Hot Humid Day for Bluegill on the Fly

Mouth full of Moth

The weather forecast for this past Tuesday was in the high 90’s and it turned out to be 98 and soupy humid. My fishing plan to deal with the humidity and heat was leaving the house at daylight and get off the water by 10 AM. The plan worked and the fish cooperated to a point. The water temp and falling water were the factors my buddy and I was battling. I started out with the popper and Terry was using the same, neither of us had much success other than a few tiny gills and small bass. Nymphs were the most logical choice, so I switched to a green/brown moth bug, while my buddy stayed with a variation of the popper.

The Moth was the killer here!!

  I managed to land some nice bluegills off the rock walls letting the moth sink slightly beneath the surface and using a slow retrieve. It worked to perfection until the sun overtook us around 9:45 and we had to pack it in and head home. Once the sunlight hits the walls you can call it quits because it drives the fish deep. Factor in the heat and humidity down in the deep channels and you have the receipe for uncomfortable conditions. The objective of the trip was accomplished landing some huge bluegills, nice fillets for dinner and enjoying the morning outing.