Smallmouth Flies - not to be picky.

https://joshs-flies.myshopify.com/

I caught this guy early in the morning before the sun became bore down on the stream and the back of my neck.  When I blog, most of the time, I present it in a way that should be simple to understand and is mainly for those new to fly fishing.  But what most folks don't know is that I live in the South.  The water temperatures differ from those in the north.  So, when I mention that bass are holding to structure and in deep pools, that's because it's time for summer bass.  Last summer, we had temps in the 100's.  It's pretty hot right now and the sun comes up early and goes to bed late.  With a lack of rain, riffles have slacked off and smallies are becoming less active.  As we all know, fall is coming and it's going to be a productive time of year for smallmouth bass.

If you notice in the top photo, I caught this smallmouth bass on a Bett's popper.  It can be bought at big box stores or sporting goods shops.  It's not pricy and can be effective for many types of fish.  The fly selection for a smallmouth bass is usually wooly buggers, Clousers, Gurglers, crawdads and medium size poppers.  That's not too confusing when you put a box together and most are simple to tie.

This smallmouth bass wasn't big but was a great fighter.  Again, I caught another smallie on a Betts' popper.  I may not catch a lot of really big smallmouth bass but I can catch a lot of them over a season. You don't necessarily need a large or expensive fly selection.  What matters is getting to know your stream or waters.

I drifted a Chernobyl Ant and landed two other smallmouth bass while out this Saturday morning.  I landed 5 smallmouth bass that day.  All of them except one were caught on top-water fly patterns.

I used some cheap bought flies and a few hand tied flies.  I didn't have to go buy fancy flies (although they are great to have).

I usually go out for about three or four hours and cover a certain water that I am familiar with and have learned.  Several good producing spots from last year aren't doing well this year and I have had to change up my game.  I found new spots to drift and find smallies on the same length of stream I enjoy fishing.

One of the most important things for you to know is this:  Not all waters are the same.  Some streams are stocked, some are protected, others have health issues . . . on and on.  I fished the heck out of some streams just they way I did on this stream on Saturday.  Those streams weren't as productive.  A few local streams have been stocked with smallmouth bass this spring and will be productive this fall and next year.

Fish around - find different places to fish.  Hit some ponds and lakes that you aren't used to fishing.  You may find that you are a better fisherman than you realize.  Remember, fly fishing doesn't have to be complicated.  Choose a few mainstream productive flies that everyone uses and cast a line somewhere.  I know that there are folks who catch bigger fish than me and more fish than me but I don't care.  I fish to enjoy myself.  I challenge myself such as trying for different species or wading different streams but it's most important to me to relax and realize that I have caught a lot of fish and I will be skunked.  AND if I don't relax, I'm gonna stress out and put the rod up - I'm gonna doubt myself.

Do what you gotta do to have fun.  I've got some flies listed for sale.  http://myworld.ebay.com/riverwalker74

Thinking unconventionally - Smallmouth Bass

I sometimes go out to my regular spot on a local stream.  The sun is coming up early and dusk isn't until about 9 pm.  The smallmouth are holding to structure now that summer has arrived.  I figure that deep holes is where the action may be most successful but those holes haven't been very active.

When I go out and know that there are smallmouth and spotted bass which are visible, I try to change up the usual approach to landing fish.  Smallmouth bass will usually hang out in pools and will swim their way into shallow riffles and back or even between pools.  Some of these riffles don't necessarily have to be deep.  I've caught some pretty nice bass in 8 - 12 inch riffles.  A few evenings ago, I had to change up my game.  Instead of drifting my favorite pool which is about 20 feet long and being shallow on both ends, I began with a cast into about 12 inch riffles.

These riffles were about 15 feet upstream from the pool.  There is a lot of traffic in these riffles between the deeper pool and a smaller upstream pool which is about 18 or so feet away.  The reason I began casting into these swift but shallow riffles was because there isn't much structure on the edge of the stream at this spot. The bass usually hold near larger rocks.  Since we are on our third year of a drought, the stream is becoming low.  Bass are going deeper and holding tight to structure.  I wanted to maximize my opportunities for fish and had to think outside the box.  I landed several bass in these shallow riffles.  I lightly presented my  Chernobyl Ant as I made my way downstream to my favorite pool.  I could not, for the life of me, catch bass because the warmouth and redeye hit every fly I tied on the line.  Large and hungry panfish too.

Further downstream at about forty yards the stream gets narrower and more swift as it pours into a pool about 5 feet deep.  There are a lot of large rocks, boulders, grass and plants.  It was getting darker and I couldn't see to wade well.  I began drifting at about 10 yards from where the pool drops off as the stream pours into it.  I would cast toward the banks and drift down a bit into the very swift current and as the wooly buggger would begin the drift into the middle, smallmouth and spotted bass would hit the fly.  But the key was to begin stripping the fly in as the line drifted away from the bank.

As it became darker, I waded back to the truck.  I landed a lot of bream but it was the pool in I first stepped into the stream on which I was concentrating.  It is that location which is the hardest to land smallmouth bass.  You can see them and they are skittish.  The riffles run swift but the bass spend most of their time hanging out in a small backwater pool on the edge of the stream where the stream widens out and deepens from about 8 - 12 inches to about 2 - 3 feet.  The bass will make an excursion downstream from time to time and hang out in a small pool that sits at the edge of very shallow riffles.  Which means that since the stream is REALLY shallow about 30 yards north, these bass don't have very far to go.

I began drifting with tugs being given by undersized sunfish.  I wanted to go home but from time to time,  I catch some nice smallies out of this spot.  I began casting downstream and popping a Betts' popper upstream.  I wanted to stir up some action of some sort.  It was dusk and there just had to be a hungry bass somewhere.  Sure enough, a few cast later, I landed a real nice smallmouth bass.  Sometimes, you gotta think outside the box.  It may not be drastic and you may only change your game up a bit but it could pay off.

Got some flies for sale.  http://myworld.ebay.com/riverwalker74

Simply smallmouth and panfish - Chernobyl Ant

In the sport of fly fishing, drifting top-water patterns cannot get an easier when it comes to enjoying a great day out.  There's no indicator involved, you're not trying to poke a tiny leader through a small nymph and you don't necessarily have to utilize a delicate presentation.  Simply cast out about 5 or 6 feet into a stream and drift.

The simplicity of using top water patterns in this method is the reason I love fishing top-water flies.  I went out the other evening and caught several bass and panfish on a Chernobyl Ant and Bett's popper in the short time I had before nightfall.

On my first cast, I lightly cast out and drifted my newly tied Chernobyl Ant.  The fly drifted about 3 feet before the smallmouth pictured above tagged it.  With this smallmouth in the riffles and him tugging on my 4 wgt. rod, it was a pretty decent fight.  Pound for pound, smallmouth are the toughest fighters I know other than maybe white bass.

You don't need to wade a deep stream or river.  All you need to have a good time is a light action rod, foam fly and a small local stream.  

Check out this fat panfish.  There's a good slab for a frying pan waiting to hit your foam fly.  These guys were so greedy the other night, I couldn't concentrate on smallmouth because they hit everything I tied on the line.  I enjoy frying up crappie, bream, white bass and catfish.  However, when it comes to eating black bass, I'm not a fan of the flavor.  Plus, when I release those bass, it makes me feel better about the population because some of the places I fish are hit pretty hard by folks who handle fish pretty rough when releasing and pretty much don't care about slot limits, etc.

When it comes to enjoying your day out, you don't necessarily have to load up on expensive flies at the shop.  You don't need to load up tons of gear and drive three hours to the local dam for trout.  And you don't need to wake up before the rooster crows to slam bass bugs on your secret pond.  Grab a rod, some foam flies and hit the local stream.  There's no telling what's in that stream.  Make it an adventure and see if you can pull a nice bronzeback or large panfish out of a small hole.  Go out for an hour and enjoy some fresh air.  Nobody is going to pull your man card for drifting in a local creek.

I've got some Chernobyls for sale.  http://myworld.ebay.com/riverwalker74

Chernobyl Ant - It's a Smallmouth and Panfish fly too.

My father and I were speaking about what we enjoy about fly fishing. Most of my friends us spinning rods and even though we can relate about fishing, there is one thing that upsets me.  They put a lot of emphasis on size.  What my friends think about fishing is that it is important to land large bass.  Occassionally, someone will pull out a magazine and show me what a bass really looks like.

I outfish them.  Sure, I'm not pulling in steady numbers of 3 and 4 pounders but who is??  They pull in small bass and chubs.  I land quite a bit of smallmouth while my friends continually try to land a big bass.  They won't even brag until catching something around 2 pounds.

So, as I was speaking with my father, I mentioned that the one thing that excites me most about fly fishing is having a fish - any fish - slam a foam fly or popper while I try to land it on a light action fly rod.  My father told me that he's just fine going out and landing one nice trout.  I said that it's the same with me.  If I go out and land one smallmouth on a foam fly that I tied, I can be satsified.  I try not to measure my "manliness" by the size of fish but the productivity such as how many fish I caught using a fly I made.

Foam patterns are my favorite flies.  I enjoy inventing my own patterns.  It's great to be able to think outside of the box and foam enables me to step away from traditional flies.  Drifting the Los Alamos Ant and Chernobyl Ants can be productive for me.  The Chernobyl Ant was initially tied as a trout pattern but it can be used for smallmout bass and fiesty bluegills too.  I've tied up a bunch of Chernobyl Ants and listed them on ebay.  Just trying to share the love.  It's about enjoying the trip out.

http://myworld.ebay.com/riverwalker74

Fly fishing on a budget.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251076051129?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649#ht_500wt_1156

If you are fly fishing on a budget, it doesn't hurt to buy used flies, rods or gear. Go to eBay, yard sales or even pawn shops.

The industry tries to push a lot of gear. Yes, there are folks that buy new gear - and new fly fishing gear can cost an arm and a leg.  Even modest rods and reels can set you back a bit.  Basic gear can obviously be purchased at Wal-Mart or other discount retailers.

My point is that you don't have to spend a lot of money to have fun with a fly rod.  I've seen guys decked out in nothing but Orvis gear from the boots to the hat.  And I've seen guys step into the stream with old waders and a can of corn and a baitcasting reel outfish those guys decked out in high dollar garb.

I tie my own flies and I don't spend much on gear because it's not necessary.  I will admit that it does pay to eventually buy a mid-price fly rod for good action.  When you go out fly fishing a lot like I do, it pays to save money when having to top off the gas tank every weekend.

A few years back, I bought a new pair of new Simms waders for about $125 and that is a steal.  Keep your eyes open because you can get good gear at a great price.  Just because you don't have high dollar gear, it doesn't mean you have to feel like you are not up to snuff.  Never measure your fly fishing worth by trying to keep up with the Jones'.  I measure my success by how I enjoy myself.  That is done by catching fish.  I'm not great and I'm not lousy but I can go out and make myself feel good while casting a mid-price rod with old line, an old leader and self-tied flies.