Bronze Back

Fished the Broad for a couple of hours today right in the heat of the day.

The fish above is one of the bigger fish I've caught on the Broad.  I hooked him under a ledge, and he ran hard back under the same ledge mid-fight.  I had to do work to get him back out from under the rock. Those fish are STRONG. That 14incher doubled my 7 weight over.  Pound for pound, smallies pull the hardest.  I can't imagine trying to land a big one that's been foul hooked in the tail. 

On a side note, I hog tied another small mouth.  Some how on the hook set, I wrapped a loop around the fish and behind its pectoral fins. The leader above the fly got hooked around the bend of the hook, and I pulled the fish in in girth hitch style.  That was a first for me.

The water color and level were perfect, low and clear (600cfs). I caught 3 smallies and a couple of blue gill.  I caught all the small mouth on the red fish crab fly pictured above, fished like a streamer (or crawdad). 

I forgot how pretty those little blue gill are. 

 

All only 30 minutes from home, and I didn't even have to use my car and gas money.  Thanks CT.