Deep water poppers

This morning I had an extra-ordinary fishing excursion. We have just passed the summer solstice and the weather is already hot so I wasn't expecting a lot of catching...but hoped there would be a dawn bite that would scratch the fishing itch I've had all week. I think temps may have hit triple digits today...heat index at least. Fortunately I was back home napping in the a/c before that happened. I left the house at five which put me on the water just before sunrise. I had decided on the way to the lake to start out fishing the top of the water column along the shore and as the morning warmed to go to a baitfish pattern and fish the deep side of the weed lines. I was right about the top part but dead wrong about working the shoreline. As I paddled my way across the lake to the opposite shore where I had decided to start the day's angling something slammed my popping bug that was dragging behind the boat in probably twenty feet of water. It was a small bass. My mind told me the strike was a fluke but as I continued to the other shoreline fish began to feed on the surface within casting range so "what the heck" I sailed the popper to the rise and boom another small bass. This one pulled off. I scanned the lake and could see surface feeding scattered all over the middle part of the lake. Ignoring those small voices I've mentioned before I stubbornly began to fish the shoreline I felt sure would hold fish like it had many times before...nada. I kept watching the deeper water and still there were surface feeding fish there. After fifty yards of fish-less shoreline I slapped myself on the side of my head, called myself stupid and gave in to the small voices I had been ignoring and headed for deep water. Right away I started catching fish again by casting to the rises I could reach with my fly rod and popping bug. The rest of the morning I fished popping bugs in the middle of the lake never getting closer than fifty yards to the shoreline...popping bugs in 20 feet of water! The feeding tempo increased to a frenzy by 9:00  and I was catching fish after fish after fish...half of them bass and the balance hand size bluegill and copper nose. At one point my arms were aching so from rapid fire casting and landing fish I actually thought of resting but knew I was experiencing a gift from the fishing gods and didn't want to miss any of it or appear ungrateful. The lesson learned is that sometimes, skill and years of experience can't beat the magic of being in the right place at the right time and listening to those small voices.