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I joined three members of the Free State Fly Fishers today on a Delaware Pond Hop.
Our intention was start the day at Trap Pond and then head to Records Pond after lunch. However, Trap’s boat ramp was closed for a Halloween event at the park. So, we went to Plan B, which we had to make up on the spot. We started at Records Pond in Laurel and ended up at Ingrams Pond in Millsboro.
It was a beautiful fall day to be pond fishing, albeit a bit windy as the hours progressed. However, we found protected shorelines in both ponds from the wind that was largely from the south.
Here are a few scenes of the fall foliage reflected in the water:
P1030178.jpg P1030179.jpg
Of course, we saw lots of geese.
They were overhead:
P1030185.jpg
And often in our way on the water.
P1030202.jpg
It was odd to see turtles active this late in the year:
P1030199.jpg
And now to the fishing. We each caught a variety of fish, however I caught nothing large. I personally caught the following 5 species:
P1030186.jpg P1030203.jpg P1030204.jpg
P1030205.jpg P1030209.jpg
Note that I caught a 16-inch pickerel to end the day but my camera battery failed.
I carried a 5 wt. and 6 wt. fly rod, each with floating line. I tried like the devil to get the fish to come up for a popper but they only halfheartedly swung at it. The water was cool in each pond – too cool for freshwater surface action, I think. Subsurface was the way to go with a very slow presentation. An olive size 6 wooly bugger with a black tail was my most productive fly. Often the fish hit it while it was motionless. I would twitch it a little and let it sit. I used the tip of the line as a strike indicator and when I saw the line move forward I lifted the rod to set the hook.
The only other fly that worked for me was an olive over white size 4 Clouser. That tricked two pickerels.
My last pick ended a nice day on two Delaware ponds. I likely won’t get back to the Eastern Shore until the weather is more in tune with the calendar – i.e., it will be cold! Today was a real bonus in terms of weather. And while the fish weren’t large, they gave us enough action to make the outing worthwhile.
Our intention was start the day at Trap Pond and then head to Records Pond after lunch. However, Trap’s boat ramp was closed for a Halloween event at the park. So, we went to Plan B, which we had to make up on the spot. We started at Records Pond in Laurel and ended up at Ingrams Pond in Millsboro.
It was a beautiful fall day to be pond fishing, albeit a bit windy as the hours progressed. However, we found protected shorelines in both ponds from the wind that was largely from the south.
Here are a few scenes of the fall foliage reflected in the water:
P1030178.jpg P1030179.jpg
Of course, we saw lots of geese.
They were overhead:
P1030185.jpg
And often in our way on the water.
P1030202.jpg
It was odd to see turtles active this late in the year:
P1030199.jpg
And now to the fishing. We each caught a variety of fish, however I caught nothing large. I personally caught the following 5 species:
P1030186.jpg P1030203.jpg P1030204.jpg
P1030205.jpg P1030209.jpg
Note that I caught a 16-inch pickerel to end the day but my camera battery failed.
I carried a 5 wt. and 6 wt. fly rod, each with floating line. I tried like the devil to get the fish to come up for a popper but they only halfheartedly swung at it. The water was cool in each pond – too cool for freshwater surface action, I think. Subsurface was the way to go with a very slow presentation. An olive size 6 wooly bugger with a black tail was my most productive fly. Often the fish hit it while it was motionless. I would twitch it a little and let it sit. I used the tip of the line as a strike indicator and when I saw the line move forward I lifted the rod to set the hook.
The only other fly that worked for me was an olive over white size 4 Clouser. That tricked two pickerels.
My last pick ended a nice day on two Delaware ponds. I likely won’t get back to the Eastern Shore until the weather is more in tune with the calendar – i.e., it will be cold! Today was a real bonus in terms of weather. And while the fish weren’t large, they gave us enough action to make the outing worthwhile.
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