For Memorial Day, A and I spent the weekend at her parent's cabin in New Hampshire. Over the years, I've done some great smallmouth bass fishing here. This year was even better.
At first, the lake greeted us with overcast, cool weather. While we cross fingers for sun, dark days are the perfect excuse for board games, reading, visiting family, and of course...anglin!
New Hampshire, overcast but stunning (fish-on!)
With cool temps and little bug action, I began by fishing underwater with a hand-tied wooly bugger. Kayaking and casting to the banks resulted in small but numerous hits. For me, the diversity of species makes lake fishing interesting. I encountered chain pickerel (southern pike), small and largemouth bass, bluegill and yellow perch. Anticipating what's on the end of the line is a thrill.
Wide diversity of lake species
The weekend wrapped up with warm, sunny weather in the 80s. All of a sudden, bugs were everywhere. Small ants began falling off shoreline trees, and soon smallmouth bass were prowling beneath. In the glass-calm water, bass began delicately rising to the surface to sip ants. With the sun bright, visibility improved and I sight-casted to enormous smallmouths joining the topwater action. Big fish sipping tiny dry flies...what could be better? I reeled in three large fish within minutes...easily the most fun I've had smallmouth fishing.
Bugs everywhere meant switching to ants and a net
Doesn't get better than sight-casting tiny ants to big fish
Excellent visibility
Life is good!
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