Smallmouth Fly - Upper Illinois

[remi74]

Anyone used purple crawdad patterns? I had a custom pattern I was drifting - brown. I like deep holes. Streamer patterns just aren't working too well for me. I couldn't fish on river much. Lots of rain last night. Switched to rooster tails and fishing bridge pilings.

My success on this river lies almost soley with rooster tails. Lots to learn yet. Some of my white bass patterns work ok. I had a fly - White River Minnow - purchased from local shop that is no longer in business. It was a killer. Maybe the Illinois is getting nasty.

Oh, any shops around NWA with hellgrammites??

Looking for help fly fishing for smallies on Upper Illinois in AR. . Tired of panfish (kinda).

[Don]

I met Ward Bean at the Conclave a couple of years ago and he turned me on to his website. I regret that I do not flyfish warm water very much but I found his patterns to be interesting.

http://www.warmwaterflytyer.com/welcome.asp

Don

[hoglaw]

Remi -

Are you talking about the Illinois in Arkansas? Where are you fishing?

I love the Illinois and have quite a few floats that I used to do. Haven't been out there in a while. It's a tough river to fish for some reason. I never catch big numbers, but I do catch BIG fish. That being said, I don't fly fish it.

You might want to pick up some wiggle minnows from McClellan's fly shop in Fayetteville. When I do fly fish local rivers and creeks, these things are unbeatable. As for crawfish patterns, you're not going to do much damage this time of year unless they're heavy and on sinking line. You have to be on the bottom to catch the smallmouth out there, but they'll come up and chase a wiggle minnow. They can't resist 'em.

[remi74]

Funny thing. I was at McClellan's this morning. The wiggle minnow was tempting. I did pick up a number of smallmouth and white bass flies. I have a lot of topwater patterns but and trying to switch from my other flies such as nymphs, crawdads, woollies and such.

Picked up streamers and crawdads. Flybox is looking better.

[Flysmallie]

One of the best crawdad patterns is a heavily weighted wooly. Color should match the natural in that river. Yeah they aren't as pretty as others but they are easier and quicker to tie and it won't break your heart when you lose half a dozen on a trip.

I'm focusing more on big streamers this year. But I have come up with some bottom creatures that have turned out pretty nice. They are very colorful with lots of legs and curly tails. The good thing about smallies is that if it's moving they think they need to kill it.

If you tie your own, think big and bright. Chartuese, purple, orange.....they can't resist bright things.

On top, just about anything that moves will draw a strike when they are in the mood.

Big and bright streamers fished through the middle.

On the bottom, large heavy crawfish patterns, big 5 inch sculpins and a worm pattern.

That's all you need. Well except some cooperation from the fish.

I'm ready to catch some smallmouth!!!!!

[hoglaw]

A sculpin pattern might be a good streamer to tie. I was dragging plastic worms through a hole above fisher's ford one day. I had picked up a few fish here and there. I looked down in the water and right next to me was a big fat sculpin sitting right next to my sandal. I scooped him up with a net and mouth-hooked him on an offset worm hook. First cast to the same spot I had been working with the worm and I see this big green monster come right to the surface and nail his butt. This bass was every bit of six pounds. Biggest largemouth I've seen from that pool (first long pool above the bridge at fisher's). He'd probably been dodging my worm.

[remi74]

Great info guys. I did get a couple of flies with rubber "grub" tails. Fishers Ford bridge is being abandoned by the county. Hope access remains available. I haven't been down there in a long time. Landed a few at another bridge Monday - tough fishing.