Searching for bass and bluegill fly patterns?

After viewing my blog, most traffic disappears within just a few seconds. I do believe most are looking for fly fishing patterns. Search my blog for fly patterns. There are more than a few with tying instructions and photos.

I may not have fancy pictures of fishing in mangroves for red fish or holding up huge smallmouth but there is a chance to pick up on a few effective patterns. After all, don't you want to diversify your fly selection?

Streams have dried up and fishing habitats aren't the same, so I have put fishing off until I decide to head to the lake. Hopefully, this warm fall will stick around a bit longer.

Hoping to post something interesting soon.

Is it wrong for me to brag?

Sure, it's not a huge bass. Fly fishing 'round here ain't exactly King Salmon fishing but I'll take it. Especially when I pull this smallmouth bass out of a puddle.

Guess I need to put more text into my blog for Google spiders to crawl - need more relevancy for traffic. The past two years, I have used the Clouser for the better part of my outings. And it has paid off. Chartreuse and white Clousers and Chartreuse and pink Clousers are productive for me. In the past, I have used yellow and brown Clousers too. White Clousers are OK but since I have been fishing dirty water quite a bit the past few years, the chartreuse is obviously more visible.

I still have yet to master landing smallmouth bass on crawdad patterns. I do believe that only bluegills have taken my crawdad patterns.

I finally mastered a creek that once seemed to be distant. For some reason, it was one that I always wanted to hold off on. It was the closest to home. Guess I didn't want to disappoint myself on a stream that seemed popular and seemingly easy.

It is time to pull out the kayak again. The lake should be more comfortable for bass to come out of the cool depths. Got some deer hair popping bugs ready to go. This year, my top fly fishing goal is to catch largemouth bass on popping bugs.

Anyway, glad this year is turning out to not be such a bad year for bass.

Urban Fly Fishing

Urban fly fishing - yep . . . fly fishing in a most inconspicuous spot . . . gotta love those places close to home. Where did all the panfish go??? Water temp dropped big time a few days ago . . . rain . . . muddy water. I hope this stream doesn't become polluted . . . too polluted . . . . already a bit dirty.

You know what sucks, smelling restaurant food while you fish.

What it may all be about.

I began this blog for folks who are learning to fly fish. Watching Anthony Bourdain right now. It reminds me of making trips out to new locations and trying new fly patterns. When I moved to the South from Canada, I was intrigued by bass bugs. Even more interesting were those little panfish.

The local fly shops only offered trout flies - with the occasional white bass and panfish selection. Eventually one of them moved into bass flies. I went to the internet to find my flies - grass roots research. I became involved in fly swaps. It was interesting to find out what types of custom fly patterns anglers were tying for their favorite warm water species.

I hit the message board and online groups to learn the techniques folks were using to land fish. I do consider myself untraditional. There are a lot of books out there about fly fishing for trout, salmon,etc.

Sure, there titles on warm water species but you won't find most of them at the Barnes & Nobles. Especially when your looking for panfish flies - even crappie flies; you just won't find but a couple of titles - heck, maybe just one specifically.

I seem to find myself to be of a rare sort of fly fisherman. Sure, I see the occasional fly angler, mostly during the white bass run. There are a few of us that hit local water such as streams behind grocery stores or those good locations wedged between two highways and a local golf course.

I never saw anyone doing what I was, fly fishing from a boat - except on Lake Swepco. Maybe it's just not common in Arkansas or the Ozarks. I am sure the Kings River and Clear Creek are fished quite often by fly fisherman. Heck, even the Elk River too.

But, I don't float these streams with groups nor network to find the best locations. I hunt. I go out and figure things out on my own. Most of the time.

I've kinda fallen of the intellectual and instructional aspects of this blog. I am trying to keep it simple and offer up patterns that I use. I'm one of these guys that will fish just about anywhere but that means having a diverse selection of flies - and I like to have custom flies - bluegill flies - flies for dirty water and tight, slippery, nasty places to fish.

After all, isn't part of the adventure just figuring out where to go and what to use??

Smallmouth Outing - Illinois River #2, 2010

Landed several smallmouth bass on a chartreuse and pink Clouser fly pattern. I only had two of those colored Clousers and lost them both. Landed a few more on chartreuse and white Clousers too. After the overcast skies disappeared, fishing died down. STOPPED.

Academy Sporting Goods had it's grand opening. I went and bought some new leaders and tippet. Excellent selection of flies - panfish and bass flies. I will be making a trip there soon. I lost 8 out of 10 Clousers today.

I drifted in swifter water than usual. I wanted larger fish - figured the bigger ones would be in a faster current or would chase food into a faster current. Didn't land anything very large but had fun anyway.

I began drifting along a fallen tree - a deep hole about 4 feet deep ran alongside. The fish were hitting the Clouser on the swing through - as I drifted the fly, I tried for a longer "tail out".

Fishing is still kinda slow - waiting for temps to drop. About 100 degrees again!!

I also fish a pool which spills into a strainer on the side and also continues to flow west. There are some stumps, logs, etc. in the bottom of this pool. I usually land bass just about anywhere in this pool - except the most swift portion at the top of the pool.

8 wgt. sinking line.