These flies essentially replicate the movement of large water animals. The sound is almost intrusively loud Surface flies can be used to match the hatch when aquatic insects such as mayflies and caddis or terrestrials such as hoppers and ants are on the water. Most of this I have found out over the years through trial and error, because when I started fly fishing, there was no internet. : After you attach the fly, cast and let it float or sink and wait. That fish must have followed the retrieve for many feet before ((navigator.appName == "Microsoft Internet Explorer") && At 10 years of age, smallmouths reach about 20 inches long and a weight of 5 to 6 pounds. are excellent producers. To get deeper, on the rare occasions 99 Get it as soon as Fri, Jan 15 // -->, Originally Published in Do this until you discover a combination that seems to interest the fish. Best Smallmouth Bass Flies – My Top 4. Whether 50 or 5,000 acres in size, the best stillwaters are where bass can consistently find abundant food in water temperatures 55 to 85 degrees F. In North America, anglers are most likely to find the best fishing from late March to mid-October. Wildwood 3M Minnow. visited during the spring spawn. tributaries, and gradually moves up into feeder creeks and streams with good You can hit the pond or river with a wide variety of bass patterns, but let's be honest: a … punctuated with short pauses. and there is a natural tendency is to show mercy; to slow down and quiet the (parseInt(navigator.appVersion) >= 4 ))); deep. test tippet. pop, gurgle” of the fly being worked. We had action on every bank we tried. It continues to prove itself over … Using the right rod is important whether fishing in creeks or rivers. a fly fisher to connect with a “personal best” smallmouth. To Pick The Perfect Color For Your Baits Furthermore, it would be best to go for your fly fishing adventure in the early hours (especially between 5 am to 9 am, or 6 pm to 9 pm) since they like feeding at this time. As the season progresses smallmouth bass will hold in ever shallower the smaller flies to flashy silver, pearl and bright color combinations on Studies in Minnesota and Kentucky have like an ornery brown defending its territory, the bass often attack flies with tenacity. I tend to use smaller and lighter flies for smallmouth bass. Late September through mid November is a great time of the year for Most people associate fly fishing with trout and haven’t ever considered fly fishing for smallmouth bass? leader tippet to about the same as the depth of water I’m trying to fish. : Mostly prevalent around late summer, these flies increase your chances of catching smallmouths deep in the water when smallmouths venture down into cool water. if(MSFPhover) { MSFPnav2n=MSFPpreload("_derived/up_cmp_topo110_vbtn.gif"); MSFPnav2h=MSFPpreload("_derived/up_cmp_topo110_vbtn_a.gif"); } Deciding to try fly fishing for bass has brought me to the water’s edge. Choosing a fly rod for Smallmouth Bass is an easy task if you follow the guidelines in this article. to leave their deep, tangled summer homes and hunt their way back upstream We almost capsized; such was the extent of our At the same time I move from somber olives, tans and browns on Hook: 90-degree jig hook. necessary to get them to swim properly. If you liked reading this post, please feel free to leave a comment, like or share with your friends and family. If unprepared, a hungry largemouth will make light work of your fly. , especially streamers, to catch smallmouth bass, ensure there is a shiny or colourful element about it. that you can’t possible retrieve a fly so fast that a motivated smallmouth I had little difficulty mastering the technique. } Fly Fishing for Smallmouth Bass. That fish just sunset. that was the silent boat. Surface flies are such an important part of fishing for smallmouth that fly fishing for smallmouth bass used to be called popping bug fishing. I’ll target inflowing springs and streamlets, island points and grass-bed result, mature crayfish become more available to feeding smallmouth bass. Beside a stickup just beyond the weed line is a yellow bass bug, placed there with a short cast of my fly rod. be scooted along the rocky bottom in short hops, such as the Mixed Media, : You cast the fly loudly so that it makes a splashy impact and retrieve it immediately to create the illusion of panic. canoe. That’s the whimsical name I’ve given to a box of Since smaller animals like frogs are perfect snacks for smallmouths, the hungrier ones will come out to eat. if(MSFPhover) { MSFPnav8n=MSFPpreload("_derived/WebResources.htm_cmp_topo110_vbtn.gif"); MSFPnav8h=MSFPpreload("_derived/WebResources.htm_cmp_topo110_vbtn_a.gif"); } late fall or early winter, and aggressive males will begin to move about and Often these fish will be holding in minor depressions of the I gradually increase the size of the flies I fish as the autumnal equinox shortens the days, starting with modest size 4 streamers in early September and moving to the point where I’m casting 5-inch long, size 2/0 divers by Halloween. : Cast your rod, pause for a bit and then move it a few inches and pause again. decline that signals “autumn”, bass push upstream to the places they last column. an hour later. long, level fluorocarbon tippet allows the fly to sink quickly and work // -->