The 2014 Bluegill Blitz!

One of the really good things that I can say about my time over on Facebook is that I have met and communicated online with a number of really good people.  These folks have shared a love for a number of things we have in common.  For example, Warm Water Fly Fishing Group that I joined has a great group of guys and gals who share their love for warm water fly fishing.  Lots of pictures of successful fishing trips and a flow of good ideas to keep one interested in warm water fly fishing. 

One of the great things the Warm Water Fly Fishing Group has spawned is the 2014 Bluegill Blitz.
Fellow Colorado warm water fly fisherman,  John Doddridge, has came up with a great idea for some online fun combined with fly fishing for the ever popular, Bluegill!  After you have clicked on the links and read about the 2014 Bluegill Blitz then take a minute and consider if you would like to  participate.  Fly Fishing, Fun, Bluegills, Pictures, Good Times, Meet New Online Friends, what do you have to lose.  Hope you check it out!

Ok, there are a few rules.  Yea, rules, but even those are simple and fun.
Official Rules:
1) Bluegills and Sunfish of all types are allowed. Not allowed are LM Bass, SM Bass, Carp, Drum, Catfish, Warmouth, Crappie. You get the point. Cheaters will be MOCKED!
2) You may submit ONE picture of your LONGEST fish. In the picture you must clearly show the length, and your ID number. 
3) All anglers must be signed up by 5pm on April 30th. ID numbers will be issued between 6pm and midnight on April 30th through a PM sent to each anglers competing.
4) Pictures may be submitted on the Warm Water Fly Fishing page anytime on Sunday May 18th.
5) All fish must be caught using a Fly Rod, Fly Reel, and Fly.
This is for The Warm Water Fly Fishing page Bragging Rights Only.

That's it. Send me John Doddridge a personal message if you want in and I will add you to the list. You must be on the list by 5pm April 30th. Otherwise contact me at johndoddridge81@gmail.com

Bluegill fishing time is here!

Any "Bunny" Goin' Fishin' Today?

First off for all my readers and fellow BlogBuddies, the Ol' Pond Stalker would like to wish each and everyone of you and your families a wonderful Easter.  Be safe and enjoy your activity and don't forget the meaning of Easter.

I was just wondering if anyone planned on spending their day fly fishing for their favorite fish. Where are you going and what do you have in mind?

Meanwhile, I am just wondering how long it will take all my Grandchildren to find the last egg in the hunt..................................

What Eggheads do for Easter....................................................................................................

Are Bass Dumber Than Trout?

Really, or is that just propaganda?  Read on BlogBuddies and let me know what you think?  First off,

Let me explain where I am coming from.  Like many others, I am sure throughout our country, I am still waiting for the opportunity to get into some sort of regular fly fishing mode with the 2014 season.  I mean weather, well, has been really weather here on the Front Range of Colorado.  If the wind is not blowing 30 - 40 MPH, then you have weekends like this one.  Wet rain and snow! I hope the weather man is wrong, but, they had predicted 4 - 6 inches of snow in some areas.  Can we just go fishing and get on with the season for crying out loud. 

Anyway, while I wasn't fishing today, I did manage to hit my local fly tying supplier for a few things I needed to tie up some Bluegill nymphs and a few other things from my "Stuff" list.  My wife just smiles and sends me on the way.  She knows better than to debate me about "Stuff".

I better get to the point here that I am trying to make with this post.  While looking through most all of the fly tying goodies, I over heard a conversation between Employee and Customer.  It kind of went something like this:

Customer: I am looking for materials to tie up some various streamers for fishing Bass, mostly Largemouth, but, some Smallmouth, too?

Employee:  Well, you don't have to be very selective when choosing what materials to use when tying Streamers for Bass!  Heck, Bass will eat anything as long as you find them in a feeding mode.  I would not bother with anything but a Wooly Bugger in different colors and a couple of different sizes.

Customer: Really, well that should be easy enough.  I was also thinking about tying up some Marabou Muddlers or trying some of the Articulated Streamers I see in the magazines.

Employee:  I would not even bother with all that extra work and time in tying.  Bass are really stupid fish compared to Trout! With a Trout you have to be more cognizant of how you present the materials and what techniques to use.  Trout are much more keen to what is going on around them than a Bass.  Trout sometimes key on certain materials like the Enrico Puglesi fibers that you can combine certain colors to make more exact imitations than you would need for Bass fishing with Streamers.  Here let me show you some of the material I am talking about and you will see what I mean when I say Trout are much more selective than a Bass.

To make a long story short, I blocked out the rest of the conversation as they moved to another isle in the fly tying materials section.  I had heard enough reality or propaganda.  Whichever, as I paid for my supplies, I just chuckled and shook my head.  Left me wondering what all my BlogBuddies would think of this conversation and what they feel comparable intelligence levels are of a Bass or a Trout.  Chime in if you feel the need too..............................................

Fly Fishing "Damsels"

Thought I would give some time with this post to "Fly Fishing Damsels".

Ok, not this Damsel (although this is The River Damsel, Emily Blankenship)!  She is often who I think of when the words Fly Fishing Damsel are mouthed.  BTW, drop on over and give Emily a pat on the back.  She has taken up fly tying this winter and is doing well enough to have bagged some good trout with her patterns since she started.  I would have expected no less!

But, in the case of this post, what I want to talk about when speaking of fly fishing Damsels is that ever popular sleek swimming, rhythmic, Damsel fly nymph.

Being an avid stillwater fly fisherman for many years has given me plenty of opportunity to see the Damsel fly nymph up close and personal.  I have many great memories of sitting in my float tube during the damsel fly nymphs migration near the surface working their way to shore.  These nymphs, once they make it to shore, climb on vegetation or whatever is available where they go through the beautiful phase of migrating from the nymph to the adult winged Damsel fly.  Many, many beautiful trout have been hooked fishing these Damsel fly nymphs on intermediate or slow sinking fly lines from some of the best trout lakes in the western United States.  Simply put, I love fishing and tying Damsel Fly nymphs!

Recently, I tossed my name in the hat you might say, for a selection of Damsel fly nymphs to be given away over on Facebook from the Dragonfly Angler.  Well, I happened to win the contest and in a few days had a substantial supply of well tied Damsel fly nymphs via John Wood.  Now, John ties some great looking flies.  I would like to share some of John's flies in picture form here on my blog.  John also has his own blog and a website, too!  Please take the time to check out all of his fine work.  He not only ties flies, but, makes some of the most beautiful custom landing nets I have ever seen, among other tidbits on his site.  Keep up the great work, John.   Anyway, here are some pictures of the new Damsel fly booty I now have in my boxes ready for this years Damsel fly nymph migrations.

Bright Eyed Damsel in (4) different colors

Twisted Damsel in (4) different colors

Standard (No Eyes) Damsel Fly Nymph

Yup, John's "Booby" Damsel Fly Nymph

Now, John knew that I have a passion for fly fishing warm waters species.  We talked a little bit prior to him shipping me the Damsel fly nymphs.  Well, what a surprise! When the package came in the mail, along with all the Damsel fly nymphs, John had included some great looking Bass streamers that just plain look exciting to toss for the brutes in the ponds and lakes I fish.  

 Rightfully so, these streamers are called Emotion Detectors!

Look out, big boys I am coming.

Thanks, again, to John Wood of Dragonfly Angler.  Can't wait to start getting these guys on the business end of some fish this summer!

Pond Stalker Blog Spring Clean Up

Is Spring ever going to get here? Someday's, I think so.  On other days, I think or say something different.  It is April 1st, and, I am more than ready to start my warm water fishing season.  It is, also, time for a new Colorado fishing license for the season which begins today and runs through March 31st, 2015.

All that aside, let me take a few moments to share what is going on around the Pond Stalker blog.  It is Spring Cleaning time.

I have been thinking about a re-modeling job of my blog for the new year.  So, after some thought, and feedback from my fellow blogging friends, I got too work.

I began with bringing back a Blog Header that I used previously and added text too it.  This pond in the picture is currently one of my favorite places to fish in my area.  The fish are numerous, but not big necessarily.  Lot's of fun and I thought it deserved the honor of being my Blog Header for the new look.

Next, I redesigned the layout.  I will be using the full page look to my blog, without the use of sidebars to clutter the place up.  I will be using one post per page.  Following the post are graphic links to some of the good folks and organizations that have supported my blogging fun for all these years.  They deserve a shout out!

I have also added a few new pages to my blog which will encompass some of the materials that used to be in my sidebars with a few changes.  Let's begin with my About Mel page.  I have written a brief update on what my current focus is on my blog efforts that should help my readers better understand where I am going forward here on the blog.  Take a minute to do a quick read.

Next is my BlogBuddy Community page.  After giving it a lot of thought, from all the feedback on a recent post on my blog, I have decided to use a page on my blog for the purpose of giving my BlogBuddies a shout out.  I am currently in the process of constructing this page.  So at this point, it reads like a general blog list.  However, I will be updating it in a day or two to something I really good that I have in mind.  Not different, but, different for me.

While you are browsing around on my new look format, please take a minute and check out my other pages which include my From My Vise page, and, my Blog Post Archive page. 

P.S., before I forget to do it, I want to add a link to my Other Brother's blog over at Windknots and Tangled Lines.  Yes, I finally met up with Howard! No, we didn't fish together, but made plans to do so.  See what we were up too this past weekend!