We worked by headlamp to rig up my friend’s baitcasting rod with a fly and bubble. The objective was to start fishing right at first light during the cool part of the day.
It also helped that the ponds and lakes were spring fed which keeps the water cool and the fish active even in the summer heat
My friend was somewhat hesitant to try fly fishing again because his first experience with a flyrod on the same water was less than positive. The fly was difficult to cast very far from shore and few fish were caught.
I assured him this trip would be different. A fly and bubble are easy to cast long distances and we would be using Bear River Tackle flies; a great combination for catching fish on lakes and ponds working from the bank or in a boat.
In fact, a fly and bubble is an excellent way to introduce a new person to fly fishing with a low key, non-intimidating approach, that also yields excellent results (lots of strikes and catches).
With a short explanation on how to cast and retrieve (make a small splash with the bubble, reel fast to keep the line tight, repeat) he was on his way and we started catching fish.
Almost immediately, I caught a 3 pound bass on a Bear River Octo Gold-EY Black and within the hour he caught a 6 pound catfish on a Bear River Craw NJA Chartreuse.
During the morning the two of us landed approximately 40 fish using Bear River Tackle flies fished with a bubble. This included large bass, catfish, bluegill and crappie.
A much different result than his previous fly fishing experience and my friend is now a fly fishing believer!
Truly a cool trip!