Licking Bass

Saturday morning Paul and I went to Carole's pond solely intent on targeting this fish. Rumors had been swirling about it harassing the kids catching sunfish off the dock. So, with the expert guidance of the guys at T. Hargrove(aka the best flyshop in the midwest), I got some material and tied up a few sunfish patterns. When we arrived at the pond I spotted this fish and a few other large bass prowling the shallows. It turned out that the fly was much harder to cast than I anticipated but it looked great in the water and immediately got the attention of two of the bass. They pursued it into the shallows, almost to the bank on the first two casts. On the third cast the bigger of the two fish had enough. He turned on it and just completely hammered it. I set the hook and the line came tight immediately. I ran backwards about 8 feet to get rid of the slack line and get him on the reel. Immediately I realized the drag was going to need to be cranked down as it ran for the dock. After a decent fight it did a last minute jump and tail walk and quickly I thumbed that big lower lip. Paul took a few photos for me, we marked the length on the dock and returned it to the pond. The fish flipped its tail and disappeared. I was shaking and laughing, this being the biggest bass by far I ever caught on a fly rod and with a pattern I tied myself. It was great fun. We went back in the evening and measured to the mark on the dock and the fish was 19 3/4". Would have loved to get a girth or a weight but it wasn't in the cards. That evening I spotted another one in the back cove of the pond that was even larger but impossible to cast to for someone with my skills. I will be back next time to try again.