Finally got a chance to get my line wet

[boj]

This past weekend, I accepted an invitation from a friend in Cape May, NJ, to fish the pond on his parent's property. According to him, the pond had a good holding of sunnies and could be fished from the shore.

Well, they must have known that I was coming! Even though I saw some and managed to cast close to them, none took my fly. I tried a small (#10) woolly bugger and a greenie weenie.

Even though I didn't catch anything, I enjoyed the day and the fact that I remembered how to cast my line. Maybe next time!

 

[Fishidiot]

Hhmmm....
That's odd. Usually sunfish are easy to catch on small flies. Perhaps the fish are a bit off kilter due to spawning(?). Don't get discoureged. Sunfish are often the best way for a beginner to get some practice with casting and catching.

 

[jreichel]

Yes.. If the sunnies are in fact on beds (this is their time of year) they will not take anything unless you drop it right in the bed (a circular depresion that they are hanging around) and let it sink. They will defend their bed from anything so let your fly sink and wait for the sunny to take. They may just swim out of the bed and spit it out so set the hook quickly. By the end of the month weather permitting the bulk of them should be done and things should get back to normal. This same tacktic works for bass when they start their spawn which should be soon. Have fun with them if you get a chance to go back.