# I almost forgot.....



## mrl0004 (May 7, 2015)

...what it is like to hold a fly rod and fish. With a wedding coming up in about 5 months, I have been pretty busy trying to be an adult. I had no idea how much work goes into a wedding. It's almost enough to make us elope somewhere. Anyways, this is about a break from all of that. 

I decided that I needed a break and this past Saturday morning was the perfect time to go ahead and wet a line for the first time in months. Since moving to Birmingham, I don't have anywhere near the variety of options I once had close by. However, I am perfectly located to pursue my favorite warmwater fly rod target. Many of you have seen my numerous posts about the redeye bass. There's just something truly special about this fish. The creeks that they live in are almost trout-like in their wildness and beauty. The kinds of stream you could just wade around and take pictures of and be content. 

So I set out early Saturday morning and tied on the only fly you should fish on warmwater creeks in the only color you should use. 










My first cast into a pretty nice run yielded my intended quarry. 










After that I decided to really work over the beginning of the creek to see what I could find. 

After the first redeye, this was all I could find:










Not that I was complaining, because red breasted sunfish are a pretty fun fly rod fish. I caught quite a few of them before I snapped out of it and remembered what I was after was further upstream. 

Now this is more like it:










Once I got into more rocky water, I spotted a fish out on the middle of a shoal in the sun. I put the popper right next to him and the take was as violent as it was exciting. He completely launched out of the water on the take and gave me multiple jumps. That moment is what I love so much about the redeye bass. They hit a popper so well, fight so hard, and are a real treasure to look at once you get them in. 





























After snapping a few pics, I got him back in the water and watched him swim off. My day had just been made. 




























I fished for a little longer, and caught a few more fish. I stopped taking pics and just enjoyed the smells and sounds of a small Alabama creek, and the feeling of being in cool water on a hot day doing what I love. 










I also caught one of the next generation. I don't think they understand how small they are. They're like the honey badger of black bass. They don't care, and that's why they're great fly rod targets. 










Once I got back and uploaded the pictures, I realized it was almost a year to the date that I last fished this gem of a creek. It's kind of odd to think how much has changed in the last year. I was in a pretty bad place this time last year, and right now I couldn't be happier. Glad it could all come full circle with the fish that got me through the last summer of change and confusion.


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## wallace1 (Dec 8, 2010)

Looks like you had a pretty decent weekend as well. Which rod do you typically use for small stream brookies and the canyon?


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## jim t (Sep 30, 2007)

Truly GREAT pics!

What camera did you use!

:notworthy::notworthy::notworthy:

Jim


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## sureicanfish (Sep 30, 2007)

You definitely have the fishing and pic'ing thing down! Popping bug fishing is so much fun


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## 60hertz (Oct 1, 2007)

Very cool!


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## mrl0004 (May 7, 2015)

wallace1 said:


> Looks like you had a pretty decent weekend as well. Which rod do you typically use for small stream brookies and the canyon?


I like to use a 7'6" 3wt tfo. I think it's a cheapo Lefty Kreh professional series or something. For the canyon I like to take the 3wt, but sometimes I like to take the 9' 5wt tfo BVK because it really increases my casting distance, which is sometimes needed there. 

For brookies I only use my 7'6" wt. Typically for them I'm doing nothing more than high sticking and the occasional bow and arrow cast.


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## mrl0004 (May 7, 2015)

jim t said:


> Truly GREAT pics!
> 
> What camera did you use!
> 
> ...


I use an Olympus TG-1. It's one of there tough series point and shoot cameras. Waterproof, freezeproof, etc. Perfect for a fishing camera!


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## Hobart (Nov 27, 2012)

Truly beautiful pictures thanks for your post I enjoyed it very much!


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