Being that this blog is called "Dry Fly Salty Dog", I figured that a fishing report was long overdue. Thankfully, my buddy Ted and I were able to experience one of those perfect days on the river. Well, it was almost perfect. Ted managed to snap his new(ish) rod in half early in the trip. Being the generous guy that I am, I was happy to share.
There is something serene about heading out on a river early in the morning. You get to watch the river wake up. There is something magical there. It's God's place. Our secret river, let's call it Dixie Ditch, is a constant producer of quality smallies. Occasionally, however, a real trophy can be pulled from its honey holes.
It was a long dry summer. Thankfully the rains have begun to revisit our area and the farmers are no longer irrigating their fields. This means that my favorite river is in full swing for the fall feedbag of Micropterus dolomieu. The Smallmouth Bass is one of the most tenacious game fish pound for pound. When hooked, these fish run for their lives and occasionally display explosive acrobatics.
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| Thanks to Sweaty Teddy for the photos in this blog post. |
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| A fish so nice, you see it twice. |
The old Dixie Ditch hasn't always been treated well. Even today, farmers irrigate their fields using river water. In the dry summer months this water suction causes the river to drop to low levels and warm up, leading to fish kill. Thankfully, a good number of fish hold in the deep holes and survive the winter.
Our day out was picture perfect. One of those rare autumn days where the sun shines, the wind lays down and everything just converges.
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| Tying up a tube bait at a favorite stop. |
Despite breaking his rod early in the day, Teddy managed to grab a few smallies for himself. Gotta love that Rufus Poop.
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| This was a female with a very big belly. |
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| All the fish looked really healthy. |
That's the report from Dixie Ditch. If you ever happen to find it, make sure you say hi to Johnny Reb for me.
