Most of the time I post about trout, salmon, or saltwater species like stripers and albies. But what did I grow up chasing? Largemouth bass, bluegill, and perch. They seem to be the holy trinity of a young, landlocked freshwater angler’s life, at least here in the Northeast.

And so it was great to get back out and chase them again with my friend Brendan the other day. We hopped into his new boat, packed a few 3 wt rods, and motored out into a pond near Boston.

It was a beautiful evening: cool, with an osprey flying and diving nearby. Once it dove close to the boat, and exploded from the water carrying with a small fish in its talons — the sort of scene you imagine in NH or Maine, not 30 minutes from Porter Square.

There’s something about fishing poppers on a 3 wt that resets me. So often we fish bigger tackle in search of bigger fish, but the thrill of hooking and playing some small fish just never goes away for me. I may have been on a pond near Boston, but I was back in my old habits as a kid. Nothing to worry about but landing my fly near the pump, and the slow, irregular strip, strip, wham! It never gets old, even as I do.