Bass fishing on the fly

[admin]

Lately, I have been doing a lot of bass fishing with the fly. I have decided that bass are just oversized bluegills. Taking a serious trip to catch bluegills always pays off, and bass are no different. Let's take a minute to think outside the box, into the water where they live.

There you are, a big fat largemouth bass. You didn't get this size by eating just everything. Just chasing down smaller fish and helpless bugs. Slowly cruising around, looking into every nook and cranny for any morsel of food. Day in, day out - always on the prowl. All of a sudden, something lands over to the left with a thundering splash. Rushing over to see what made this ruckus, you are underneath this object in record time. Studying it, watching it closely for any hint of life, you see it as a grasshopper, a dragonfly or a small bird perhaps. With the first movement, showing any signs of struggle, you will eat it. One kick of either leg and this will be dinner.

Now think with me, as the fisher, there were many things that lead you to that fish. Finding a good looking spot is pretty easy, but finding structure that will hold fish is not. I advise people who I take out all the time to watch the water first. See what kinds of things are going on under the surface. The little clues that the fish give away will improve your success every time. After finding a really good spot, definite fish holding water, then we come to how you will get your fly to the fish.

Casting is very critical to success. The first cast into likely holding water is the most important. Try to not let any of your false casts hit the water. Slowly add some line to lengthen your cast and just at the last second, stop the line very sharply. This will cause the fly to flip over very quickly and land with splash. Patience to not move that fly until all the rings subside is very difficult, but always rewarding. Often times I make that first cast and see nothing. Waiting, waiting.. and more excruciating waiting. One good tug, stripping in a little of the line can call fish from 10 feet away. Again, you must be patient.

After letting the rings disappear, you should impart some different technique to bring the fish in. Make a couple faster strips, almost swimming the fly in to you, fishing it all the way out of the water. Many times you will get strikes and hookups as you are just about to pull that fly out to recast. Watching the bass as it comes up and looks at your fly is the payoff. Getting it to hit your fly is the easy part. Just think of them as oversized bluegills.