Algonquin Topwater on the Fly!

Big brawling smallies in Algonquin Park, can you beat that. Every evening we save a few hours and dedicate them to top water bassin. I packed my G.Loomis Pro 4X 9' 8 weight fly rod. I had a couple different flies to try, a foam popper, another popper I made up before the trip, and a deer hair mouse. The first night I was just off afternoon shift and drove up to the park, so I was exhausted. I put on my foam popper and went to my favourite spot, some nice grass popping up and rocks just off the main lake in about 3 ft off water. As we floated in I saw some activity at the top. First fly was sent in and on the second pop I had a strike, it took it right under the water, but I didn't hook it. That's when I should of been more on the ball, tiredness kicking in. I didn't check my hook and I threw it back out there, well first pop and it gets crushed, fish on! Big jump in the air and it's a toad, and it spit my hook right back at me. Now I thought what's up? I checked my hook and sure enough something bent it badly, must of happened last trip, not too sure. But that would be why I couldn't keep them on. I was pretty disappointed in myself. Next spot that night my dad gets a nice 3 lber on a chug bug, that was it for our first night, a great outing. The next night we got an extra hour in of top water. As the speck fishing was slow we thought to come and enjoy the Hyde drift boat, I also got a brand new tohatsu motor for the boat, last minute change from the merc. I got a great deal on it and couldn't pass it up, and she runs so smoothly. It is also a ultra low emission motor which I wanted for in the park, and it's a four stroke. We went into a little bay that is about three feet deep throughout, and two nice dead heads in the back corner. As we approached working our whole way in, my dad bombs one back by a dead head. This fish hit as soon as the lure landed, exploding on the bait, making a huge kurplunk. What a fight, this bass towed us around, and we noticed a couple more with him. We got back out into position, and I had put a new popper on with a fresh hook, third pop and wam! It got crushed. I nice bass, which my dad videotaped, jumped three times and towed is around again. A good tip is to wash your fly line with regular dish soap and water every 3-4 uses, this will help get scum off your fly line and allow for further, smoother casts. My dad ended up getting one more lunker, which completely inhaled his bait. And we got a bunch more 1-2 lbers as we worked our way back. Again popping my fly and letting it sit still was key, sometimes they would just inhale that bait as soon as it hit the water, other times they just wanted the pause. On the pause the bass will see either rubber legs or the feathers on the flies moving around in the currrent or just form the action of your pop coming to a stop will make these parts move. This tricks them to thinking it is alive, and they do not hesitate to swallow if it is alive, just hammering your bait on the surface. Talk about a way to get your heart going, every pop and pause, waiting patiently and axiously for a bass suck it down. I could not of asked for a better trip and to be with my dad it could not of went any better, we even got to see a couple wolfe pups on our way out of the park. Snapping a cool picture of the pup as it was watching us out of curiosity, ears high in the air peeking back out of the ditch just passed a bridge, a great way to end the trip with some prestine wildlife. Happy Fishing