Still chasing those smallmouth bass.

I received the most awesome decal EVER from "bassbum" on Instagram.  He has a blog too but it's all in Japanese.  I look at the photos and try to comment.  I absolutely love this sticker and immediately placed it on the back of the SUV.  I still have to send his flies out - a few foamies and my Shucker.

I made a trip out to one of my favorite smallmouth bass streams a little over a week ago and did fairly well.  18 smallmouth were landed in 5 hours but that number could've been better.  Not to mention, I lost a 18-20 incher because I had not net and lost my grip as I tried to take a photo.  However, I plodded on and proceeded to watch the bass "suck and spit" or "grab and go" but lose them when I tried to set the hook.  So, I bought sharper hooks!!  Those suckers won't know what to do when that hook eases into their mouths.  I am tying up my Shucker pattern on these hooks.  I may tie up some hoppers too but they just aren't working right now.

Yup, I bought a budget friendly line.  I sold a reel on ebay and forgot to take off the sinking tip line.  Since that line will have to be replaced, I went cheap on the floating line.  I think it will last at least one season.

I forgot about that GLoomis GL3 5 wgt. rod sitting in my closet.  Since the WR3 reel I bought for my 8 wgt. fly rod performed well this spring, I bought a WR2 for the 5 wgt and put the Cortland line on it.  The 5 wgt. is sensitive and does feel close to that of my 4 wgt. but it seems a bit rigid on the cast.  My hand seems to slip to the end of the grip and rubs on the reel.  I don't remember that happening on any rod.  A few more trips out and perhaps, it will begin to feel normal again.  I switched the drag over to the left so that I can easily adjust it when necessary to do so.

This smallmouth bass was not the biggest of the day but I did send it in for the Photo of the Day contest to the local television station.  And it won!  My second to win such a title - and a free travel mug, lol.  A fellow fly fisherman posted a "small" bass that hit his large fly and mentioned that only smaller ones were hitting it.  I mentioned that there is not such thing as a small smallmouth bass and I enjoyed fishing streams and catching them.  He proceeded to comment that we differed on opinion.  However, in his next outing, he mentioned to have caught a number of smaller bass again.  He enjoyed that outing as he was casting his fiberglass rod.  I labeled the caption of my photo "Reflections of the day".  I didn't catch but a few larger bass but that didn't matter to me.

Temperatures have risen and I'm waiting for that moment when it's just right to enjoy the day.  Recent floods have caused gravel to fill a number of places I fish.  Vegetation and cover has been washed away too.  It was a tough outing but I am hoping that somehow, that gravel is pushed back out.  A few of my favorite logs and trees have been washed away over the past few years and those "pigs" have moved on.  It's going to be a fun fall!!

Tight lines.