Strange happenings at the pond today…

[3blade]

Went out for a well deserved afternoon by myself with fly rod in hand. Wind was cranking so I brought the 8wt. Headed to a local stocked pond. 4:30 or so the air show started with a solid 18 inch rainbow jumping 4’ out of the water, 80 yards off shore, in what I know to be 30 FOW. Ok, cool. Then it happened again. And again. As the evening progressed, the action moved closer to shore ending up at the edge of the weeds 25 ft from me. The strange thing was these were all big fish, and all of them were launching well clear of the water.

I threw a wider variety of flies in the last few hours than I have in years. Buggers, nymphs, chronomids, wet flies, emergers, back swimmers and drys. On one of the last casts of the evening I had a flash below a size 16 EHC. One lousy refusal in 3.5 hours. After that, it shut off.

What on earth is going on? My thoughts were either they are chasing something rising from the deep that I hadn’t matched (despite using a proven emerger pattern I’ve successfully used in exactly this situation before) or they are chasing those monster dragon flies up in the air. Or maybe minnows…?

Anyone seen this before and managed to capitalize? What’s the pattern?

[MK2750]

I haven't fished ponds in a while but big trout use to launch themselves like that for dragon flies on Struble Lake before the perch patrol ruined it.

[densa44]

Well that's fishing, and I love rainbows! For what its worth, when that used to happen to me, I'd put on a very large hopper, something that a hungry trout couldn't resist.

They were some of my best days! Now that I'm old, I only tie, caddis dry flys and elk hair hoppers. I still have fun.

Let us know what you try next and how it works.

[cranky]

The carp are probably eating up all the food. Now the trout gotta jump way high to get some eats passing by. My attempt at being funny.

Actually happened to me just recently to at my favourite pond. After using everything pretty near in my box I managed one 8 inch trout and also got a nbr of tugs on an old school “ purple and snipe size 14 “ haven’t been out for so long I missed on the tugs. To old not fast enough anymore I guess.

[3blade]

Happened again today…pretty sure it is dragon flies they are after. Definitely nothing hatching in a rain squall with 30k winds, and I threw several minnow imitations fast across the surface.

Even the trout bait guys were blanked.

Oh well tomorrow is another day, and the fish can’t get out of the pond.

[tug]

the trout jump sometimes to get rid of parasites,a few lakes in the interior of B.C.,have that problem