Robert Webster invited yours truly for another fishing outing on Lake Tillery in hopes that we might get a chance to get some action on the ole fly rod aka "buggy whopper", however we planned to start the morning doing some trolling for White Perch, Catfish, Crappie, etc., of which some of us nickname the White Perch Waccamaw but White Perch is the name most people use for this species of fish.

I got up this morning around 0430 and completed my morning shave and shower and my bride was already up.  After a quick putting on appropriate fishing clothing, I headed out the door to Bo Jangles to get my bride a biscuit and one for Robert and myself as well.  I already had my fishing gear loaded in the car and got an early start.  I called Robert on the cell phone with no answer and gave him another call up the road of which he answered to let him know I was on the way.

It didn't take too long to get to the Lake Tillery Family Campground right off highway 24/27 near the Swift Island Boat Landing where Robert has his camper set up and his boat was loaded up and ready to go.

Within thirty minutes we were in one of Roberts favorite fishing spots with a total of eight (8) rods rigged for trolling and noticed the water was covered with "thousands" of the outer shells (nymphal shuck) of Mayfly nymphs that had emerged from the water recently and hatched out into an adult Mayfly which has two stages of which it sheds the outer skin once again before being an adult and mating.  The fishing wasn't productive to begin with and kept trolling until we found the White Perch and the action was on.  Those White Perch are in schools and are constantly on the move looking for food and you have to keep moving until you cross their path.  At one time, I believe we had a dozen (12) fish in the boat together trying to get them off and the lures back into the water.  I know I had several catches of three (3)  on one line at a time and Robert was doing the same also.  Below are a few pixs taken:

The sun hadn't gotten up to high this morning and look how beautiful and blue the water looks!

The picture above right shows the Mayfly nymph shells on the water after a recent hatch.

Above is one of the catfish we caught while trolling and the ole boy put up a good fight not wanting to end up in the cooler but he should have kept his mouth off the lure.

Robert is showing off a good largemouth bass that he caught on his homemade Tenkara fishing rig which is nothing but a pole, line and leader/popping bug.  I didn't think Robert was going to land the largemouth bass and it was touch and go for a while but the bass had to give it up in the end.  Robert released him back to live another day.

I think we released about 3 to every 1 of the White Perch caught due to their size but it was a fishing frenzy there for about 30 minutes or so and we couldn't keep our rods in the water.  Those White Perch would nail the lures before they ever got close to the bottom and some fantastic fishing for sure.

Earlier, I removed my antiquated two piece 8 1/2 Ft. Fenwick graphite fly rod from its case and had it laying in the boat without the reel attached, planning to rig it up as soon as we got through trolling for the White Perch.  I just about donated that fly rod to the bottom of Lake Tillery and will try and explain myself.  While the fish catching frenzy was in full swing, I inadvertently caught the tip of the rod I was positing over the side of the boat ready to drop the lures to the bottom of the lake and snagged the end of the fly rod and it flipped out into the water beside our boat, luckily within arms reach.  The upper section of the fly rod was sinking fast and I made a mad dash and about went over the side of the boat while stretching to get hold of the handle section of the rod that was still floating but it wasn't going to be floating for too much longer.  That ole Fenwick fly rod has been in my fishing arsenal for many decades and landed its share of Robin aka Red Breast, Bluegill, Spotted Sunfish and Largemouth Bass.  Robert got a good grin going out of my boat acrobatics and was a little concerned I might get hung up in all those hooks we had in the boat waiting to get them back into the water, grin if you must!  That was surely "pay back" and/or poetic justice for me making fun of him loosing his cap and some catfish swimming around the bottom of the lake wearing his lucky fishing cap with a big grin on its mouth.   

Bob McLean was on the Lake fishing as usual and he stopped by for awhile after we put up the trolling rods and went to a couple places where there were thousands of Mayflies on the tree limbs, branches and overhanging bushes at the Lakes edge.  Robert was using his homemade Tenkara rod and you can only fish the length of the rod and the line since there is no way to get extra line out like a regular fly rod.  For fishing small creeks, etc., that is all that one needs since a long cast is not necessary. 

While fishing, I noticed that Robert kept getting the front of the boat closer and closer to the edge of the Lakes edge and I couldn't get the ole "buggy whopper" cast right since I was too close to the bank.  By the way, I was in the front of the boat and Robert was in the rear.  I stated to Robert "do something with the boat" and he would grin and he said the wind was pushing us in.  You have to be aware that Robert has a super high dollar humongous sized Minn Kota trolling motor that requires two 12 volt batteries on his boat and the trolling motor is operated by a remote control with enough thrust to about create a wake on the "rabbit setting", but I guess when you are catching fish, that remote control can't be in your hand either.  Ok, I will give Robert the benefit of the doubt on this one....grin if you must!  For a short period of time, we wore the pan fish out on the ole fly rod aka buggy whopper and Robert's Tenkara rig.  The pan fish had about gorged themselves out with all the available Mayflies.

I have Bob McLean as a witness on this one who was close by watching the action.

Below is the cooler 3/4 or better full of the morning catch:

After getting back to Robert's camper, I scaled and cleaned about half a dozen of the Bluegill fish to go with the White Perch and Catfish filets that Robert had thawed out and soaking in some salt water ready to do their final swim in a pan of hot oil.  The stomach contents of the Bluegill aka Bream or Spotted Sunfish were stuffed with Mayflies and a wonder we caught any fish at all since there was so much food source available to them in the form of the recent Mayfly hatch.  Below a few pixs taken at Robert's campsite and also a few pixs of his outside covered kitchen:

Below is an ole advertising sign that was once adjacent the main 24/27 road many years ago:

The campsite bath house, shower and rest room facilities for both male and female below:

There is nothing as beautiful as the American Flag flying and for those of us that have served in the Military for our Country, it certainly does have special meaning since we are aware of what the real cost of Freedom is and the many hundreds of thousands of lives given to preserve our freedom!

Pix below of Bob Mclean with three American flags in the back ground:

Some of those wonderful fish that Robert fried up; White Perch and Catfish filets, Catfish nuggets along with a few of the whole Bluegill aka Pan Fish freshly caught.  Can you say "beautimous" out loud?

Below pix of Robert Webster with his new hat that replaced the recent one that he donated to Lake Tillery which some lucky catfish is no doubt swimming around wearing his old hat.  It didn't take but a second of seeing Robert with that hat and I told him it reminded me of Jungle Jim that was a TV series from the 1950s for us older generation folks starring Johnny Weismuller:

Below is a plate of vittles served, White Perch filets and Catfish nuggets and whole Pan Fish with cole slaw, baked sweet potato and sliced Dill pickles.  Robert is holding back the hush puppies and bread for health reasons.....grin if you must!

I definitely consumed many more White Perch filets that what is showing on the plate and was "Tight as a Georgia tick on the back of a coonhound in the month of July."  My favorite terminology for these types of meals are "FRUITS OF THE HARVEST" of which I truly do enjoy and the climax or culmination of a successful fishing morning on the Lake with friends!

Before I left, I took a couple pixs of the camp ground in front and adjacent to Robert's campsite and plan to take more pixs but wanted to get some White Perch filets and other fish home to my bride for her late lunch. 

As evidenced by the pixs, this is one beautiful, lovely and scenic place which has such a wonderful atmosphere that is so relaxing and serene to ones mind, body and soul.   Robert reworked the existing golf cart trails last year digging up three pick-up truck loads of roots and lined the trail with stone and gravel making travel much easier.  The owner of the Family Campground lives in the home in the below picture.

Before leaving for home in Wadesboro, NC I took a pix of Robert practicing with his fly rod that I rigged an old recycled fly line onto the reel.  With his known luck, he will probably catch fish out of that empty 5 gallon blue bucket and to top that off, there is no leader or lure on the fly line either....grin if you must!

I might as well confess now, I had a few senior citizen moments before I left.  I forgot a coffee that Robert had brewed earlier, a sweet potato for my bride and also a bottle of No-Knot glue but at least I didn't forget the fried fish for my bride.

In closing, I had a wonderful time on the Lake with Robert this morning and the fellowship shared over a great meal with Robert Webster and Bob McLean really makes some good memories and to share those memories on this web page as well.

Web published by Bill aka Mickey Porter on 07-16-15 

VIEW ADDITIONAL FISHING TRIPS AT THESE LINKS:

Fishing 2015

Lake Tillery Fishing 07-22-15

Lake Tillery Fishing 07-30-15