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Pandemic-quasi-lockdown-induced cabin fever won out and I went out in 90+ degree temps to Peavine Creek where it runs under Clifton Rd. heading north. I took my newly acquired FF75-4 part H/part K with a Ross Cimmaron 1 reel and an SA Air Cel 5/6 WF line (hard to say why they call it 5/6 as actual specs are closer to 5 than most 5 wt lines are but I digress.) The Cimmaron is from about 2005, hardly appropriate vintage for the 1970+/- rod. But it balanced the rod. And it was Peavine Cr. a block from the house. So I did not work terribly hard at identifying a good matching reel. I walked to my spot from the house, less than a quarter mile from the house, and less than a quarter mile from Emory Un. front gate. Assembled rod, attached reel, pulled line thru, tied on an Adams parachute with orange post because it was dark in the shade and lots of glare and, well, I could see it when I tossed it on the water away from the pool I wanted to fish in.
But as I walked to the pool, ANTS! Quarter plus inch black ants all about on the ground. So I clipped off the Adams and tied on a small (size 16?) black ant with a white post/wing. Tossing it in the water a few times, sometimes I could see it and sometimes not but an ant seems like a real good idea, so let’s go with it. My intended pool is immediately below the culvert opening under Clifton Rd. Opening is probably 25’ and pool is about 25’+ wide and 30-35’ long and maybe 2 to 3’ deep. I have seen fish there up to about 10” and routinely see fish of up to 6-7.” Tossed my ant into one little eddy, and saw a fish follow it but lost both the fly and the fsih in a shadow. Hmm? At least the fly arouses curiosity of the fish (even if it is a 5” bluegill). Probably made maybe 40-50 total casts, all roll casts, most from over left shoulder (fishing from stream left bank, and cannot realistically access the other side). This little park is an oasis in a big city, noticeably cooler as soon as you walk in among lots of very large trees, as in more than 100’ tall and more than 3’ in diameter. Vegetation at streamside is not a total nuisance but substantial enough to prevent any casting other than roll casting. I cast only from the bank. If one gets in the stream, there are a few better spots to be, but this stream is mostly urban runoff and the dog gets itchy when he gets in it, so -- I didn’t.
Way too long a story comes to a glorious end. Fisher catches 6” bluegill on the dry fly ant. I watched the fish swim up, look around, move through a shadow towards the fly, and damn, I lost sight of the fish and the fly, but I bet he ate my ant, and I lift and the little guy was on. 6” healthy bluegill tossed back to grow bigger
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Posted: 19 Jul 2020, 17:21 • 
image. The forum software doesn't keep a running tally, but it does get the idea across. Tom - clarified my text on 7/21/20]
