I was bush-hogging on a hill above my pond yesterday. I glanced down at the pond and at the shallow end I could see 15-20 fish suspended near the surface. I was pretty sure they were bluegills and sun fish. After eating supper I was siting watching a ballgame that really didn't interest me and thought "Why not?" I grabbed my 5 wt fly rod and a few bugs and walked down the hill. I had my kayak sitting on the bank. A couple of days before I was fishing from the bank and got my $1.99 Beetle Spin hung. Being the cheapskate that I am I put my rod on the bank ,walked to the barn and got out my kayak, I paddled to the bank retrieved my rod and proceeded to get my high dollar lure unstuck. Lucky for me I'd left the kayak at the pond. After getting it down there I usually leave it for a day or two before putting it up. I regress. So I launched my kayak and eased up to the shallow end. The action was continuous for the next hour. I hooked and landed probably a dozen gills and sunfish none smaller than my hand. When I wasn't hooking them I was getting plenty of boils on my bug. Sometimes they'd move it a few feet or just boil the surface without taking it. They were actually pulling me around the lake. My kayak weighs around 75# and I weigh 230#. It's hard to imagine the strength and fighting ability of these pint-size or should I say quart-size fish. I hooked one that immediately pulled me to a fallen tree and proceeded to hang up. It had never surfaced and I wasn't the least bit comfortable about sticking my hand down where I couldn't see clearly. I have a few snappers in my pond and I didn't care for any unpleasant surprises. I finally got it out and released it. On my next cast I was lifting the bug for another cast when a fish grabbed it and between the fish and I we broke my lucky bug off. I tied on a different bug and after a few more boils and another big gill I hooked a trash fish,small bass, and since it was getting on toward dark decided to call it an day and a "GREAT DAY" at that. Sorry no pics so you'll just have to take my word!
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