J and M Fly Kind Of Day

Headed out the door at 0710 for White Pines Lake. After stopping for gas and coffee, I arrived at the lake about an hour and a half later. After a quick bathroom break and a drive over to where I launched last time, it was pushing 0850. 

The spot where I wanted to launch was about 4 inches deep, filled with olive colored slimy something, and mud on the shore and out five feet. I went back to the swimming beach figuring there might at least be some sand out a ways. I was right and in went the Float Tube Cumberland.   

Swimming beach

The first plan was to flipper over to the dam area and fish the cattails along the way with a yellow and black (Luscious Lemon) J and M popper while trailing a Cedar Bark Beetle Larvae on my little Okuma under a bobber.

Much to my chagrin my right leg immediately started to cramp. I let it rest and while I was doing that I cast toward the cattails and actually, to my surprise, got a couple of takes. No hookups, but it might have been because the poppers are a size 8 and were probably too big for the fish. 

Once the leg felt better, I changed directions and headed toward the inlet. On the way this little Bass took the popper (my first fish on a popper, by the way) and you can see the colors of the popper here. 

Bass on a popper

I've been following Jim's blog (Home waters: A fly fishing life) and when Jim hits Trout Lake he always heads for the inlet so I did the same. The picture below is how far I was from the inlet when I almost ran aground. Water couldn't have been more than a foot deep all the way out to where I snapped the picture. In fact I was kicking mud with my flippers. Then I bumped into something and scared the crap out of myself. Turned out it was just a stick. I guess I've been watching too many episodes of "Bones". 

A long way in mighty shallow water

A U-turn and back toward the dam.Once I hit deeper water I changed to one called "Road Kill". Olive green with wiggly (very technical fly fishing term) legs and this little Bluegill inhaled it. The "Road Kill" fly is more of a streamer than a popper. Both the Bass and the Bluegill went back for another day.

Road Kill, Bluegill

Just as I got to the dam a young lady walking on the dam asked if I had caught any and I told her a couple. She said I should try where I was because she could see them swimming all around me. Piranha? All around me? I hope not.

What I was doing was just floating on the water and not doing any fishing at the time, taking in the scenery (no not the girl), and so I threw out the "Road Kill" and started stripping. I got a bunch of hits, but again nothing stayed on. 

Once at the end of the dam I turned back toward the swimming area and put the "Luscious Lemon" popper back on and worked back to where I launched, but nothing happened.

Oh, and those Cedar Bark Beetle Larvae, no interest what so ever. The fact they they were dead (I took them anyway) might have had something to do with it, but at this point I'll never know.

Maybe next time I'll try Rancho Seco Lake once it cools off (97 degrees today) down in the valley.

Till next time.

Mark