My favorite place to walk and fish is the area in Prospect Park called the Peninsula. The Peninsula is just that, a body of land surrounded by the lake on three sides. It is a quiet, secluded and densely wooded area. If it were not for being under the flight path of the nearby airports, you would think you were in a primitive area. But have no fear, there are wood chip paths to lead you into and out of the Brooklyn equivalent of Central Park's "Ramble." If you walk softly you may see a chipmunk scurry across the path.
The Peninsula is a place for migrating birds to stop and nest as they fly along the northeast flight corridor. At the eastern end of the peninsula there is a rustic seating area where you can view , which will open in 2013, and Duck Island. Duck Island is another bird refuge area. It is the largest island in the lake. In the afternoon you can watch the sun move across the sky until it sets.
When I fly fish, I normally start on the south side of the peninsula; not for any particular reason. Sunfish such as large mouth bass, blue gills and crappie are the dominate species in this part of the lake. But the Minnows like to swim here too. I'm not making reference to the size of the fish but to the species. The Minnow family, strangely, includes fish like the common carp and the "brocaded carp," the koi. They are some of the largest fresh water fish in Brooklyn. Carp in Prospect Park lake can weigh more than forty pounds!
Large beds of lily pads cover the surface of the lake on the north side of the peninsula. Here is where many of the bass swim. While catching a five-pound large mouth bass here is not unusual, you will need to be a skilled fly fisher to do it. It takes several years for a bass to reach this size. On a number of occasions I have been lucky enough to catch a 10-inch blue gill with flies tied to resemble tiny insects. Blue Gills or sunfish as some call them grow about two inches a year and they are prolific breeders.
