a little over a week ago i made my first pass with a fly rod at central park’s harlem meer. definitely one of my more memorable new york experiences. the meer is as murky and green as the name sounds. my wife and i got off the train at 110th and walked east through the park to the meer.

harlem-meer-central-park

i rigged up the fly rod and started off with a panfish popper not sure what to expect. after a few casts i saw a white and orange koi cruising about ten feet from the bank, it was at least 20″. definitely the first time i’ve thrown a fly anywhere near a koi, but can’t say i haven’t thought about it every time i’ve been to one of those large chinese restaurants with the fountains in the lobby. the koi cruised under a large patch of algae/bottles/nastiness, i put a cast right up to the edge of the floating mess and hooked up with an aggressive blue gill.

i continued to walk and fish around the meer, casting in between ‘fish-eye’ looks from people walking or jogging through the park. hooked up with another little blue gill a little later, and decided it was time to go for a bass. tied on another popper and began fishing.

after about two casts i noticed a couple guys walking towards me. not with the look of guys walking for the sake of walking, but walking with a purpose… me. the skinnier of the two, with the shakes of a drug addict, came right up an said, “this is your first time here!” more as a statement than a question. i answered cautiously in the affirmative. “i’ve fished here everyday for three years, i know everyone who fishes here,” he said smiling. the tension eased as his larger friend told me that the bass in the meer “love them flies.”

we talked for a bit, they showed me pictures on their cell phones of 5 lbs bass they had pulled out over the summer as the sun set. didn’t get the bass i was looking for, but will definitely be back.