This spring just a few days after ice off at one of my favorite haunts, I broke out! I broke out of my normal tactical comforts, and was rewarded with two decent rainbows. Not a lot of fish I know, but it was two more fish to the net than that of the other five anglers on the water that day. I hit the water early that morning with high hopes, first still water trip of the season oh boy! After bout four hours though without a sniff, moral began to weaken. I had wet all of my usually successful patterns; Damselfly nymphs, Dubbing Leeches, Gomphus, Scuds, and of course my all time favorite, Chironomid pupa, which had been hatching frequently in the warmer shallower water. I though could coax no interest whatsoever. So I did what I sometimes do when I don't know what to do next, I drank beer.(just enough to clear my head) That's when I remembered something I read once, "fishing is a thinking mans game" Even though I know that statement to only hold true on the days when fishing is not an " I'm luckier than you mans game" I applied that logic, and in doing so broke out of my comfort zone. You see I have a certain comfortable to me way of fly fishing just as many others I believe do. I fish what I have had success with, what has worked many times for me in the past, I use the flies, and techniques that I enjoy, the ones that I can see they're movements in my minds eye, even when sunk in the depths out of my physical vision. Bloodworm patterns for me are not of that fold. I had never caught on a bloodworm, and rarely ever resorted to one, and if I did it was short lived. I had just never really enjoyed fishing them, Many anglers do but not me. Today though I was a renaissance man, I extended my leader to twenty feet, and tied on a #20 2xLong bloodworm pattern. I fished it static with occasional soft twitches. It wasn't long until the pretty rainbow in the picture above accepted my offering. I lept in heart as I watched my line straighten out, and connect me to struggle. A fella fishing bout 30 feet from me said "finally! what on? I replied "Bloodworm" and told him the exact technique I was using. He told me that he was slowly trolling a chironomid pupa which had worked for him in the past about this time. I asked him if he was gonna switch up. He said probably not, and that something had to take eventually. Too comfortable I thought. he never did catch that day. Breaking out of your comfort zone is not always that uncomfortable, so take it from me, next time your on the water....don't get to comfortable. Tight lines to you! Steven Bullerwell |
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