2020-07-29 Fly Fishing Report
by T. Allen Wyatt
We are going to take a break from Fly Tying Club during this surge with the pandemic. Fly Tying Club will return, first and third Tuesdays at 6pm in September. Fishing is excellent-Get on the water!
Report is: Excellent
Surface Temp is about 80
Frog Poppers, Wooly Buggers, and Baby Batifish patterns
Brad Manness is catching Bluegill and Shellcracker on some sweet flies that he tied.
Tips
The topwater bite is good with frog being the top color pick. Reaction style lures are producing bigger bass with the hardware anglers, and fly anglers can imitate this technique. Deep is the key; we suggest Clouser Deep Minnows-White, Sexy Shad, Baby Bluegill and Chartreuse are good colors. For Larger bass-cast 10 to 30 feet out from the traditional structure. Then use a moderate retrieve to swim the clouser. Buck Bass are focused on grass lines and shoreline. Frogs are pushing about and laying eggs everywhere. Weedless popper and frog patterns can fish in these areas. Use a heavy leader with a fly w/weedguard to prevent getting hung. The panfish will be found in shallow water. Small foam spiders and Caddis dry flies are a good surface presentation. Wilson's Bream Reaper has been catching a mess of Stink Eye Bluegill. A slow crawl works best giving the fly a chance to sit still. Feeling hot and worn out but still want to fish? Popper/dropper tandem rig is relaxed fishing in the heat. Fish a rubber legged popper with a beaded pheasant tail or rainbow warrior-only a slow twitch. Your popper is the most sensitive indicator on the planet. Five minutes of extra slow retrieve per cast is normal for this technique. It is easy fishing that will drive Bluegill nuts.
Randy Gillis and Family are catching nice bass on frog flies that he tied.
Forecast
Froggy mating season continues. With continued heat and afternoon storms, we expect deep clouser methods to produce. Stick with bully spiders and dragonfly nymphs for bluegill fishing subsurface. Small foam spiders and dragonfly dries will tempt bluegill and bass on the surface. Rubber legs seem to be important. Searching for areas close to deeper water will allow you to locate the fish easier. Rivers provide an excellent shelter on those windy or crowded days; however, storms have dramatically raised rivers, and we recommend shore casting only. At the time of this report: the Peace River is at a high seasonal average (1000CFS). Econ River is high (700CFS). Myakka River is low (26CFS). Hillsborough is above average ( 265CFS). Withlacoochee is very high(38 CFS). Kissimmee River near Frostproof is very high (181CFS).
Craig and Rylan Jameson show what a frog can catch.
Techniques
Best techniques for the week include Technique 1) Fish Clousers deep, cast and count them down (5 to 10 seconds) then use a steady retrieve to generate a reaction strike. Try counting down 5 sec, then 6 sec, then 7 sec... Add a Sink Tip or a new Sink polyleaders to your line, and you can fish deeper and faster. These tools can double the depth of a clouser. Fluorocarbon leaders, will get the fly down faster than a mono leader. Sink tip lines and full sinking lines take this to a new level, (and are a perfect use for that old rod you never use anymore.) Technique 2) Frog poppers (with rubber legs,) fished slowly during low light conditions, and even during the day under shady over hang and around docks. Technique 3)Heavy rain creates flowing water. Largemouth bass will flip into ambush mode. Struggling Baby Bass, Baby Bluegill, Baby Tilapia, and Golden Shiners are targets. Swing Puglissi style baitfish and Wooly buggers in the current. These places include: canal mouth, and culverts, and/or drain pipes. 4)Rubber legged spiders on top and/or Wilson's bully spider below the surface for Bluegill. Rubber legs seem to be important. Move the fly slowly. Panfish will be next to solid structure like metal sea walls, dock pilings, or knock down cypress.
Allen Wyatt
Author