The Bank E very farm pond angler has seen the wakes of fish moving out of the shallows when he brazenly approaches the pond-sometimes when he is still a hundred or more feet away. While we all may prefer the comfort of our float tubes to the pain of crawling through thorny puckerbrush, it may be a luxury that, from a tactical viewpoint, we cannot afford. The very act of launching the tube usually frightens the whole aquatic community, at least for a few minutes. Fly fishing from the shores of a brushy woodland pond appears impossible but, with the right techniques, it is often the only way to approach bass and mature bream without alerting them. E xcept during periods of extreme heat or cold, pond bass spend most of their time hiding in shoreside cover, waiting to ambush baby sun-fish, minnows, and juvenile reptiles.
Bluegills frequent the same areas, looking for terrestrial insects.
A hiding bass may think it's concealed, but by using Polaroid glasses and careful observation, you can see the slight fanning movements of caudal and pectoral fins that give the fish away. The bass may slip back into the weeds a bit when the fly lands, but after a few moments, when the fish begins to ease toward the strange object, pop the bug with the rod tip and hold on. Attacks come at lightning speed, and the fish will burst through the surface, perhaps splashing water in your face. This is indescribably thrilling fishing. Once, a bass threw water all over my glasses and I couldn't even see, but I held tight and the fish never got it's head.