Fly fishing a secret weapon

Rainy weather and hot days are always good times to stay inside and do some reading and planning. One of the things that should interest area anglers is a new, but also very old sport called fly fishing. It's a sport you'll find far different from casting for bass or throwing weight forward spinners for walleye. If I were a betting person I'd wage money that barely five percent of local anglers own a fly rod. And that's too bad. Most of us consider fly fishermen to be yuppies, purists, devotees of specialized angling. They like challenge, difficulty, careful presentation, and matching precisely each hatch. In short, they're people that most of us wouldn't like to emulate. But did you ever talk to a fly fisherman? Some of them like to foster the myth, and show themselves to be Isaac Walton devotees, but the honest ones will probably say "I like fly fishing because it's the most lethal method known for catching fish." And it's true. A fly rod is a lethal weapon in the world of fishes. Take bluegills, for example. From the time they're big enough to feed on anything larger than copepods and cladocerans, their primary food is insects. It might be bottom crawling and occasionally hatching pond insects, or grasshoppers, moths and ants that fall in, but insects are the major part of their diet. Sure, they see an occasional worm that washes in after rains, and eat such happily, and they'll try a waxworm on an ice spoon, but when they're being picky I go after them with flies. Like the time I needed a couple of dozen in a hurry, rushed out to a favorite farm pond (it was during their spawning season), and found a bed. Instead of tying on one fly, I tied on three, one at lines end, and two on short side lines above. They were just nondescript little size 12 flies, one green, one brown, and one dark yellow, and when I had a line twitch, I'd strike and wait, instead of working in my catch. Using this method I often caught two at a time, and twice three at a time. It took 20 minutes to catch what I needed, and rush back home. What about largemouth bass? They're very similar. Most of what a bass eats is small: young bluegills and frogs, grasshoppers, and again aquatic insects. With a fly rod you can present bass bugs or large streamers, and on a good day absolutely slay them, hopefully releasing most or all of your catch. Can you catch stream smallmouths on a fly rod? Sure. What about walleyes in Lake Erie when they're up on the reefs at twilight? You bet. Crappie on white maribou streamers? Trout? No need to comment. In fact, I've even caught channel cats and twice a nice carp on flies. Everything eats them. Fly rods have something else going for them. They're fun! A long, whippy rod with a four pound test tippet turns a quarter pound bluegill into a two pounder, and a four pound bass on such gear is awesome. Once an angler tries this sport, he's likely to be hooked as hard as the fish he catches. Is it tough to learn the basics of fly fishing? Not at all. Get a book from your library or a video from the sporting goods store, buy a fly rod that matches its line, and do a little practicing. In ten minutes you'll have mastered the basics, then it's more practice and experience. Your lethal weapon is ready to go.. Readers who would like to learn fly fishing from experts who have plenty of good advice might like to join a fly fishing club. Google up "Ohio Fly Fishing Clubs" and you'll find a number to choose from, and their meetings and after meeting conversations are fonts of useful information. They can be a quick learning experience and new members are always welcome. Hooks & Bullets: • Good news! Biologists are predicting that western Lake Erie will experience a smaller than average harmful algae bloom this summer. This is the first time in a dozen years that mild blooms have occurred in successive summers. That's good news for fishermen and better news for those who depend on the Big Lake for drinking water. • Area waterfowl hunters should enjoy another great season of TV watching on Ducks Unlimited television. In the first episode this year, co-host Fred Zink joins DU volunteers hunting early season Canada geese in North Dakota. DU TV airs Mondays at 1 a.m., Wednesdays at 7:30 a.m., and Fridays at midnight on the Sportsman Channel. Classic episodes can be found at wwwducks.org/duty. • According to the Outdoor News Fishing & Hunting Report, fishing in Lake Erie's Western Basin is continuing to be excellent. Channel cats in Sandusky Bay are hitting well on shrimp and nightcrawlers, the walleye bite is fantastic, and smallmouth fishing around Sandusky Bay, Kelleys Island and other islands has been terrific! Dick Martin, a freelance writer from Shelby, is a retired biology teacher who has been writing outdoor columns for more than 30 years. Reach him at richmart@neo.com. You also can visit his blog at outdoorswithmartin.com.