The Right Fly

When the wind kicks up from the west or northwest, the night fishing on my shallow water bay is poor.  I assume it's a combination of midges not hatching, fish getting pushed around by the waves and turbidity....but those are just a few of the guesses I make as I stand crotch deep in the inky water trying to keep the waves from filling my stripping basket and feeling nothing eating my fly.

I have been casting the same unweighted deceiver in this bay for so long now that it's automatic.  Tonight though, I reconsidered.  The fly doesn't sink much and the waves were rolling pretty good for this size lake.  I considered getting a little deeper so I clicked on the headlamp and fingered through the tiny box of flies I had stashed in my wader pocket.

I uncovered a crystal chenille wrapped, bead chain eyed, marabou tail fly that seemed to be just the the solution for the questions in my head.

A quick loop knot and I tested my theory.  It certainly wasn't fast and furious but 4 or 5 bass later and I felt like I had figured something out.

I couldn't wait to get home and tell my 10 year old daughter about the night.
The right fly...was tied by her.