Quit your procrastinating and get to fly-fishing

Nearly every fisherman I have ever talked with has expressed an interest in fly-fishing. "I used to fly fish when I was a kid," they'll say. "It was fun, maybe I should do it again."

Or, "One of these days I'm going to give it a try," they'll procrastinate.

How about right now? Now is the time to take up fly-fishing because the bluegills are in shallow water.

Bluegills? Not trout?

Forget about trout if you are a novice fly fishermen. The rascals are persnickety, their numbers are limited in late spring, they don't tolerate drag of any sort and the streams they live in are difficult for a beginning fly fisherman to negotiate.

Bluegills, on the other hand, are plentiful, not terribly selective and they live in water without currents. And this time of the year, they will absolutely pound a top water bait.

Here's what you'll need: First, a fly rod of some sort. Maybe you can borrow one from a friend, but they aren't terribly expensive. You can probably buy the entire package for $50 or so at a discount store. A really nice outfit, completely set up, can be purchased at better fly shops for less than $200. But really, you'd expect to pay $50 for a decent spinning rod and reel -- bait casters are more than that -- so pick up an outfit you can afford and get started.

A complete fly-fishing ensemble will include the rod, reel, fly line and a leader. A leader, by the way, is a 7 or 8-foot piece of monofilament that connects the fat fly line to the small fly.

For bluegills, you don't need to worry so much about line size -- the weight of the fly line in grains. Anything from a 4-weight to a 9-weight will do the job. As for flies, pick out a handful of small popping bugs; little cork critters that look like a tiny frog with rubber legs and you're ready to rumble. Colors? If you get black, white and either yellow or chartreuse, you've covered all the bases. If the water is a little dingy or if it's cloudy or near dusk, use black. Fish can see it better. If the sun's overhead and the water is clear, go with white or a light color. That's all you need to know about bait selection.

But now comes the tricky part: Casting.

Casting is a matter of timing and rhythm, not speed or power. Forget everything you've ever learned about casting a spinning rod, which uses a relatively weightless line to cast a weighted lure. With fly-casting, you are moving a weighted line through the air and a relatively weightless fly simply goes along for the ride. A fly cast is like the stroke of a carpenter nailing nails with a hammer. The hammer goes back easily, and then begins slowly on a forward stroke with a little speed at the end. With an imaginary hammer in your hand, reproduce that stroke and that's what you want with a fly rod. Slow on the back cast coming to a sudden stop, and then slow at first on the forward cast with a little speed at the very end. Keep your wrist stiff throughout the cast, don't bend it.

The nice thing about fly-fishing for bluegills in a pond or lake is that there are usually no trees or limbs behind you to snag your fly and you can take your time and practice to your heart's content.

Right now, most bluegills are still on the beds, meaning you can spot them and cast to where you know they are. If the bluegills in your pond have moved off the beds, fish in the water just beyond the scooped out nests. They will be close to that area.

When you finally make a successful cast, don't do anything to the popper. Just let it remain stationary, even as long as 30 seconds. If a bluegill is around, he'll see the bug and take it, sometimes moving cautiously up to the fly before sucking it under. Even though your fly "pops", don't pop it, Twitch it if you must, but patience is the best tactic.

When you hook up, you will get a sense of the power of these pan size warriors. And when you clean a dozen fat ones for the frying pan, you'll know why bluegills are one of this sportsman's favorite fish to eat.

No more procrastination. Get a fly rod, some popping bugs and give it a try.

Jim Brewer can be reached at Jbrewer44@earthlink.net