Largemouth bass are spawning in San Diego, and a short jaunt to a local pond yielded two nice fish that fought hard and put a nice bend in my 8’6 5-weight Edwards cane rod. I was having no luck at the usual spots until I keyed in on the bulges and rises in the weed cover near shore. I could see fish finning and making loud splashes.
Making 40-foot casts from the side of the weed line, I was able to place my black size 10 Woolly Bugger two times in the precise spot where the bass were bedding, hiding under dense cover. Both casts brought consecutive fish. There were several anglers nearby and none were having luck. As I pulled in my first bucketmouth, one remarked that I must be good.
I just knew where to find fish. Frankly, I thought I would get skunked. Horny fish, it seems, like bushy flies.
I caught my evening brace on an 85-year-old rod paired with an equally time-worn Hardy Uniqua. Who said old men don’t get around?
sandiegoflyfish.com 