Fishing with Marty 10/30/25

[Ham]

I made a long overdue visit to the Billethead Compound on Thursday. Of course, I try to do too much in too little time. It’s not my best quality.

It’s super fun to roam the grounds and try to count all the beehives, see all the amazing toys that I didn’t know where there, and remind myself about stuff I had forgotten about. 
 

 After a little bit, Marty and I hopped into his ride and went to a pond that has (had?) a good population of bullhead. Maybe Yellow Bullhead? Maybe Black Bullhead? We have to catch one to find out. I had my fingers crossed for a Black, but I just had to roll the dice.

It’s a Fun drive through the farmland. The terrain is so different from my stomping grounds. Watching for all kinds of predators and prey scampering around.

These ponds are kept for irrigation of crops and livestock. The fish populations are often Happy accidents. Because Marty is a Good neighbor and all around good guy, he has access to many of the ponds around him. Over the years, he’s gotten dialed in on many of them.

The first pond we went to was a little low. This was good, the fish would be super concentrated. I don’t think Marty had fished this one very much. We started out on the deepest side and kind of leap frogged along. I was using my TFO 8’ “5 weight”. I started with a 1/32 oz zig jig, but switched to a size 10 black pistol Pete. I felt like the jig was too heavy and I wanted the prop to put out some flash and vibration. With the water being cooler, the bites were a little delicate. The fly needed to be moving slowly and very close to bottom. I caught quite a few green sunfish or green sunfish hybrids. we gave it a good shot, but no bullhead wanted to play. So, Marty got on the horn and made sure we were ok to go play at another pond.

The next pond was larger. The level was also lower than full, but it still had plenty of  water. Marty was happy that the water was more clear than dingy. I went with my 6 weight rod because we were more exposed to the wind. I tried a gold /chartreuse micro jig for a few casts, but I wasn’t feeling it. Marty rigs up and catches a beautiful Black crappie that would have been perfect keeper size. Like 12 inches. Then he catches a chunky Largemouth. Like 14 inches. (I’m trying to tie on a different fly which is made more difficult by him catching fish after fish after fish). He got a couple more crappie before moving along a bit.

I had put on a size 8 Chartreuse/White craft fur Clouser. This little guy catches everything and crappie really seem to like it. I adjusted my retrieve to try to mirror what Marty was doing..beautiful sunny day with geese flying. The sounds of livestock were carried on the wind. Hawks worked the thermals. Good day to be fishing, but I really wanted a bite. I gave it a good try, but I had to switch to a different fly. I tried Marty’s Tutti Fruity Wooly Bugger. Some panfish were eating bugs coming off on the surface. Obviously there were bass and crappie. Something had to eat it right. Ehhh no. Marty moved around catching a fish every now and then. I moved around catching nothing. I felt a little better that Marty wasn’t catching them every cast while I caught nothing. I couldn’t believe I could not get a crappie on a baitfish fly or any sort.

I was starting to get short on time. I decided to focus on catching a bass. I put on a Pearl Sparkle Minnow. I played around with retrieves and a small bass rushed in and ate at my feet. I didn’t catch that one, but that was a start. I eventually dialed in and caught a chunky one. Marty found a group of fish in the other side of the pond and was stroking them. I ended up catching a half dozen bass.

We headed back and said our Goodbye’s. I got sent home with bbq sauce, honey, and a sourdough starter. Then the long drive home. I got home, had a sandwich, and hit the sack. It was a Good day. Thanks @BilletHead It was a Good Day!

[Johnsfolly]

Always great to be fishing with good friends even if the fishing is not as easy as you hope😉.

[Ham]

7 minutes ago, Johnsfolly said:

Always great to be fishing with good friends even if the fishing is not as easy as you hope😉.

The fishing was fine. I struggled at the second pond because I stuck with flys that I thought would work and that I knew how to retrieve. It would have been a good time to get a fly from Marty and learn that fly, but that wasn’t the choice I made. 

[BilletHead]

6 hours ago, Ham said:

I made a long overdue visit to the Billethead Compound on Thursday. Of course, I try to do too much in too little time. It’s not my best quality.

It’s super fun to roam the grounds and try to count all the beehives, see all the amazing toys that I didn’t know where there, and remind myself about stuff I had forgotten about. 
 

 After a little bit, Marty and I hopped into his ride and went to a pond that has (had?) a good population of bullhead. Maybe Yellow Bullhead? Maybe Black Bullhead? We have to catch one to find out. I had my fingers crossed for a Black, but I just had to roll the dice.

It’s a Fun drive through the farmland. The terrain is so different from my stomping grounds. Watching for all kinds of predators and prey scampering around.

These ponds are kept for irrigation of crops and livestock. The fish populations are often Happy accidents. Because Marty is a Good neighbor and all around good guy, he has access to many of the ponds around him. Over the years, he’s gotten dialed in on many of them.

The first pond we went to was a little low. This was good, the fish would be super concentrated. I don’t think Marty had fished this one very much. We started out on the deepest side and kind of leap frogged along. I was using my TFO 8’ “5 weight”. I started with a 1/32 oz zig jig, but switched to a size 10 black pistol Pete. I felt like the jig was too heavy and I wanted the prop to put out some flash and vibration. With the water being cooler, the bites were a little delicate. The fly needed to be moving slowly and very close to bottom. I caught quite a few green sunfish or green sunfish hybrids. we gave it a good shot, but no bullhead wanted to play. So, Marty got on the horn and made sure we were ok to go play at another pond.

The next pond was larger. The level was also lower than full, but it still had plenty of  water. Marty was happy that the water was more clear than dingy. I went with my 6 weight rod because we were more exposed to the wind. I tried a gold /chartreuse micro jig for a few casts, but I wasn’t feeling it. Marty rigs up and catches a beautiful Black crappie that would have been perfect keeper size. Like 12 inches. Then he catches a chunky Largemouth. Like 14 inches. (I’m trying to tie on a different fly which is made more difficult by him catching fish after fish after fish). He got a couple more crappie before moving along a bit.

I had put on a size 8 Chartreuse/White craft fur Clouser. This little guy catches everything and crappie really seem to like it. I adjusted my retrieve to try to mirror what Marty was doing..beautiful sunny day with geese flying. The sounds of livestock were carried on the wind. Hawks worked the thermals. Good day to be fishing, but I really wanted a bite. I gave it a good try, but I had to switch to a different fly. I tried Marty’s Tutti Fruity Wooly Bugger. Some panfish were eating bugs coming off on the surface. Obviously there were bass and crappie. Something had to eat it right. Ehhh no. Marty moved around catching a fish every now and then. I moved around catching nothing. I felt a little better that Marty wasn’t catching them every cast while I caught nothing. I couldn’t believe I could not get a crappie on a baitfish fly or any sort.

I was starting to get short on time. I decided to focus on catching a bass. I put on a Pearl Sparkle Minnow. I played around with retrieves and a small bass rushed in and ate at my feet. I didn’t catch that one, but that was a start. I eventually dialed in and caught a chunky one. Marty found a group of fish in the other side of the pond and was stroking them. I ended up catching a half dozen bass.

We headed back and said our Goodbye’s. I got sent home with bbq sauce, honey, and a sourdough starter. Then the long drive home. I got home, had a sandwich, and hit the sack. It was a Good day. Thanks @BilletHead It was a Good Day!

It was a good time Ham and thanks for the visit. It's too bad we live so far apart but if we were closer no way I could keep up with you at all. Ham did not mention it is 3.5 hour drive to visit us then and 3.5 hours home.  Someday there will be a road trip to the Hamilton area to try some other species that are not here like pickerel and bowfin to name a couple. 

  At pond one I did not catch a fish but Ham was flat catching those green sunfish. Pond two I felt better. With this fall ish weather pattern I feel the fish are a bit confused on where to hang around. While some of the crappie were deep there were others shallow. I worked my way to a cut or corner where from a distance I seen fish blitzing smaller fish. There I caught four bass a couple bluegill and two crappie. This was one of those. Fish doing this chasing would be shallow enough to see backs.  Big mouth on this one. Thick across the back. 

    @Ham you know you are always welcome up here. 

[Flysmallie]

Fishing with royalty. That’s awesome. 

[BilletHead]

2 hours ago, Flysmallie said:

Fishing with royalty. That’s awesome. 

  He did not insist on me bowing when he got here.  I was hoping he would knight me with one of his fly rods though. Disappointed it didn't happen. 

[Flysmallie]

Both of you are fishing royalty. Pat too. We know she’s calling all the shots anyway. 

[Ham]

2 hours ago, BilletHead said:

  He did not insist on me bowing when he got here.  I was hoping he would knight me with one of his fly rods though. Disappointed it didn't happen. 

I’m just a guy jousting with windmills. Marty is The Man. 

[Foghorn]

Kind of like the young gunfighter strolling into town and meeting up with the local sheriff " the Man from Milo".