Bustin’
Bream
Do you love catching fish but don’t always have time to make the trip to the ocean or some of our inshore waterways? If so, this article is for you. Subdivisions and neighborhoods are being built daily everywhere; and with the development of these neighborhoods, many ponds are being built as well. Ponds are a great place to catch fish, and one of my favorite things to do is to grab a fly rod or bream buster and bust some bream. It’s simple and fun and is also a great way to introduce kids or anyone to fishing.
Almost all ponds hold some fish. I know I pass at least 10 each day on my way to work that are easily accessible. It’s easy to pack a rod, stop on the way home and catch a few, and then head home. I believe everyone should catch a few fish each week, and that’s what I try to do.
Where do you start? I know I mentioned a bream buster or fly rod, but you can do it with light spinning tackle, too. A bream buster or fly rod makes it easy to throw a small popping bug and provides for a cool strike that is hard to achieve on lighter tackle. Fly rods come in many sizes; they range from a 00 weight to a 16 weight. A lighter weight fly rod, from a 2 to a 5 weight, would be a great place to start for bream and smaller pan fish. A bream buster is a long fiberglass rod to which you tie a piece of fishing line, then you can simply flip a cricket or a popping bug onto the water and lift the fish out of the water. The small popping bugs, or terrestrials as they are called in fly fishing, imitate crickets, spiders, ants and small frogs and can be purchased at your local tackle shop.
What else do you need? You will want to bring a small tackle box with some small leader material, like 6-pound monofilament fishing line, and a pair of pliers that have some cutters for landing fish and cutting line when you catch too large of a fish and break him off. Also carry a towel to wipe down after landing that big fish and bring your rod, of course. This is simple fishing, and less is more.
Where do I fish? Check out your County and City Parks as well as local neighborhood ponds like the one in your own subdivision. If venturing elsewhere, remember to always be aware and respectful of community regulations and trespassing notices, as these may be private property. These ponds may not all have fish in them, but most of them will. I come prepared with everything from smaller ant poppers to some larger frog patterns just in case you come across some largemouth bass.
You don’t have to catch large redfish to enjoy fishing. I like bending a fishing rod on all fish, large or small. Get out and have fun. See you on the water!
Capt. Simon Owens
Haddrell’s Point Tackle