The Meer

This is the first time I have fished The Meer in Central Park, in several years. In the spring,

crappie are active. Large Bluegills are also present.

There was almost no algae on the lake surface, surprisingly.

I saw no bass or crappie

But bluegills readily took my flies

It was almost too easy

My pictures only show a small representation of the fish I caught.

There is no record of the fish that were not victims of my hook.

What a great afternoon of fly fishing I had; fishing the legendary Meer.

 

 

March Brown Fly rod and Orvis "Hydros Bank Shot Float".

I'm continuing to test the Orvis ""Hydros Bank Shot Float" with various fly rods.  This is the first time I used a graphite fly rod. After using fiberglass fly rods, it was strange casting a rod with a different flex.

The March Brown Fly Rod required a more robust stroke for me. The glass rod casts were more relaxed or flexed with a  slower stroke. I was able to hook a nice Golden Shiner. 

The March Brown, 7-piece, travel fly rod, 9 feet long

 

Fiberglass fly rod and Orvis "Hydros Bank Shot Float"fly line at Prospect Park Lake

I tested the Orvis "Hydros Bank Shot Float." again today with a 3-piece, 7'6" 4/5 wt fiberglass fly rod.  The rod felt a little bit overmatched but it did throw the line. 

The only fish that are active are immature Bluegills.  Armed with only blood worm flies, I fished

the lake at Prospect Park. I hit all the known places that hold panfish at this time of year.

Fiberglass fly rods are fun to fish.  They are nearly indestructible and can cast a number of different

weight fly lines. Right now I have used an 8-weight fly line on a variety of different-weight glass fly rods.

This is the fly I've been using.

I plan to fish the"Hydros Bank Shot Float." fly line with an 8 wt graphite fly rod.  I have a March Brown fly rod I will test to see if there are any differences in casting.

 

Prospect Park Lake

I fished a blood worm pattern this afternoon. Small fish seem to love them. 

I was really surprised when I saw this club-size bass (less than 8 inches) on my line.

This is the pattern I fished

 

Wolfe's Pond returns

Wolfe's Pond is back after being washed away by storm Sandy, years ago. You may be aware that this is another of the kettle ponds on Staten Island. The storm washed everything out to sea, leaving a "parking lot".  The pond has been restored and people can fish here again. Even if you do not want to fish here, come and ejoy swimming in the Atlantic ocean.  All that separates the pond from the ocean is a fifty foot barrier!

In the past, I would catch crappie and bass here. Today it was very windy and I didn't see anything in

the water.  But it is good to see the return of Wolfe's Pond.

Park visitors playing, with the beach and ocean in the back ground.

The ATP 37 aluminum semi automatic fly reel, loaded with the Orvis "Hydros Bank Shot Float"fly line.

 

A fly I picked up on ebay known as the strp tease. I've only had success catching blue gills with it.

They like to attack it on the surface before it sinks.

My Orvis fiberglass, slow flex, 8 foot fly rod

Wolfes Pond Park is a large public park located on Staten Island's South Shore. It is bounded on the south by Holton Avenue, on the east by Raritan Bay, on the west by the Staten Island Railway, and on the north by Chisholm Street, Luten Avenue, and Cornelia Avenue, which is also the main entry into the park's public areas.^[1] Hylan Boulevard bisects the park, and most visitors only visit the eastern half of the park, where Wolfes Pond (for which the park is named), two playgrounds, and basketball and tennis courts are located, as well as numerous walking and biking paths, open fields, and a small beach on Raritan Bay. The western, inland half consists mostly of ponds and woodlands, and the northwestern corner hugs Tottenville High School.

In 1991 and again in 2011 the dam between the beach and the pond broke, draining the pond of freshwater and flooding it with saltwater. In both cases, this killed the freshwater fish and many of the red-eared slider turtles.^[2] Repairs to the dam were completed in November, 2019.^[3]

 

King Fisher Park

I took a trip to one of the kettle ponds on Staten Island. This park is primitive but there are fish in the pond.

The locals say there are bass, bluegills and a few carp.  Oh and there are lots of turtles. I fished here using the Sky High 5 weight fly rod and a #12 green hornsberg fly. I like to fish this fly before summer comes and when the weather is cooler in the fall. For years, I have caught many fish with this fly.

 

Due to the amount of rain that has fallen this spring, the pond has overflown its shoreline. 

I have never seen King Fisher Pond like this before. There are few access points for fishing and the overflow of water, is more than a foot deep in the surrounding woods.