First Fish Out of Lake Newport for 2014!!!

Spring is here finally!!! The Sakura blossoms are just about at peak and the weather is nice a warm. The other thing that comes with early spring - the fish here at the local lakes start to come out of their winter slumber! Fly fishing does not necessarily require a long drive anymore and I can start working on my tan again. These were the first willing tug of war participants out of Lake Newport! I had to fish a jighead leggy nymph to get them to take - but catching is better than not catching. The surface hits will come soon enough. I was using the loaner Epic 580 (8'0" 5wt) rod made by George M of Tight Lines Custom Rods. This rod casts my 5wt RIO Perception line really well. It does so with machine-like efficiency - so much so that it does not feel like it has character. This is not a bad thing, but in comparison to the 686 Epic that I have, this just seems a hair bland. I have ordered a 480 build it yourself kit, so I'll be able to have hands on that as well - but that is a topic for a future post. In summary, the 580 Epic is a great rod, but it is not one that feels 'sweet' to me. But it does hammer largemouth.... If this is a sign of things to come, this is going to be a great spring fishing in the Northern Virginia area!!!