Well, I didn’t get raptured. Instead I went down to the Harpeth River to try and snag some fish for once in a while. Like most everything in Tennessee so far, I’m not too familiar with this area. I stomped up and down the river a good bit while tossing a streamer and didn’t have much luck. It wasn’t until I came to a deep hole which is the junction of what I’m assuming is where the Harpeth meets the West Harpeth River and they become the SUPER HARPETH! Google maps would later confirm I have no idea what I’m talking about.
I stuck with my ever trusty streamer for the time being until I realized there wasn’t really any point to continue using a fly that nothing was touching. Then I pulled my head out of my rear and remembered the cicadas. Yep, those freakin’ nasty swarms of locust-like bugs that are presently coming out of their 13 year slumber to dive bomb me as I’m leaving the house or make my car look like its just been on a cross country trip.
These guys are everywhere and won’t shut up. Listen for yourself:
Not long after this epiphany struck me, I decided to come about as close to “matching the hatch” as I ever have. I used some caddis flies and bumble bee poppers and the end of my line came alive! Okay, maybe that was too dramatic, but I did catch some fish. Nothing huge though. If there were any smallmouth bass in there then they really didn’t have a chance at much because the sunfish were biting at just about everything. I was able to hook a pumpkin seed (actually it’s a longear sunfish. Thanks, Mark!), which is a fish I haven’t seen much of recently, and easily my favorite sunfish to look at.
All-in-all I enjoyed being on and in the water (along with my wallet too). Fishing days have been few and far between recently, and just like in my last ‘Creek Fishing’ post, you just have to go when you can. What? My wallet went for a swim. I don’t see you coming up with any better ideas.
Tales from East Yahtam 
That is a longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis). Sunfishes can be hard to identify, however a pumpkinseed (L. gibbosus) would have a smaller “ear flap” (opercular flap) with a red spot at the tip. They are usually small-bodied too…still that fish is gorgeous and they are a treat to catch on a long rod. Great blog too.
M
Thanks! Yeah, I guess since it seemed mostly bright orange the first species my head went to was pumpkinseed.
The presence of the blue lines were something I’ve seen on plenty of sunfish before but this guy’s was fairly pronounced. Definitely a pleasant surprise when he came in.