Winter Day Dreaming
Here we are once again; March in New England and it’s cold. In all honesty it’s been a mild winter, but after having spent the last three years in San Diego, I can’t help but notice the difference. There really hasn’t been a lot of snow in Rhode Island and the lake only froze over for a few days before the temperature rose enough for the ice to break up. Despite the mild weather, I really haven’t been fishing much. We got out a few times when the weather was exceptional, but something about the short days just leaves me uninspired to be on the water.
However, there always comes a time in the year where suddenly all of that changes. We are not there yet, but moving into the beginning of March, spring is on the horizon and even the Bass know it. With temperatures on the rise I would not be surprised to see these fish moving into a pre-spawn phase earlier than usual. With that, comes a chance for a larger fish which always gets my blood pumping.
The problem with New England is that one stretch of warm days puts spring on our radar, but the fact of the matter is, it’s only the beginning of March and it’s still winter. At least a week remains before daylight savings and probably a few more before some significantly warmer weather. While the weeks drag on and winter creeps to a close, I’ve found my self reminiscent. Thinking of Summer and re-living scenarios in my head that bring me to a happier and warmer place. While the yearning for Spring pre-spawn bass, hammering stripers during the spring worm hatch or ripping crank baits along bottom cover are stronger than ever; the one bite that is stuck on replay in my head is the Dragon Fly hatch last Summer.
Flies tied by Allen Campbell (@amcampbell_flyfishing)
There’s something about July in New England, maybe its the blooming hydrangeas, the smell of BBQ in the air, or 4th of July celebrations that are in full swing, bottom line it is an electric time of year. Basically it is the complete opposite of cold and dreary. When it comes to fishing, July is my favorite time of year to catch Bass on the fly, specifically using dry flies. This is also the time of year when Bass feed heavily on mating Dragon Flies that skim on the waters surface. It is an impressive site to see a Bass come full send out of the water, leaping 2-3 feet and eating these insects in mid air. This is a prime time to use Topwater Dragon and Damsel fly imitations.
My preferred rod set up for top-water flies in and around cover such as grass, lily pads and weed lines is an 8ft 8wt. This length and weight gives me enough power to pull a fish out of vegetation as well as make accurate, medium length casts. For line, I use a floating, weight forward fly line with a leader made up of about 3ft of 12lb mono and 3ft of 10lb mono. If the fish are or hitting the fly but I’m not hooking up or they are spitting it quickly then I’ll add an additional piece of 8lb mono. I usual stick to monofilament when it comes to topwater as the mono floats and helps hold the fly up.
If the bass are actively feeding, this presents a a great opportunity to throw a dry fly with a larger profile and more action like a popper. Targeting the edge of weed lines and lily pad beds can be an effective way to draw a strike and the bigger bait can often lead to larger fish.
Throwing Topwater is a great way to cover water and to catch and isolate the more aggressive fish that are triggered by a reaction bite. Often times, after fishing an area with Topwater I will go back over that area and throw a more subtle bait to try and coax out any less aggressive fish. This strategy can also work if you get a short hit. After missing on a short hit take a second to cast with a smaller bait because there is a good chance that fish is still in that area.
Unfortunately, Winter isn’t over yet here in New England and while Topwater fishing isn’t in the foreseeable future, it’s definitely something to think about to get us through these last seemingly never ending winter months. In the mean time, head down to your local fly shop, or learn to tie your own Topwater flies, there are tons on great tutorials on YouTube. Spring is coming!
-Mike