Trip Report - 12-24-13

Today was the first mild, dry day for some time (or at least, the first one on which I didn't have to get packages into the mail). I just had to go fishing. I hadn't planned to go but it turned out to be a bit warmer than expected so I headed up to the Harlem Meer in Central Park.

Harlem Meer at the northern end of Central Park

Harlem Meer in December

Given that it was Christmas eve and a bit cold, I was the only one fishing. It only took about an hour for me to get cold and decide I'd had enough, but that hour yielded two crappies and I would guess ten bluegills. I thought I might catch a bluegill or two, but I hadn't expected the crappies since the ones I've caught before were mostly on Killer Buggers and I hadn't brought any with me.

I fished with a Daiwa LL36SF, which I love but rarely fish because I always seem to be evaluating rods or trying to get photos of a new rod with some nice fish. The rig was a CDC & Elk on a dropper and a small bead head nymph on the point.

Initially, I had a CDC & Elk, a yarn bodied soft hackle and a small bead head nymph. I really didn't expect any fish on the CDC & Elk, and it was in the rig mostly as a strike detector. I also didn't expect many fish on the small bead head, as all the bluegills I've caught (except for a very few very small ones) were on much larger flies.

Bluegill Double

It was a bit of a surprise, then, when the first fish hit the CDC & Elk. As I was bringing it in a second fish took the bead head. I've never had a double on trout but they are not uncommon with bluegills. A bit later another took the dry but I missed it.

Most of the fish today took the little bead head. I suspect that is mostly because it was deeper rather than because it was smaller.

Angler holding bluegill with beadhead fly in its mouth

Small Bead Head Nymph was the Fly of the Day

After a bit, I moved to a different spot on the Meer and found the crappies. I don't fish the Meer much, but so far I have caught crappies on four trips there. On three out of the four they were tight to the shoreline (tight meaning within a foot). On the shorelines where I have caught them there is a wall rather than a natural shoreline, and they seem to be right up against the wall.

Double. Bluegill on the top fly, crappie on the bottom one.

Second Double (Crappie in Upper Right Corner)

The first crappie was half of the second double. In the photo above, the small bluegill is almost held out of the water by the tension on the line between the rod tip and the crappie, which is just visible under the surface in the upper right hand corner.

Angler holding crappie with fly in its mouth

Love those Yarn Bodied Soft Hackles

The second crappie took the yarn bodied soft hackle - again, within a foot of the wall. The yarn is the Jamieson's Shetland Spindrift. The color is "Leprechaun," which is what I used to call "Green Rock Worm".

By then, the breeze had picked up a bit and the temperature had dropped a bit and I decided a couple crappies and a bunch of bluegills was enough for a cold December day.

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“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” - Benjamin Franklin

"Be sure in casting, that your fly fall first into the water, for if the line fall first, it scares or frightens the fish..." -
Col. Robert Venables 1662

As age slows my pace, I will become more like the heron.

We've all had situations where seriously chewed up flies kept catching fish after fish after fish. It is no sin to tie flies that come off the vise looking seriously chewed up.

Warning:

The hooks are sharp.
The coffee's hot.
The fish are slippery when wet.

Beware of the Dogma

Seriously, all the hooks sold on TenkaraBum.com, whether packaged as loose hooks or incorporated into flies, are dangerously sharp. Some have barbs, which make removal from skin, eyes or clothing difficult. Wear eye protection. Wear a broad-brimmed hat. If you fish with or around children, bend down all hook barbs and make sure the children wear eye protection and broad-brimmed hats. Be aware of your back cast so no one gets hooked.

Also, all the rods sold on TenkaraBum.com will conduct electricity. Do not, under any circumstances, fish during a thunder storm. Consider any fishing rod to be a lightning rod! Fishing rods can and do get hit by lightning!