Finally got around to a summer time fishing trip. Left close to 5:00, and during the ride I got to simultaneously enjoy two celestial bodies. The two pics were taken seconds apart on opposite sides of SH99. While fishing is a lot about catching, I knew that the day ahead would be a fine one even if the fish failed to cooperate.
Hit Blue River...but no more pics because I was wet wading and thought better of taking the iphone...and boy was I right!! Wading several areas I couldn't see bottom, I kept stumbling into rocks that would hit me anywhere from shin to just above the knee. During the outing I managed to stay on my feet most of the time but still went down up to my neck 3 times.
The first area I tried was south of SH7 on the west side of the river. Saw a few fish milling around causing wakes to occur on the surface, but never saw anything actively feeding. Missed what I believed to be the only strike I had, so I headed north to an area I've recently named Elephant's Butt because of a rock formation nestled in the river. Quickly caught and released a small sunfish, one that I would have to wait till later to identify, and a small Kentucky. Both hit within 1 foot of the bank on a McGinnis coneheaded streamer. Moved on up stream and tangled with a largemouth above the riffles, and a nice smallmouth below the large falls. Moved around to the east side of the large falls and caught beauty of a green sunfish.
Headed back downstream and caught another of the same unidentified sunfish, another Kentucky and another decent smallmouth near "The Elelphant".
Adjourned back to another area where I've always caught a few trout during the winter months, a cool area with a nice set of falls that comes into the river from the east and abruptly turns south leaving a nice slackwater area to the north that should produce but hasn't...yet. Lots of large underwater boulders in the moving water has made me believe there should be plenty of fish holding here, but I've yet to do any real damage in this area. Today was no different, but I did manage to get a small channel cat to inhale my offering. Not a bad way to end the day. I did go ahead and walk the riffles, too shallow to produce consistently during a high sun, and stopped at one of my favorite trout spots, but the water depth, temp and sun pretty well chased most of the fish from that area for that time of day.
Onward to home where I quickly confirmed, via a sunfish identification chart, that two of the fish caught were longeared sunfish. Beautiful, vibrant colors and the long dark patch on the gillplate make them easily identified.
Not bad...6 species on my first summer flyfishing trip. Already looking forward to the next trip...might have to give it a whirl this weekend.
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