Dumb Bass

Went out with a fly fishing friend to my favorite spot for a couple of hours yesterday. He's a relatively new fly angler and though been doing it longer than I have, I've put in a lot more hours on the water because of sheer opportunity.

This past week the bass in my favorite spot must have hatched from their eggs and grown enough to start hunting on their own. There were schools of 2-4" bass striking 2-4" woolly buggers and getting hooked on the outside of the mouth. I caught a few, he caught a few... all were released no worse for wear to grow big and hopefully no smarter than they currently are.

On the way out, I was goofing off and had switched to a chartreuse and white rabbit tail clouser. While I was talking to my friend, I got hit and immediately had a nice bend in my rod and for the first time actually heard my reel as he took some line.

That was the end of the day, we took some photos, my buddy caught a couple of more fingerling bass, and we parted ways. This is the guy I'll be making a secret trip with in October for big fish in cold water.

As hard as it is to say this, Bass are getting way too easy and I need to let those little guys grow up some. Its to the point where its more annoying to take them off the hook than it is fun to catch them when they're that small and you're digging a hook out from dangerously close to its eye - it just doesn't seem sporting or ethical.

Bigger flies for bigger fish but when there are 3" fish that continually strike at a size 6 clouser that is 5" long and get foul hooked on it I'm not sure what else I can do.

Trout this weekend. Maybe. If I can drag my behind out of bed.