The midday sun was sweltering in the valley along the First Fork of the Sinnemahoning River while ducks swam about and I walked along the pond’s shoreline. A bullfrog sang his song from the opposite bank, and a largemouth bass drifted about in the shallows enjoying the warming waters.
But my search today was for panfish, schools of bluegill to be exact.
I found my quarry a few minutes later as I worked my way along the shoreline toward the shallow cove in the corner at the back side of the pond. Hand-sized panfish hovered over a silted bottom, gently rotating their pectoral fins in about two feet of water only 10 feet from the shoreline. The water was crystal clear and transparent, without even the slightest breeze to cause a ripple on the surface.
Those are perfect conditions that every angler wants when fly fishing for panfish. The bluegills hovered in the shallows, fanning out nests for the spawning ritual which would happen once the water temperatures were ideal.
I stood and stared at the sight for a few minutes as I knew once I started fishing the action would be non-stop. Bluegills are exceptionally aggressive and strike at almost anything that’s placed near their nesting area.
Moments later I tied a brilliant orange-colored booby fly onto my fly leader. I followed it a few seconds later with a short cast of about 12 feet of line which dropped just beyond the edge of schooling fish. A second later, I began to glide the fly along the water’s surface as I made a slow retrieve. About one foot in, the rod arched tight, signaling I’d connected on my first fish of the day.
It darted in a circular motion as panfish do, first in one direction, then the other. It offered up a challenging fight on a nine-foot flyrod which would be similar in comparison to fighting a bass on a casting rod. It fought hard and did not give up until it landed on shore. I admired its bluish/gold coloration before releasing it to fight another day.
That action continued for the next couple of hours until my arm tired and I called it quits. It was non-stop fun which included numerous blue gill, several largemouth bass and the trophy catch of the day, an exceptionally large black crappie measuring 13 inches in length.
All of the fish were caught on a flyrod using only a two-pound test leader; it required careful landing to avoid any break offs which did happen on occasion this day.
No, this isn’t my exciting flyrod adventure, but the one my daughter Tracy recently enjoyed. It proves there’s more to fly fishing than just pursuing trout during the heat of summer. This experience demonstrates just one of the many joys and attractions of what fish are available to the fly fisherman.
David Orlowski is a writer, hunter, fisherman and outdoor enthusiast from Potter County. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association.
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