Vermont Bass on the surface. . .in March?

First Bass

My first fish of the season, for the first time ever, is a bass. . .taken on a topwater fly. Weird.

photo by Tim Bronson

We’ve had a week of ridiculous weather here in Vermont for the past week. As I type this, it’s 76 degrees and brilliant sunny outside. March came in like a lamb and is currently a furry little puppy. I wondered what that would mean for the small bass that live in the company pond, so I strung up a rod to find out. To make things even more interesting, I put on a topwater pattern. We usually don’t catch bass on top until well into May.

The water is still pretty cold, and the fish are very spooky. But I did get lots of follows, a couple of fish nudged the fly with their noses, and three of them actually ate it. It’s a very weird sensation. I grew up in New England, and I don’t remember anything like this.

Next week, things are supposed to get more seasonal, with a couple of days in the high 40s. But for now, it’s July in March around here.

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