Homeless

[TwoThumbsUp]

I'm at the in-laws again this weekend. We have a contract on our house and are in a desperate search for a place to buy so we can be closer to my wife's parents. One of the nice things is their pond in the front yard. It's really nice to step out the front door and fish. Even if it's only for a short while. I should have known how the evening was going to go when the first fish caught was this monster.

This pond has a huge midge hatch most evenings and some mornings. It's fun fishing; casting to specific rising fish. I normally just fish a popper with a Pat's Rubber Leg dropper. These fish don't care about matching the hatch. Well, tonight I thought I'd see if I could catch more than usual by fishing a midge dropper.

I did catch more fish, but they were much smaller. These are 2 of the better fish I caught.

My FIL's dog is the fishingest dog I've ever met. He knows I'm there to fish and follows me around the whole time. I've never seen a dog get so excited to fish.

After it got dark, I put the 3-weight up in the rafters of the gazebo and strung up the 7-weight, tying on a diver.

I love the sound of a bass sucking down a surface fly in the dark. Even the small ones sound big.

My fishing after dark was cut short by this thunderhead about to roll in. Time to call it a day.

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[TwoThumbsUp]

I was able to get out and catch the sunrise this morning.

The pond was smooth as glass and I was feeling like it was going to be a good popper kind of morning.

Boy, was I wrong. The fish had nothing to do with it. Everyone was wanting to head to Florence for breakfast, so I knew it was going to be a short morning and didn't take any other flies with me. I did manage to get some interest from one little bass.

All in all it was a good start to the day.

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[dennyk]

TwoThumbsUp-thanks for the pictures, good luck in finding your new home--OR--just move in with the in-laws!

Denny

 

[spm]

Good report. Nice fish, and so conveniently located.

Thanks,
steve

 

[TwoThumbsUp]

--OR--just move in with the in-laws!

Denny

Where's the dislike button!!!


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[mcnerney]

Great report and photos, thanks for sharing!
I can see why you like that pond, that is awesome, good luck with the house hunting.

 

[danmarino]

Dig it! I would love to have a pond like that at my home. Good luck with your home search and I look forward to seeing additional trip reports from you. I really enjoy the description of your fishing and the photos.

 

[TwoThumbsUp]

I'm back at the in-laws for another weekend of house shopping. I'm not sure how much time I'm going to have for fishing, but I did make it here in time to catch the sunset and make a few casts before dark. I'm going to be sure to grab a thermacell is I do any late fishing tonight.

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[wthorpe]

Evict the in laws and get them a new house.

 

[mcnerney]

Evict the in laws and get them a new house.

I like this idea, don't they need to down size and maybe the yard maintenance is getting to be too much for them. LOL!

 

[TwoThumbsUp]

It's been a busy couple of days. Saturday morning, I was up with the sun and fishing before the dew burnt off the wings of the dragonfly.

The pond was perfectly calm and I tied on a yellow popper. The fish just pecked at it. They didn't really want it, but enough took a good sample that I caught some in the short time I had to fish.

Afterwards, the wife and I went and looked at a few houses that just came on the market. Fail, fail, fail. She had a friend from back home in Nashville for some sort of knitting thing that she wanted to meet-up with for lunch, so I called a buddy to grab a beer. We met up at one of the local flyshops and decided to go from there.

Nope..... Not waiting in this line.

I was impressed with the tying supplies these guys had and I know I'll be in good hands when we finally find a place.


Cont..........

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[TwoThumbsUp]

Like most days, I wake up before sunrise and step out the door. This morning is overcast with the wind spitting an occasional raindrop. There was just enough breeze to give the water a slight chop.

With yesterday's fish just slurping the fly down, I tied on something I would be able to see well. I also wanted one with lots of marabou that would have lots of movement while just sitting in the water.

I ended up catching a bunch of fish; mainly small bass

And a few shellcrackers.

I'm not sure if this is a bonus or a curse of fishing a pond just out the front door of a house, but I could eventually smell bacon and coffee. I reeled in and headed inside.

After breakfast, I was given the choice between a nap and fishing. We had to be an hour away at 11:30 to start the days process of finding a place to live and I was whooped. I choose to fish and just keep myself piped up on coffee for the day.

I dug around some of my fly boxes and found some craft fur streamers that I tied years ago. I think they're called "bite me" streamers, but wouldn't bet any money on that.

Well, they worked.

I don't know what it is, but I just love fishing streamers. I guess it's because fish either want to eat it, or not. It's even better when the fly doesn't sink out of sight and I get to watch the eat.

The fishing dog; we'll call him Rex from here on out, to protect his real identity, agrees with me.

He was torn between trying to herd a fish to bank, or herd a cow to wherever fenced cows get herded to. I can't tell you how many times he took off across the field to run a calf back to the rest of them, only to show up back at the bank waiting on me to catch something.

Homeless for another week. We'll see what shows up on the market this week.

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[mr mike]

I'm probably in that shop once a month, and I have never seen that place across the street NOT have a line. It blows my mind that people will stand out there for that long in this kind of weather for a piece of chicken.

 

[danmarino]

I love this thread. Keep it coming. I hope it takes another 3 or 4 months for you to find your house! haha.

 

[City Rat]

What a great pond to have at the in laws. Excellent thread.

 

[sixwtslinger]

I lived with my inlaws for about 4 months while we were rehabing a newly purchased fixer upper . They live on a 500 acre pond that is loaded with SMB, LMB and a few other species. Not only was I fishing almost every evening, but my mother in law used to iron my clothes and make me pancakes and such while I would fish before work. I had tears in my eyes when it was time to go to our own place. The wife, not so much

 

[ia_trouter]

It's getting harder by the day to feel sorry for you 2thumbs.

 

[TwoThumbsUp]

I'd given up. Thrown in the towel. The 9 hour round trip was getting old. My wife was staying at her parents, working for her mom and being available at a moments notice to go look at any new house that comes on the market. The house is for her anyways. I'd be content living in a tent at the state park; as long as there's a warm shower and a flushing pot, I'm good.

I'd gotten up early on Saturday and took a big hike, got home and mowed the grass. I was laying on the couch, watching the race and thinking about heading into the Park to catch some trouts. That's when the phone rang. Wife "get out here, I really like this house." Five hours later, I'm eating dinner with her in southern middle TN.

The next morning I'm up early.

What's better than a picture of the pond with a sunrise in the background and Rex, the fishing dog, in the foreground.

The bass were hungry.

At one time the in-laws pond had several grass carp that kept it clean. After about 13 years they grew beyond their years and have been dying out the past couple years. But, there's still 2 of the beast swimming around and making a commotion.

About that time it dawned on me that I've already told several lies on the fishing forum. Not you typical fisherman lies, like length or weight, but far more serious lies. The first one is that I don't use a lanyard. There was a thread earlier where a poster was looking for info on lanyards and I pointed out that I like stuff. And, don't mind carrying stuff so I don't use a lanyard. The more I fish the pond, the less stuff I find myself carrying. Usually just a flybox, tippet and forcep/siscors on a lanyard.

Lie #2 was where I called this fly a "bite me fly". It is actually and "eat me fly". And, it was the fly of the morning.

I read a lot of fishing blogs. I like words and I like pictures. Add the two together and it's pure enjoyment. I remember reading a blog around the time Straight Outta Compton came out. The blogger wrote about how he grew up in suburbia, popping wheelies on his Huffy, and listening to NWA. This was my life, I could totally relate. He fished the "eat me fly". I just knew it would work for me too.

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[TwoThumbsUp]

So we go and look at this house. I knew the wife liked it a lot. As soon as we walked in the door, she started pointing out all the different places I could hang my various mounts. She even started pointing out places I could hang mounts of animals that I haven't even hunted yet. The house was nice, but the neighborhood had way too much class for me. If we bought it, I'd have to go buy all new t-shirts; ones with both sleeves and no holes. I just don't think I want that added expense.

Afterwards, we did some exploring and came across an old bridge. The bridge crossed a river that just begged for some future exploring. I could almost smell the smallmouth beneath me. I struggled to find a place I could get a picture of the bridge and river with there being no cuss words or pics of weiners, and not the hotdog type.

After the sun started to go down, I hit the pond again. I went with a popper and a Pat's Rubber Leg to see if I could catch some bream.

They cooperated.

It was an interesting evening. All fish caught came on the Pat's Rubber Leg. But, several of the fish actually struck the popper but were caught on the Pat's. They weren't snagged, but caught in the mouth. I can only guess that they hit the Pat's on their way to the popper, only to be caught by the Pat's. Either that, or I'm the luckiest man alive and snagged several fish on the inside of their mouths.

Rex approves of this message.

Oh yea, we put an offer on the house. Just waiting now.............

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[TwoThumbsUp]

I'd never make the team......

Back at the inlaws. As a matter of fact, everything we own is in their basement and workshop.

I've lived all 48 years of my life in the eastern time zone. We're moving to central time. It's going to take some time to get used to the transition. For the meantime, I might as well take advantage of it and wake up before the sun. As a matter of fact, the moon was still out when I was rigging up.

It's summer, so I went with a grasshopper pattern. On the 3rd or 4th cast a small bass exploded on the fly, coming straight out of the water to take it. It's going to be a great morning. The nice cool 66 degree temps feel great.

I fished the hopper for about an hour and didn't get another hit. I headed in for breakfast.

After breakfast, I headed back out to cast the hopper along the far shore. This thing has to work here. This has grasshoppers written all over it.

Nothing. So, I put on a Pat's Rubber Leg as a dropper, still nothing. Eat Me streamer, nothing. I was about to give up and I put the hopper back on. A big fish sucked it down with the suction of a flushing toilet. I stuck it, but didn't get it to hold for more than a couple seconds. I made a couple more casts and had the exact same hit. This time, the hook held and I brought a nice bass to hand.

At this point I decided to fill up the boat and float around the lake for the rest of the morning. I'd been reading the book "Boys In The Boat" about the American rowing team going for the gold in the 1936 Olympics. Highly recommend. I'd of been laughed off the water if I'd of tried out for the team. I didn't catch any more fish, but had a good time on the water.

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