A Fly Fisher is born...Really?

It's inevitable...every year the changing of the guard.  The transition from Steelheading back to the reality and responsibility of work, home, family and such.  It's not like those influences aren't there during the steelheading season. But life just seems a little easier with the constant anticipation of time spent on a  river on the immediate horizon.  Don't get me wrong...the end of steelheading season is the beginning of another wonderful time of the year but its the transition that weighs hard on ones soul.  It's metaphorically like saying goodbye to a really good friend that you know you will run into again in a few months time but for some reason that reality provides no remorse from the sadness.  I have been racking my brain trying to figure out how I am going to piscatoraly fill this void.  I have always considered taking up the fly and actually purchased a couple of rigs in 2011 with grand illusions of steelheading with them.  Aside from a short impromptu attempt the rods have sat idle.  Idle that is until today.

Norland has been yapping about chasing blue gills on a 1wt or something ridiculous for some time and today with a small window of opportunity from the backyard construction zone I cracked out the Scott 7wt for a brief bug slinging session on the pond behind the house.  It had been a while since I had cast a fly rod and after a couple of false casts my timing was adequate enough to punch one gnarly bug out into what I believe was the fish zone.  After a few strips came a flash and then another followed by a strike.  I pulled the line from the water and pumped one out a couple yards further and repeated the strip until it was fish on!  It was a chunky bluegill that was apparently hungry as he hammered the large fly.  Thinking this was kinda fun I fired a few more casts out into the pond until a dark shadow appeared below the surface heading towards my lines retreat.  A few more strips and the shadow increased its speed until I lifted and the rod loaded up hard followed by a large spash.  I had hooked my first carp on the fly and it was a decent one.  Nothing epic by carp standards but it had to go 3-4 lbs.  The chase down was exciting and reminiscent of those saltwater fly episodes I have watched on WFN.  Now I was starting to think I may be on to something with this fly fishing thing...LOL!  It's kinda fun and an afternoon filled with a mixture of Gills, Bass, friends, and beer just might be a great way to fill the void between the usual summer non-fishing related activities.  Who knows...This might be the kick in the pants I needed to chase some of those MI trout.  Stay tuned my friends...with any luck we might have some Fly fishing adventures to document.  Norland and Maxfield...Get your A-games sharpened...It's on biatches!

**sorry for the iphone pics...I really didn't expect to catch anything ;0)**