As Kenny mentioned in the FATC July Newsletter, our summer weather can really stress trout (and fishermen too).  Because of convenience and proximity, I, Al Harper, did several warm water fly fishing excursions in Franklin county since early April.  It was very entertaining for me and others to catch bass and panfish on poppers, nymphs and Marabou jigs using lightweight fly rods.  

But even with warm water fish, the bite often begins to wain when the real heat comes on.  Nevertheless I happened to be out and about very early on July 9th and weather conditions were oddly favorable, so I decided to try my luck once more.  I encountered a fairly dense fog on my way to a small lake near Union, MO.  And it was a practically windless morning.  

I used a small light watercraft I could scull paddle one handed and tied on an intermediate-sized popper with some green color evident.  Water clarity was good thanks to a shower a day or two before, but the overcast and foggy weather helped conceal my presence.  I got solid strikes right away but I did notice the fish seemed to prefer less active bug action.  Subtle movements with longer periods of dormancy seemed to pay off best.  

The panfish were still feeding well under the favorable conditions — sometimes taking the poppers deeply into their mouths.  The clarity made it possible to sight cast beds they had cleared out in fairly shallow water within 10’ or so of the bank.  At times the larger panfish were very aggressive.  In its exuberance one of the largest bluegill I caught actually propelled itself out of the water and crashed down on a fly; a maneuver I had seen only once back in March.  

While panfish generally have a reputation for being fearless and voracious, it could also be true that a high fish count in this lake has resulted in an increased competition for food.  But that’s not a complaint  on the part of this angler because I was really enjoying the action.  Largemouth bass were inhabiting the same water and in minutes I began to pick up those as well.  They weren’t large but they struck hard and fought hard as well. The odd stillness of the lake and the fog slowly drifting over the water added a dramatic tension to each catch.  I had to be quiet in my paddling and casting to avoid spooking the fish.  

I was on the lake by about 6:30 am and the magic lasted about two and one half hours until the summer sun finally burned through and the fish seemed to be able to see me moving toward them.  At that point I changed tactics and went with a blonde Marabou jig dragged along under an indicator.  Both panfish and bass seemed to like the movement and I picked up a few more of each as I headed for the bank where I started.  I was very busy while on the lake that morning, but my rough count showed that I caught and released well over 40 panfish and about half that number of bass.  

As the temperature climbed rapidly, I was glad to call it a short day.  I didn’t have a thermometer with me but the lake water was quite pleasant as I continually rinsed off the fish slime.  Judging from the fight they put up, these warm water fish certainly didn’t seem stressed and they swam quickly away when released.  Good summertime fishin’ to ya.