While watching a Decatur Dixie Boys baseball game this week at the Cedar Ridge Middle School fields, I watched with amazement as a flying creature of some kind landed on my nose before landing on my shirt. It didn't take me long to figure out the creature was a willow fly.

Outdoors Paul Stackhouse

I wasn't the only person to notice the willow fly, as several other men in the crowd came over to see if the bug was what they thought it was.

If watching the baseball game wasn't exciting enough, the appearance of a willow fly had the crowd who had gathered around me literally holding their breath.

Whenever the first willow flies of summer appear, area anglers know this is a sign of good fishing to come. I listened to several people mention something about getting their fly rods out and checking the rest of their equipment.

I personally know of several fishermen who can't wait for the willow fly season. It's the only time of the year that they actually go fishing.

When the willow flies swarm around the shorelines of the Tennessee River, bluegill and other members of the sunfish family go into a daylight-to-dark feeding frenzy. When the flies land on the water, there is usually a battle by several fish to see who gets to eat the easy snack.

People who enjoy fly-fishing simply can't wait for this time of year. When word gets out that willow flies are hatching, a lot of anglers burn their vacation days so they won't be disturbed on the water. When you locate willow flies and see a lot of surface action, catching a limit of bluegill in an hour or so is easily done.

Other anglers see the willow fly hatch in a different way. You see, when the flies are swarming, bream of all colors and sizes forget their surroundings and swim out into the open to feed.

When small bream leave their protective cover and swim in the open, larger, predator fish like largemouth and smallmouth bass move into the shallows to feed on them.

When casting for largemouth and smallmouth bass around willow fly hatches, you should have several rod-and-reel outfits ready to go with a different lure attached to each. On one outfit, I will tie on a one-quarter-ounce Rat-L-Trap. The second rod-and-reel will be equipped with Pop-r and the third will have a medium or shallow-running crankbait. All three of the lures I have chosen will have an orange belly.

The orange belly on these lures is the big secret to catching trophy-size largemouth and smallmouth bass.

The bream they are feeding on normally have orange-colored bellies. If you have lures that look similar to bluegill and other sunfish but don't have an orange belly, it's time to get out the paint.

If there is a lot of surface action taking place, it generally means the bream are feeding on the willow flies. The larger-size bass can generally be found below the action, waiting for the right moment to grab its prey.

By throwing the Rat-L-Trap, the fast retrieve may not catch any fish, but it will definitely stir up the mud bottom and create a commotion with all the rattles inside. After I have stirred the water, I try to follow with the crankbait using a slow retrieve.

During the slow retrieve, I will often jerk the rod tip to give an injured look to the crankbait. When bass sense the fish is injured, they will follow with an aggressive strike.

If I have trouble hooking up with my first two lures, I start throwing the Pop-r. I have a lot of trouble finding Pop-r's with an orange belly, so before the trip I make sure to have at least two that I have painted. The Pop-r is a chugger lure where the surface water is spit forward, making a distinct splashing sound. The chugger bait is designed to imitate an injured fish on the surface. When all else fails, a Pop-r can bring back the excitement of a feeding frenzy.

After catching fish with a rod-and-reel, I often like ending the day using a fly rod. Small popping bugs on a fly rod are excellent for catching bluegill and white bass.

After catching some smaller fish, which creates some turbulence below the surface, I will tie on a large popping bug designed for catching largemouth and smallmouth bass.

No matter what style or fishing technique you choose, it's harder to go wrong when fishing near a willow fly hatch. Even at the slowest of times when it comes to fishing during the summer, a willow fly hatch seems to serve as an alarm clock for the fish.

It's nature's way of ringing the dinner bell.

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