Top water at night... A new adventure...

[JestersHK]

So Saturday night even though I had a pretty good jig bite going the fish were hammering top water between the dam and outlet one... There was a pretty decent hatch going on so I figured I'd try it.  We saw a ton of lightning bugs on the way in and had a ton of moonlight almost to the point you didn't need a headlamp.  So I tied on a little floating Ant/ bug pattern to begin with  

My cuz was giving me some trouble as you generally have to be able to see the fly and the fish you are casting to, but I decided to cast in the general area and mentally checked off a 6 foot circle where my fly may have landed due to my crappy casting and then wait for the boil or for the fish to surface.

At first there was a lot of false hook sets, then a few I know I just missed on, then I finally had a good cast lay down nice and smooth and BAM my little floating ant/lightning bug looking fly got hammered.  Being I was throwing jigs and sticks all day I broke off on the hook set on from what I saw was a pretty decent fish...

That was my last fly of that pattern from one of my trips out east so I put on a big narly looking fly Brandon had made up for me from when I was in Idaho.  After a few cast and a few more misses I finally nailed a 13in bow on it.  Was pretty rewarding for me, as it is definitely not an ideal time to fish top water as you literally have everything going against ya, but I think you can get away with not making that perfect cast at night, and maybe do not have to have a perfect match on the hatch once they are actively feeding.

Something I will definitely try again, as it can get a bit boring at night some evenings, and especially on Taneycomo I've found it always pays off to switch things up and try new stuff.

[snagged in outlet 3]

NICE!

I've been doing that for years down there.  I've had them hoppers at night in the winter time.

[JestersHK]

Nice, figured I wouldn't be the only crazy one to try it

It is definitely different, but pretty fun and a good option at night versus drifting glow in the dark indicators...  

Def helps when the jig or stick bait bite is slow like it was this weekend.

I am going to find a good lightning bug pattern as I know they were chomping on them.

[snagged in outlet 3]

I've used beetles with good success. 

 

[Gavin]

Anything that makes a wake. Mice, but no tail or,ears required. Clump of trimmed deer hair on a stout hook should do fine.

[Mitch f]

6 hours ago, Gavin said:

Anything that makes a wake. Mice, but no tail or,ears required. Clump of trimmed deer hair on a stout hook should do fine.

Dittos on the wake. Slow roll a floating rapala or Bomber Long A, reeling as slow as you can.

[snagged in outlet 3]

8 hours ago, Gavin said:

Anything that makes a wake. Mice, but no tail or,ears required. Clump of trimmed deer hair on a stout hook should do fine.

Drag a stimulator or big elk hair caddis. 

[Flysmallie]

Skate a gurgler across the surface at night.