Quill fits the Gill

[John McKean]

In between still falling snow, heavy rain, floods, and tornados (western PA THIS week!!), I found 2 days at the beginning of the week that, amazingly, were sunny & almost warm! Headed up to a favorite small hard fished public lake that has good bluegill& crappies, plus was stocked with trout for ice fishing last month. The water temps were still in the 30s,with ice just having melted, and none of the few there were doing anything on various baits. I got out a 6" porcupine quill float, and attached a 1/32oz Wade's Blade "horizontal minnow" with a 1" single tail plastic. The jig weight was just right to upright the quill,submerging it just half way (a good thing because a nice wind was blowing right down the cove-the submerged portion of the quill kept the float from drifting). After a brief time searching, the quill would just nod at an angle -time to gently lift into a hard fighting 'gill!! Other times during the jig's drop after casting the quill would just lay there and not upright itself-time to set again, as this was a "lift bite" (gills would come up from below & take it, allowing no weight on the float). Rarely did a bluegill give any jiggle of the quill with his delicate take - you had to rely on the length of this special float to watch for an almost imperceptible tilt. Only the clumsy TROUT would jiggle the quill and/or move away with it!! But it was a good mix of the two species, and I'm anxiously awaiting this horrid weather to change for the better again!

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

I have no doubt of it. I got 'em for experimenting and tinkering. I dont expect much out of them beyond that.

But I reckon I can improve on them. I think Ill end up with them as a pointer mounted to a balsa float section. I need to find some more balsa planks first.