Float Tube GO List

My Float Tube Go List

June 21, 2018 Update 2023

Have a look at that date up there - June 21.
    The first official day of calendar summer, give or take. Can there be a more auspicious day for the summer lover than that one? 
    Warm days, warm nights, and all the fun one can muster.    
It only seems appropriate to run a post about float tubes with all that in mind. 

    Why float tubes? Because I love them, that's why. And I love them all the more during the hot time of year. 
    In case you don't know what a float tube is, have a look at the picture below. Basically a float tube is an inflatable easy chair for the water. You paddle it around with scuba fins, and you fish from it in cushy, hands-free comfort.

    Float tubes are just that special. They suit my style.

Whats up With Float Tubes?

    Well, first of all, they keep you cool. Your lower legs stay in the water, and are cooled by the water itself. Because you use scuba fins and your legs to propel the tube, the mild exertion inherent in this activity circulates cooled blood from your legs around the rest of your body. This helps to lower your overall temperature. And since I'm plump, I sit a couple inches lower than the skinny guys and gals.... and my thighs and derriere get a little EXTRA cooling. 

Net effect? Lowered body temperature. 

Just the ticket for the heat of summer.

Suddenly I don't feel quite so bad about all those Tuesday's down at Mario's Taco Emporium.

    There is also the warm and fuzzy feeling of closeness with the water, a sort of connected-ness you'll get with no other fishing style except spearfishing.

    It's a neat feeling to stand in the shallows, push back into the seat, and kick away from shore. You instantly become part of the water. You squirm a little, adjust your position, and get the seat back set just right. 

    Voila! You're a human cork, going after fish! 

    Kinda hard to describe, but try it and you'll get it...

The List

    Recently, someone asked what I take in my float tube when I go fishing in it. They see me in my inflatable easy chair, waving as I pass. But what's in there with me?

    For that, I was gonna need a list. Everyone likes lists, we're told. There's something magical about everything sorted and itemized, a stub of pencil in hand with which to make check marks...it's all so satisfying. 

    

    But I had yet to come up with a list. I was gonna have to get one together the hard way. 

    Soon enough, the next weekend rolled around, and I was planning for another fishing junket. As I thought about it, I said to myself, "You need to load up the evening before. You know you do....that way you won't rush around and forget anything in the morning."

    Good advice, but I didn't take it. I procrastinated.
The family came over for dinner, I had a few glasses of wine and,... well, you guessed it: I'm scrambling at 6AM, hoping I didn't forget anything. 

    Driving to the lake, between bites of toast and spilling coffee, it hit me:

"Why not get organized and just have a basic check-list to follow??"

    Maybe it was the hot coffee sloshing into my lap, or the toast, I don't know. But suddenly, I was inspired.

    The simplest way to get a list together was to inventory what I was toting around at the end of several tubing sessions. I figured that after 3 or 4 outings, experience would show what I use and what is important to have along.
It's not rocket science, I know, but I wanted a list and that was as good as way as any to get one.

    Here is the gear, laid out and stowed in the car...

    
    Once I had everything examined and sorted, I arranged the stuff into 3 groups of, "Ready Items," and 1 group of "Flexible Items."

    With that done, it is time to reveal my ...

The Float Tube Go List 

Ready Items

Group 1 

Float tube

Tube patches 

Spare float bladder valves
Suncreen lotion

Whistle

Signal Mirror

All are stowed in one of float tubes pockets, and stay with the tube

Group 2 

Fins, open heel

Scuba reef boots

Air pump - I have a 12vdc pump that runs off my vehicle. But I use a hand operated, dual action pump most of the time. During the season, my tube stays partially inflated- it only takes a few seconds to re-inflate it fully.   

Hat/headwear

Crushable Shoes - for walking when ashore

Spare sunglasses

Group 2 items are stowed a large luggage bag. I just take it out to the vehicle and put it in prior to leaving the house.
For much of the season it just stays there.

Group 3

Neck lanyard - spools of tippet, nippers, forceps

Fishing Vest 

Fishermans multi tool  

Leader weight: tungsten putty, and lead twist-on type 

Assorted leaders 

Fly wallet

Hook sharpener

Car keys 

Vivarin and Tylenol - A little pick me up comes in handy 

Sunglasses 

Toilet paper

Camera, in waterproof bag

Cell phone, in waterproof bag

These are on a hook next to the Group 2 bag. I just grab both on the way out. 

Group 4: The Variable Items

Water 

Snacks

- Rod - fly, spinning, or telescoping fixed pole

-  Reel - to match above

-  Line - spare line, depending on the outfit 

-  leaders/tippet - most of the time, my usual fly tippet line doubles as leader. But I carry a spool of slightly heavier 10-12 lb leader for spin fishing. 

-  flies, lures, bait, tackle - this can be almost anything, and is dependent mostly on the season.

    The rods are disassemlbed and strapped into Velcro holders on the float tube. They are not put together until I reach the waters edge.
    All the lures, tackle, snacks, water, and other items are stowed in the pockets of the tube before heading to the water.
If it won't fit so I can zip it closed, it doesn't come along. 

    The tube itself is carried like a back pack, using built in shoulder straps. Everything is neatly and securely stowed on, or in, the tube. When I leave the car, I only have my fins in my hand and the tube on my back. 

    I don't use a fish finder on my tube, and I only take two rods. I think of this as minimalist fishing, where I rely on my wits for success. With me, relying on wits is always a dicey proposition, but I like to keep things simple. 
    Could I add more gear? Sure; some guys outfit their tubes with more gear than a B.A.S.S. masters tournament boat.

    But I want to be light on my feet, as it were, and not be tied down with a bunch of junk. I can get to the water, get set up, and shove off in about 3 minutes. And with only the essentials along, there is far less to worry about or go wrong.
    Besides, if I added more stuff, my list would be longer than a CVS receipt. And no one wants THAT. 

------------<~~>------------

I hope you liked this article and learned something from it. 

I go for a job well done..., I'm not making money as a writer! 😁
If you think I did a good job, please like, comment, and share. 

Thanks for reading, and "Tight Lines!"

David Hutton 

If you have questions, gripes, or suggestions, contact me via email ...dahutist@gmail.com

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All rights reserved, David  Hutton© 2023 

Fathers Day Dud

Father's Day: The Day That Was A Dud

David Hutton
June 17, 2018

Conditions
Sky - clear, 50% Rh
Wind - 2-5 mph SSW
Barometer - high, 30.3 in.
Water Temp - 84°
Air temp - 94°
Water Clarity - stained/murky, visibility 2-3 ft 

It is Fathers Day. A day when we remember all the dads, living and passed. I am a dad, and I have my dad's and their memories, so it was a good day to call, "special"... and go fishing.

I have to admit that for all the sweetness of the day, the actual fishing was a dud. No angler wants to admit that he didn't break records, or catch his limit on every cast, but there it is: fishing was pretty much a dud.

Shallow Water
I did get bites and nibbles in the near-shore fringe. Nymphs were mainly the attraction, but honestly, it was precious little. 

I'm still impressed with the Fledermouse fly, though. The fish mobbed the thing whenever it landed nearby. But they were small fish, swatting at it. 
I'll have a half-dozen of them when the cooler season returns, count on that.

Deeper Water
Eventually I moved out from the shore and got a few fish. 
The shore here drops pretty fast to the basin depth of 20-25 feet, so the depth breaks are the better places to look for fish now that the seasonal heat is on. The water is cooler, gloomier, and more oxygenated down there. Reaching to that level calls for sinking flies, sinking lines and whatever else it takes to get to the fish.

I dissected each swoop, curve, and small point in the shoreline to mentally create, "feeding flats," places where, cooler, deeper water might intersect a quick rise to the cover and structure of the shore.
The theory is, the fish will hold at this depth break, and make occasional forays into the shallows.
It is this holding zone that I'm interested in. 

I also pick apart any structure or cover that EXTENDS out into this depth break zone, like docks, or downed trees.
The expectation is that fish will hold in and around these cover sites where they meet the cooler, deeper water.

So that's the theory and it sounds pretty good, right? 
All nice and methodical, and all that jazz. But it didn't do much today
I beat the skunk with a 6" bluegill, an 8" yellow perch and a couple fish that released early.

Six Inches of  Handsome

The Dragonfly Nymph
One of the aquatic world's most interesting and ubiquitous critters is the dragonfly. There are over 3,000 dragonfly species worldwide, and some 450 call North America home.
They range from teensy things no bigger than a dime, to the big whoppers you see powering around a pond.

But only a relatively few people know they start out and live the largest part of their life in the water as an aquatic nymph. After a few seasons, when they are ready, they leave the water and climb onto a stem, rock, or piece of wood. There, they break out of their nymphal shuck, spread their wings - and become one of the most recognizable creatures of the warm season.

I found one of these nymphal shucks clinging to the side of a dock today. The former resident was long gone, of course; only the dry husk remained. But what I want to impress on you is the SIZE of the thing - a full 2" long.

And this is not the biggest one I've seen... I've found bigger. So as pal Jonathan Kiley of flyskinz.com says: "Don't be afraid to tie some big dragonfly nymphs, people."

Thanks and Tight Lines,
David

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The Jeremy Fly

The JEREMY FLY

David Hutton
June 16, 2018

"Happy Birthday, Poppa!"

Being told happy birthday is music to most people's ears, and I'm no exception. But, when its coming from my 6 year old grandson, well, its doubly sweet.

My 61st birthday recently passed, and I wrote a blog piece about my fishing adventures that day. You can search it here if you want (I'm told its a pretty good read).

But it was a solo birthday outing, it was mid-week, and there wasn't much of a celebration to accompany the event.
So, my grandson, Jeremy didn't really take note of my special days' passing. 

A few days later, my wife, Lori, said,
"Look here - this is a feather Jeremy found." 
She handed me a small, zip-loc baggie. 
In it was a single, red-dyed guinea feather.
"He wanted you to have it," she said, "... he figured you could use it, I guess." 

"Okay, cool. Wasn't that nice of him."

Jeremy has grown up around me, and my fly fishing pastime; I took it up when he was just a baby. 
At this point, I don't have any illusions of leaving him some grand, fly fishing legacy,... and he hasn't really expressed an interest.
Frankly, I think he sees it as something I do, but kinda boring. 

Nevertheless, he has watched me tying flies since he could walk. 
And, while he shows no desire to learn the arcane and mysterious ways of vise and thread, well, he knows exactly what I do with hooks and feathers. 

"Well, hmmmm, what am I gonna DO with a single feather... guess I'll add it to the collection."

Like all fly tyers, I have gathered many assorted feathers that just kinda hang around, without any real purpose. 
I figured it could go in there.

A couple more days passed, when Jeremy came to me and said, "Poppa, I'm sorry I missed your birthday - I didn't know it. But did you get the feather I got for you? 
I wanted you to have that for your birthday."

Hold on, people. Did you hear that?
He wanted me to have it for my birthday.
That aint just music to the ears - that's a whole symphony! 

After giving him a big hug, I said,
"Well, Thank you, buddy! I'll see what I can do with that feather.... 
Hey, what do you say I tie up a very special fly with it? 
What do you think of that?" 
I wanted to acknowledge his generosity for the gift, and make a big deal of it.

"Sure, that would be good."

"Okay, then. What should we call it, I wonder? 
How about the 'JEREMY FLY?' or the 'BUBBA BUG?'"

His family nickname is "Bubba," and his little sister, Hannah, who is now 2, is," Sissy." 
Bubba was an option.    

"Not Bubba - I like, Jeremy Fly!" 
It seems it's better to have a fly named after you, and not your nickname.

"Then that's what it will be - The Jeremy Fly. 
I'll get right on it and see what I come up with."

Decisions, Decisions
I wanted a fly that was fairly big and gaudy, something that might impress a 6 year old. As it was just one feather he gave me, I figured I'd have to add something to it. 
And I wanted it to be simple, but at least look like some kinda critter.
What else but a Woolly Bugger variation?!

In this case, I kept it even simpler. What I selected was similar to the old "Baby Doll Fly." 
Basically, I was gonna tie a Woolly Bugger, with no hackle, no extra weight, and one that would give a near surface presentation.

The General Idea - The Baby Doll Fly 

Construction
This is where it gets a little "X-Files," kinda weird.
Stay with me...

I was doing the annual fire alarm inspection at an elementary school the other day (my day job), and I found a length of white, wire-cored chenille inside one of the pull stations. 

You can buy these twisted wire chenille pieces as, "Fuzzy Sticks" at any craft store. They're as common around an elementary school as juice boxes, as they're normally used for children's craft projects.
But they work alright for flies when wrapped on larger hooks. 
I have no idea how it got IN the pull station, as they're locked, but, hey, it was kind of a cosmic moment, an omen, if you will. 
It seemed appropriate enough, anyway.

- What I did was add a white tail to a hook, from a marabou blood quill.
- Then I wound on a length of the Fuzzy Stick to form a body. 
I added no wire ribbing, or other reinforcement, as the chenille sticks have that twisted wire core holding everything together.
- Finally I added a hackle collar from Jeremy's red guinea feather. 

The end result looks like this:

The Jeremy Fly

MATERIALS
Hook - # 4 2-3xl (Aberdeen)
Thread - Black  
Tail - White marabou
Body - White chenille "Fuzzy Stick"
Hackle - Red-dyed guinea feather

What Is It?
When I showed the fly to Jeremy, he was somewhat moved, but nonchalant like only a 6 year old can be. Kids this age aren't all that critical, and the "What is it? question never materialized. 

But I had prepared an answer, and I'm not gonna waste it, so here you go:

The answer to, "What Is It?" isn't really easy - and it isn't really hard. 
I can't tell you exactly what it looks like... because it doesn't look like anything, exactly. 
But it has all the elements of classic designs that suggest it will have the desired effect.
Mostly it will look like some kind of small fish, to a bigger hungry fish.

Fishing
I expect the Jeremy Fly will have little trouble getting through the surface film, with the hook's own weight and the chenille's wire core. I picture it as a near surface fly, something described this way by Bob Clouser:

"Near Surface Flies

Another class of 'top water fly' is what I call the 'near-surface' fly. 

These run from right at the surface to a foot or two down. 

This is the suspending fly, the one that doesn't sink fast.

It kinda hovers on the drop, instead. 

You can do as well with these, and maybe better, than with top water flies. 

A favorite of mine has a three layer head of red - white - red hackle in front, with a white Deceiver-style back end."

Can we say it was influenced by the words of Bob Clouser? Not initially, no. I didn't make the connection until just now. But I'll go with that... remember you heard it here, first.

I'll cast it around structure and cover, and fish it from the surface down to about 4 feet on a floating line. While its more of a giant sized wet fly, I'm calling it a streamer at this point. This is because, 

a. That's pretty much what it is, and,

b. And well, I can

I'm gonna roll with that, anyway.

I hope to try it sooner than later, and I hope it catches something. That would be a fitting tribute to a grandsons gift of a feather.

Don't you agree?

Thanks for reading and Tight Lines,

David

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Larry Koon Landing

Larry Koon Landing - A Foto Montage

June 10, 2018

I was so happy with the clear water of my last trip that I wanted to keep the ball rolling. I chose a public boat landing, one I've been to many times before. 

The first time I visited Larry Koon Landing it was to do some water metal detecting. That went pretty bad, as the substrate here is hard rock. This means there's no way to scoop up any treasure, even if you did find it.

And we didn't.

In more recent times, Larry Koon landing has been the launch site for a number of fishing junkets around Lake Murray's mid-lake area, and especially the islands which are just a mile or two out from the ramps.

I knew the place.
I examined my hydrographic maps.
I scouted with Google Earth satellite.
I was ready to get out there.

The flies I was taking out. Usually I have 4-5 small boxes of flies; this time I brought just a sampling.

Weeds everywhere. This stuff blanketed the area around the ramp and you really had to work around it - and be patient with all the hanging up.

More weeds, more weeds, more weeds.

The skunk buster - first fish. Small red breast.
Caught on a Pheasant Hornberg Soft Hackle (seen beneath the anal fin.)

Red Breast on a James Woods Bucktail

Among the weeds near shore, I had noticed several bedding areas. They were obvious - their round, light colored shapes stood out from the darker bottom. They had a fish or two hanging around, but they seemed to be attracted more by the oddity of the beds. There were no obvious fish guarding nests; the ones I saw were not clean, but had collected the usual detritus in them.

Then I happened upon a large bush overhanging the back of a tiny cove. I cast back towards the tree, and my fly was immediately slammed by a large bluegill. This fish wasn't playing; he snatched the #10 Muddler HARD. 

I was about ready to put him on the reel... And that's how the next 8 fish went.

Cast out towards the spot, and either they would tear the fly right off the surface or it would move a few feet and get nailed.   

Once the bite slowed I finned over to the spot and saw 10 or so active nests, and several others that were obviously abandoned. Its about a month passed the peak breeding period, but bluegill will nest several times throughout the season.... so I eased off and left them to it.

Ramp #3

Ramps 1& 2

Loan-A-PFD

Welcome - but you cant stay

Hot Weather Fishing Strategies

New Water
article and images by Bill Byrd (RIP)
All rights reserved.

It was hot! Really hot -- 100°F in the sun. But you'll find me on the water, taking on the heat, for two reasons:

• Fish are in the water.
  
• They are ready to feed.
  

    If you can gear up to take the heat, and use a rational approach to fly fishing, you too can find some strapping gills and active bass even in HOT weather.

--------------------~~<>~~-------------------

Strategy
    What is your hot weather strategy for fly fishing? Do you have one?

    Some anglers just switch to trout. Other cool water fish swim in small rivers and streams, too - Smallmouths, Redeye bass, Suwanee bass, and other smallmouth-like species. You'll find green sunfish, bluegills, yellow perch, redbreast sunfish, redear sunfish in many small running, cool waters, too. 
    Georgia’s Chattahoochie is one example; it flows with cool water and wading in that low temp water in Summer is refreshing! There are tree covered, fish filled streams all over the South to fish this time of year.

    But lets suppose you DON'T have trout infested waters nearby. Perhaps you don't know squat about trout or other river fish, and wouldn't know what to do to catch them. Maybe your travel time is limited, what with jobs, and family, and so on. 
    Or maybe you're like me - you just don't like to waste your fishing time DRIVING all over the countryside to find the so-called, “perfect spot.“

    Another option, in that case, is to properly prepare yourself and get out on your local still waters, despite the heat.


    I recently fished a lake located in a nearby wildlife preserve/recreation area. It was my first time there, and I decided to fish from my float tube. Later, I went back with my boat for trip two. My fishing strategy followed the same basic steps on both trips –

1. Rig up,
   
2. Probe the water column,
   
3. Catch fish (the good part),
   
4. Quickly release the fish unharmed,
   
5. Document all the activity.
   
   

FLOAT TUBES: PRO’S AND CON’S
Pro’s

1. Float tubes allow more intimate fishing
   
2. You better connect with the body of water and so are a better angler
   
3. They are less obtrusive than a boat, unless you’re a total klutz.
   
4. They embody the idea of “stealth“ fishing.
   
5. They require nothing but a fishing license – no gas, no taxes, etc.
   

Con’s

1. They’re slow; you can't cover much water
   
2. You can't stay air dry; you‘re at least partially in the water itself
   
3. They require some specialized gear (fins, waders, pumps, patch kits, etc.)
   
4. You can't carry much extra “stuff“
   
5. They aren't snake proof.
   

    All of that aside, being in the tube again brought back old memories. One Georgia resort known for big bluegills, shellcrackers, and redbreast sunfish came to mind.
    I hoped this water would provide the same kind of big gill action, but much closer to home.

Timing Sometimes Sucks
    My first fishing day there got off to an inauspicious start.
I arrived later than my target time, which I hate. But I made it onto  the water by 12:30 PM.
    The astutue reader will spot this as a way of saying I missed the cooler morning hours.

July weather conditions this day were:
HOT – 90+°F.
The skies were partly cloudy, with a light breeze stirring the water. Out on the water, under the sun, it was gonna be intense.

    The unknown lake lay out before me with only a slight ripple breaking its surface. The mixed woods along the shore created a moving patchwork pattern on the water. It had been a while since I’d been in a float tube. Old, creaky muscles were about to be reunited with my desire to catch fish.

    Duck-style, I waddled backwards into the water, spun my tube around and sat down. Away I went, kicking toward the far shore. 200 feet away.

    What drew me there?
    It looked FISHY, that’s all. Yes, I have a system I follow, but you gotta start somewhere, and sometimes it comes down to that.

It Begins
    Finally I arrived at the  other side, to find low overhanging bushes and small trees shading the water. I could just feel the fish in the area. Based on observation, I figured the water dropped from about a foot at the bank to 7 or 8 feet right under my tube. If I was a fish, this is where I would want to be.
    I tied on one of my favorite size 12 weighted streamers and began to probe the water, from right at the bank on down to six or seven feet. I slowly worked this "fishy" water, moving to the west for 20 minutes - without encountering a single fish.

    I changed up as I entered a a small shallow cove along the shore. On my second retrieve from a spot near an inundated bush, I felt a smack on the line, raised my rod and was slammed by a really strong fish. My sweet little 2wt. arc'ed back on itself and the fight was on.
    The fish circled widely with great power, and I figured it was a big 'gill. When I finally got it to my tube, I had a fat 10“ bluegill that weighed a full pound.

"He hasnt seen many hooks,“ I said aloud. “Not a bad start."

    I continued to probe the area, discovering 5 foot deep water that sloped up to 2 feet at the rear of the cove. I carefully probed back in there and caught three more fish like the first. One was even bigger, probably 12“ long with a 17“ inch girth. It was a monster and my guess is it weighed at about 1.5 pounds. It reminded me of the tremendous "copperheads" that I have caught on the St. Johns River in Florida.

The image above is the small inlet being discussed, fronted by a shallow flat with normal contour. By looking at the graphics drawn in, we can see what we must do to access subsurface fish in this shallow water. 

Working More Of The Site
    I left the small cove and kicked my way back up toward the shallow flat at the West end of the lake, casting right up to the shoreline bushes, trees, and objects. I let my streamer settle, then began following the downward sloping contour with short strips to deeper water. I found that more giant gills were holding 8 feet from the shore, in about four to five feet of water. 
This was now my, "pattern."
    When these fish picked up my fly, it was a normal take. They didn't jerk the rod out of my hands, but you knew they had grabbed what they thought was fleeing prey. 
    Once detected, I lift the rod against the take and it quickly bends under the power of their hasty departure. This is why I keep my hook points sharp – little force is required to get a hook set.
    The big gills would end up at my float tube, circling, until they could finally be pried from the water. Some were so big I cradled them with my hand -- there was no palming them.

Think In Multiple Dimensions
    your aim is to visualize what you are doing in a two or three dimensional way. This way you can probe water much more effectively for suspended fish, and fish holding near the bottom of the lake.
    Following is the basic method for good subsurface fly fishing in warm stillwaters. 
    You might want to write them down:

1. Select the best flies to fish,
   
2. Use a long leader/tippet to help sink your fly,
   
3. Carefully probe new water for contour and depth,
   
4. Fish structure and cover.
   

Structure/Cover
    When we say structure or cover in this context, we mean the obvious places everyone recognizes, such as LOW wooden docks with algae growing on them. In high sun periods, in most cases you'll find bluegills or mixed sunfishes assembled under these docks in the shade. There is security there, and the food chain is fully growing on and around these structures.
However, literally any spot with a log, a piece of brush, and old tire, a hidey place under an overhanging tree or bush, any shade, and so on will attract fish.
    I sometimes find big bluegills and bass suspending under big algae heads floating on the lake's surface. Even a shallow channel that gets them deeper into the darker waters will hold fish. You should probe all of these features for feeding fish. In streams, wood is fine, and fish will hide in grasses, plus under individual rocks and ledges.

Surface, Then Below
    In some fisheries (and maybe most), small insects on the surface are a major forage during the midday period. Where this is the case, you're tipped off by aggressive surface feeding on size 8 to 14 foam spiders. However, this is not a sure thing; it is often the exception.
    This is why I go prepared with size 10-14 suspending nymph imitations. These get hammered as often by the fish just below the surface. Am I telling you to toss out your poppers and foam spiders? No.
But, if they don't do much - be ready with an alternative.

    In this particular fishery. the pea-colored water and the heat had me probing the depths with size 12, and then size 10 streamers. I like a larger profile and dark colors to contrast in these stained conditions. It paid off, too.

The Mental Game
    Remember, you have to probe the water to find out what the fish will take. If you get no response, switch off and try something else.
    At this point, it is popular for people to say something like, "You have to give the fish what they want"... which is one of the more useless phrases in fishing that I know of. I think they say it to sound helpful, or knowledgeable, but mostly it seems they use it because they don't really know what else to say. Regardless, it is not much help, especially to newcomers or the less astute angler.
    What I say is..."keep probing the entire water column, from top to bottom, using surface flies, nymphs, and streamers appropriate to each level, until you hit on what they will take. Then, pay attention."
    That has some meat to it, and explains the process in two sentences. Oh, and make sure you have enough of whatever flies are working. You may need them!

    
    Once you establish a bite pattern, stick with it until conditions shift - and they will. As long as you understand the process of keeping your flies in front of the fish WHEREVER THEY ARE in the water, you'll catch plenty of fish.

Putting It All Together
    On both days fishing this new-to-me water, I learned about the lake's basic contour, bottom structure and lakeside cover. 
    I caught big gills, I found water to depths of 15 feet, wood strewn shallows, pea gravel bottoms, and lots of overhanging trees and bushes for cool cover on hot summer days.

    I make mental notes of where I find fish - and where I don’t – which I then write down later. I take pictures to prompt my memory.     I write about my adventures and discoveries. 
    In this way, I learn what it took to catch those fish. 
    This makes me a more efficient angler and helps me get onto fish sooner each time I fish the same lake. 
,
    In two trips I caught and released fifty seven -- eight, nine, and ten inch bluegills. The largest was over 11 inches and about one and a half pounds. I also caught and released 3 bass.

    After many trips approaching new water in theis methodical way, in all seasons you will begin to learn how to decode a lake's patterns. 

- You will eliminate water that typically doesn't hold fish, and concentrate on fish holding water. 
- You will learn the most productive flies and presentations and enjoy knowing that you can catch and release plenty of fish, most anywhere. 

    If you have read my articles on fishing the water column, or my other articles in which I describe probing water -- it may sound boring. And if you only want to see the surface splash of takes on poppers, it can be, But, if you want to effectively and efficiently catch fish, these are things you should heed.
    Put in the time on the water getting to know the dynamics of the system, and you can do this.

    Hot summer conditions are gonna come. You can’t stop the seasons. But, you can see it as your opportunity to be THE fly fisher on the water catching and releasing fish. 
    And while your sweating, chugging water and cursing the gnats around your head, keep this happy thought in mind:
 
It isn't Winter with freezing temps, ice everywhere and no fishing.

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Bill Byrd was a retired guide and author in GA. He started fly fishing in 1968 and started freelancing as a fly fishing writer in 1995.  He had articles in Warmwater Fly Fishing, Saltwater Fly Fishing, Fly Fish America, Bassmaster Magazine, and other publications. And while he got paid for these things, his main goal was helping you be a better angler.

Sadly, this fine  man passed away in 2021, and we lost a great brother that day. Through personal correspondence, Bill gave me exclusive rights to edit and share his articles, an honor I hold dear. I hope you like them.
However, the web archive of his articles from byrdultrafly.com is still available.
You can find a link to them, below, and I highly recommend you download any of the articles that interest you....
https://web.archive.org/web/20210210233327/http://www.byrdultrafly.com/

I hope you enjoyed this and learned something from it. I get nothing from this other than the satisfaction of a job well done, so if you enjoyed it, a like and share is appreciated.
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Tight Lines,
David Hutton

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