fishinwrench

One fly for all three species ... or best picks for each? I'd go topwater for Lake Smallmouth and Pike in June (poppers and/or Dahlbergs divers) No clue on the Walleye.....A clouser maybe. LOL

It is great. But it's hard to stick with it when the bites are coming slow and you KNOW a worm and spinning gear will hammer'em. Especially bad when your partner is throwing tubes or something, and catching 10 to your 1.

I'll unload what I consider useful info regarding Smallies on flies. It is probably only worth what you are paying for it though, so all I ask is if you learn something to the contrary of what I'm about to tell ya'....Please set me straight ASAP I'm not gonna bore you with where to fish for them....pretty sure you already got a grip on that. First off, realize that you'll hardly ever catch as many Smallies with hair, feathers, and fly gear as you are used to catching with soft plastics and spinning gear, unless you get on a good topwater bite. If your buddy fishes spinning gear while you are flyfishing...you're probably gonna get spanked. I do pretty good with #2 - 4 marabou muddlers in spots where I could kill'em with jerbaits. I tie them weighted, and in bright colors so I can see them...and fish them FAST. What you're looking for are reaction bites, if the fish has time to look it over good they will turn away more times than not. You'll see alot of fish but won't hook many unless that muddler is going somewhere quick. Clousers get a ton of press, everyone talks about them and no magazine article fails to recommend them as the #1 smallie fly, but honestly they do nothing but frustrate me with repeated missed bites....the ol' suck and spit, if you happen to be tight to the fly when they bite it you MIGHT get him stuck...for a second or two. If you need to fish a "jig" put down the flyrod and pick up the spinning gear. Pine Squirrel is the best material I've found for Smallies when they are deep. Slumpbusters and the like are deadly....find a size and weight that you like and stick with it in all types of water. (don't switch from light to heavy ones or vice-versa) you'll understannd why after you fish them a bit. Fish'em on a controlled swing, Somedays fast, other days slow. And don't get too "jiggy" with it, just play whatever current is there. Or fish it with slow and steady strips in stillwater areas. Instead of going heavier to get deeper, go to a longer or lighter tippet. Once the fish start showing up shallow go to hair strip muddlers (4" rabbit strip with a muddler head), they fish just like a Zoom Fluke and will catch fish sitting still.....marabou muddlers won't. I continue to experiment and play with a bunch of patterns, but those three (Marabou muddler, Slumpbuster, Fur strip muddler) are the only flies I fish subsurface when I'm serious about catching Smallies on the fly. If you can get a topwater bite going that's where the flyrod really excels for smallmouth....but it'll be awhile (usually May) before stream smallies start hitting topwater bugs very consistently....and they usually aren't too picky. Gavin might pitch in and tell us both how he pulls it off with Coffey's Sparkle Minnows.....I can tie good ones, but I don't get bit on them like I know several other guys do. Possibly it is the rivers I frequent....as every stream seems to have it's favorite fly, when it comes to Smallmouth.

Kyle, that fish's tail is as wide as your hat. Who caught who ? Give us a story...that fish is becoming a legend. Rolfie, the king of the Falls. Somebody should write a song LOL

They are really good scaled and scored if you're doing a big mess in a deep outdoor fryer. But for skillet business I fillet'em and cook them like I do Crappie. Dip them in egg/milk and roll them in a 50/50 mix of crushed Ritz crackers and cornmeal. WHY ? are you catchin'em already ?

Now that's how it's done. How many fish have you caught on that ant since then ? I'm bettin' plenty. Ants ROCK ! Fur balls with hackle....or something foam ? Oh yeah, and I had deer loins TONITE !

28 ! Gawdalmighty ! At the Falls no less, I get my butt handed to me at the falls e-v-e-r-y time. I can get dialed-in at Jack's tho. What is it about that river and rubberlegs ? that fly is worthless to me everywhere else.

Used to work for a guy just like "the boss".

Thanks Laker ! Yep, that's the one...it worked even though it was almost 2 sizes too big. Next time I hit the Current I'll have some smaller ones and hopefully decrease the number of refusals some. Of course, next time there won't even be a decent hatch...I know the drill

Dear Boss, Since you openly acknowledge that although I don't "mentally" check in until noon, if it's ok with you and as long as the profit margin remains in the green, I'll start donating the first 3-4 hours of each day to a better cause outside of the corporation where my time will be of more value to someone. I'm sorry that you had trouble finding dates and enjoyable hobbies when you were younger, and I understand that claiming it was a chosen sacrifice helps to ease the dis-satisfaction of a life ill spent because of your obvious personality disorders and unbearable halitosis. Maybe if you had went ahead and married the fat chick from college that you really liked but were ashamed to be seen with she could have inspired you to eat better and not be so afraid of occaisional risks. We all know that the only reason you drove that old car until the wheels fell off was because you were too much of a sissy to attempt a clutch replacement and do a little body work. And by the way...it wasn't a Toyota Corolla, it was a Mazda that your Dad bought for you and even paid your insurance premiums. Seems like I remember that Daddy also paid the rent for that studio apartment just to keep you from moving back home. Maybe you could hire someone to run this business for half of what you net per year, pocket the rest, buy a secluded 2 bedroom home in the country somewhere and become a fictional writer. Signed, Your "valued" empoyee.

Beginning last Fall I started playing with split wing design for caddis, and I'm pretty convinced that they float better, and appear more realistic from below. It may just be zen mental but nevertheless it has somehow increased the number of risers...for Me. It is a spinoff of a Harrop hairwing dun, looks like this...

Ug ! Smallies on a stringer Pass the baloney please...

jdmidwest has made 3 times more posts than I have since 2006, so he is 75% more likely to know a good caddis when he sees one. If the percentages were a tad closer I'd challenge both the floatation advantages of CDC, and the proportionate wing length

It is a shame that Roubidoux spring isn't managed a little differently. I have fished it 7 times since 1998 and never seen, much less caught a trout in it. Obviously a result of bad timing. It does get a decent run of Smallies during winter high water events, but the fish don't seem to stay in it very long once the Gasconade clears back up. I've always expected questionable water quality, but I could be way off base (pun intended). The upper Roubidoux around hwy.17 looks worth exploring however. It supposably sinks somewhere between there and Waynesville. I never hear anyone talk about fishing it. Maybe a sleeper.

Awesome, just goes to show it ain't what ya know but who.... Now for the impossible task: to get the asian carp under control, and clean it up !

it's right here http://mdc.mo.gov/fish/sport/trout/angling.htm it's a bit confusing, but rubber legs and foam are not considered "soft plastic bait" ....they fall in the "any material" catagory. At least that is the way I enterpret it.

Spoken like a true WFT'er Gavin Winter camping does take some preparation and specialized gear to enjoy. I know how to do it right...but It's not my bag. Motels are plenty affordable when night time temps are in the 20's or below.

During the big "fly definition" change a few years ago, rubber or synthetic legs and shellbacks, foam, and pieces of animal hide or chamois created lots of discussion. but they ARE legal components of a "fly" now.

The back hook is simply a "dropper". Should be legal everywhere a dropper fly is permitted. Aside from "barbless water" where wouldn't it be legal ? You could alway mash the barbs or tie on barbless hooks....or even snip either the rear or front hook point off.

Yeah you have to have the "ULTRA chenille", regular chenille won't work for SJW's. (get Medium for bigger ones, and Micro for the little guys).

Nice Andy ! You can have that Winter camping though...it takes alot of either coffee or whiskey, and those 2AM trips to pee are a MF

darn...that truck ain't moved since I was there Almost 4inches here at the lake....and it's still snowing sideways. Gonna go 4-wheelin' and take the kids sledding here in a bit. Tournament going on today.....man I don't miss that business anymore...

Henbit ! Someone told me they were marigolds...but I knew that wasn't right. I looked it up and you are right, that's it ! Thanks CW ! Are you an ol'farmhand that just knows dung like that...or did ya have to ask one ? LOL The big Gills are out when the Henbit sprouts......that sounds cool.

Ah I see. Well I wouldn't be able to pick my favorite line by casting it in a lawn or parking lot. Charlie Reading's casting pond would be a good place to compare NEW lines though. Only problem is, if I have time to spend half a day in a flyshop...I could be fishing.

You got it Man, I'll holler when they start moving. If it plays out like last year it'll blow your mind. Now Dammit Cricket quit trying to distract me....this is a HONKER BLUEGILL thread Hybrids tearing up the creek between my house and the bluegill ponds are detremental to the mission at hand.