Even though it’s the dog days, these small waters can produce
On The Fly Freshwater
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August 2025
Article and photos by Jimmy Jacobs.
For many fly casters across the southland, got their start was tossing popping bugs in small ponds for bluegill and largemouth bass. Both those fish are quite abundant in the region, and neighborhood, park and farm ponds are also widespread. That combination made that type introduction to the long-rod sport and obvious beginning point.
Particularly in the spring, the splash of those fish grabbing your offering from the surface provided the epitome of satisfaction. Additionally, around the full moon cycles on through the summer bluegill beds were easy to identify and the spawning fish usually accommodating. Meanwhile, largemouths were also luring nearby or around shoreline structure and ready for a fight.
However, after the great spring fishing, we enter the dog days of late summer. The weather gets sweltering, making the angling uncomfortable. Meanwhile, the bluegill and bass seemed to disappear, and the fishing gets tough in those spots that had produced in the earlier months. As a result, most anglers moved on to other activities, since dredging flies on sinking lines in deep water for a lunker bass is not an attractive option for many of us. We prefer to feel a fish on our line more often than that style of fishing provides.
Most of these largemouth will run up to 15 inches in length.
Over the years, another pattern has produced that quick action on a number of smaller ponds, especially for shore bound fly casters. Rather than looking for fish where they would be in the spring, targeting the first drop out from the shore along steep banks can be the trick.
Often fishermen approaching the water on such small lakes in the summer look for action in the shallow upper end of the body of water, or start casting around downed trees laying perpendicular to shore and stretching out to deeper water. In the process, they ignore that first drop mentioned above.
The drop itself doesn’t have to be dramatic, just falling off enough that you no longer see the bottom. This zone is a feeding ground for largemouth bass, even in summer. The fish know that this is the area where minnows they feed on are hugging the shallows for protection.
Most of the bass you’ll catch along here in the summer are not going to be lunkers. Rather this part of the pond far more often gives up fish of 10 to 15 inches in length. On the other hand, there can be surprising numbers of them interested in biting. You most likely will not have those double-digit numbers that can be caught in the spring, but having four or five of these feisty bass grab a fly can scratch that itch for action during the summer doldrums.
The trick to this angling is to cast parallel to the shoreline, rather than out into the deeper water. Then run the fly, mostly with a slower retrieve, keeping it just beyond where the bottom is no longer visible. The bigger largemouths likely are out lazing around in the deeper water. Their smaller cousins seem to take advantage of that siesta time to forage along these shores. If you employ the same tactic around dusk, you may even encounter some of those larger bass.
You can find summer bass hugging the shore of smaller ponds.
Using this technique, these smaller largemouths often can be caught at any time of day, even when the sun is beating down on the water. Also, pay particular attention to places where the shade of shoreline vegetation falls on the water. Those shadows are an additional magnet for the bass. Another area that usually is good is along the dam of such small lakes and ponds. The drop may be more pronounced here, but that just seems to bring the fish closer to the bank. Also, any place grass or weeds are growing along that drop can be particularly good.
When it comes to flies to employ for this action, several work well. One obvious choice is a Wooly Bugger. Swimming those along the shore line imitates the minnow the bass feeds on. Have a variety of colors handy, and trade off until you find the one that works best. But, olive, black or white are good ones to have in the fly box. Other options are No. 4 Clouser Minnows that sport chain-bead eyes, rather than the lead dumbbell ones. That’s because you are fishing in relatively shallow areas, not needing to get very deep. Additionally, Pugliese style flies usually associated with saltwater can work if they are in green-and-while color patterns that look like small bluegill.
If you don’t have access to any private small ponds, check the list of state parks in your area, many of which have such waters available for anglers.
The bottom line is small lakes and ponds can offer some fun fishing during the dog days. And that is better than sitting home and dreaming of the fall fishing to come.
