Summer Gill'n

Went exploring in a local creek today. I use to have a real honey hole in this creek but the flooding from last year and this spring has drastically changed that hole for the worse. The habitat has changed and the fish just aren't there like they use to be. It use to have some prime spawning habitat with substrate gravel and the gills would spawn on it all summer long. The gravel has washed out and so have the fish. I went for a hike down the creek looking for some new water. This creek is relatively shallow, a lot of just 6" water or so but once you find some deeper water there would normally be a lot of fish holding in it. I caught a lot of nice long ears, some green sunfish, some nice gills and the most rewarding part of the day is catching some nice creek bass. I caught fish on a variety of flies; rio getters, a gorgon craw, and an ant pattern. And yes a 2lb bass will eat a size 14 ant pattern. Creek bass have always been challenging to me. The bass are always on high alert with the clear shallow water. I think I learned a few things today in regards to cracking the code. It seemed using long 10-12' leaders was key, using smaller flies that don't disturb the water to much when they hit, using natural flies that mimic local forage, and most importantly keep your distance from the fish and spot them before they spot you. I ended up landing several nice bass that fought great on the 3 weight.