer here, sunny in the high 70’s

The river is still abnormally high, so yesterday I went fly fishing on a small pond
for Bluegill. They are pound for pound one of the best fish to fly fish for,
because they are eager eaters and quite dumb. If Homer Simpson was a fish, he would
be a Bluegill. In Southern Oregon, they create local ponds that are 3 to 5 acres in
size, for flood control, and they also make them parks, and stock them with warm
water fish like Bluegill and Largemouth bass. These fish prefer warm water, and do
not live in the river because it is too cold. Trout and salmon are cold water fish.

These parks make a good place to take kids fishing on a Sunday. We have quite a
few of these ponds in our area. Some of them are a bit out of the way, with no one
fishing them and they have loads of fish. I have a secret one I love to fish, where
you can catch at least 100 fish in an afternoon.

Largemouth bass tend to not want to feed on the surface in the middle of
the day. Bluegill though, will feed from the surface readily. They will eat bugs
off the surface, which is a lot of fun, because you can watch them eat your fly.
When you catch them they go in circles. They are strong fish for their size, and are
a delicious fish to eat.

I tied this one myself.

I use a mayfly imitation, and the Bluegill will circle the fly, and try
and sink it, and then grab it, It is a riot to watch them. I laugh almost every time
I catch one. I use a light fly rod, like a 3 or 4 wt. The average Bluegill is about
10 oz., though you can catch them to 2 pounds or so. They fight really well for
their size.

The real one is called a march brown, because it hatches in March and is brown.
Mayflies hatch almost are year round, and are usually brown, yellow, tan or gray,
though some are pink or orange. There are many subspecies, and sizes. The fish can
only see the silhouette through the water, so it is the impression of the fly that
is important. They must taste great because fish love them. They eat them like we
eat peanuts.

Largemouth will eat off the surface, but easier to catch with a woolly bugger. This
fly you fish under the surface, and swim it like a small fish. These fish are quite
fierce. They average 5 lbs, with some bigger than 10. The US record is 20 lbs,
caught last year.

Some of the pics are lifted off the net (fish and the woolly bugger). I do not know
the original photographers. I will be glad to credit the original photographers if I
have the information.