Frustration Relieved.

[flytyer57]

Why don't you just use a spinning rod instead, when the indians found guns they threw away the bow and arrows.

Hmmmm...

I wonder how many would give up bow hunting season just because the white mans thunder sticks are better.

[Al Agnew]

As somebody who has caught a lot of smallies on casting and spinning tackle and a lot of trout on flies--and some smallies on the fly rod when I can bring myself to use it--I'm getting more and more convinced that the average streamer or popping bug doesn't have enough action, and the normal stripping technique is one of the least effective retrieves for smallmouth. If the fish are feeding down to where you can easily catch a lot of smallies on various streamers fished slow and deep (gotta have some weight on them) either dead drifted or fished pretty much like a jig. In fact, some guys I know use small tubes on the fly rod.

But if the fish are active, aggressive, and feeding up, you will do best with lures or flies with action over and above what you impart by stripping. Picture the normal stripping technique and what the average streamer does when you do it...it "swims" smoothly and straight the length of your strip, probably also rising, and pauses and starts to sink between strips. That is not a really good trigger to the fish's predatory instincts, in my opinion. For whatever reason, the fish seem to like steady "swimming" lures without pauses, but with "interruptions". When I'm retrieving, for instance, a spinnerbait, if I pause it and it starts to sink I seldom catch fish unless I let it sink down next to a log or rock. But if I retrieve it steadily with just a hard twitch now and then to interrupt the steady motion but without a real pause, the twitch is a great trigger. The other thing that's a great trigger is a change in direction. And of course, the best triggers on surface and near surface lures are the sound of prop baits, and the walking motion of walk-the-dog lures. And crankbaits wobble.

So...adapt this to the fly rod as much as possible. Instead of strips that move the streamer 6 inches to a foot or more, do long, sweeping rod motions combined with a long strip to move the fly three feet or more, adding in a twitch or two of the rod tip in the middle of it or "wiggle" the rod while sweeping so that the streamer is jiggling and vibrating a bit as it moves. Or try twitching the rod tip as you make a really long, smooth strip. You're wanting that something extra that serves as the trigger.

I've tried to come up with streamer designs that more closely mimic the lures I use. I have caught some decent fish on a lightly weighted streamer with a bushy chartreuse and white body made of cross cut rabbit strips, with a tail made of white chamois that I cut into a curly tail shape. It looks just like my homemade twin spin body with curly tail grub--minus the spinner blades. It works very well with the long, sweeping stripping technique which gives the tail time to do a lot of swimming. Another one I'm starting to like is an articulated streamer I picked up out in Montana for fishing on the Big Hole River. It's kinda like a double wooly bugger, with a "head" that looks like the body of a bugger with no hook, attached by heavy braid to a body and tail like another bugger. In other words, a "jointed" wooly bugger. It works well with the twitching technique, but I think I can probably figure out a way to design one that wobbles a bit more on the sweeping strip. I also think that for bass the hook should be in the head portion.

I also tied up some streamers with rabbit fur bodies and long tails made of two cross cut rabbit strips glued together, skin to skin. The fur coming sideways off the skin on both sides wobbles as you strip them smoothly. I haven't yet given them a really good try, but have caught a couple fish on them.

Oddly enough, some of the best smallies I've caught on the fly rod have come on panfish poppers while they were sitting still. It drives me nuts to fish them that slowly, but it works. Just let it sit or drift with the current like a dry fly, with the occasional very subtle twitch that does just enough to make some rings appear around the fly. And mend! Smallies don't much like a fly being affected by the current pulling your line, just like trout. In fact, I've seldom caught bass by "popping" a popper. Letting it sit and then barely twitching it in place seems to work much better. My Montana and Missouri fly fishing buddies caught several decent smallies on cicada imitations fished just like an ordinary dry fly, even though there were very few cicadas happening where we were fishing.

I'm also going to experiment with some streamers with built-in "lips" that make them wobble and dive, but will suspend when at rest. And some fairly long, stiff-bodies streamers with a little weight in the middle to try to come up with a good walk-the-dog streamer. That is, if I can make myself actually get serious about fishing for smallies with the fly rod. My biggest problem is that it's more difficult to fish the fly rod when fishing solo in the canoe.

[Mitch f]

Hmmmm...

I wonder how many would give up bow hunting season just because the white mans thunder sticks are better.

So you admit that spinning gear is better and more effective for smallmouth.

Please come on the float trip and show me how to fish a fly rod

[Nolan_Whaley]

I have elected to fish streams with my fly rod this year, trying for smallies on the fly. I think you can catch more fish on spinning/casting gear, and it's probably a lot easier. However, catching fish on a fly rod is just plain fun. I'm trying to learn the techniques required, and i'd say the learning curve is a lot steeper than for casting gear. A sink tip line is a must, which is one of my first lessons. If you don't want to change your fly line, i bought some Orvis add on sink tips, and they work pretty well. I think AirFlo makes some as well. I've tried split shot, and with the chunky rocks that you need to fish, they just seem to hang up

I also think that if you fish for trout, and then change to bass, it's a completely different mind set. For trout, you are trying for the perfect dead drift and constantly mending line, and this doesn't work for bass. Also fishing more up stream and floating back to you. I've found better luck casting across, and really quartering downstream.. let it set it a bit, then strip. I think Al's thoughts are golden, and highlight the major challenges on the fly. A few lessons.. i've yet to catch anything of size.. maybe by the end of summer.

[Flysmallie]

I need to come up with a gitzit pattern.

Like this?

Here's a link to the pattern.

Neal Osborn - Tube Jig Fly

Dano, my best advise for you is to not fish with spin fishermen.

It's a tough gig, catching smallmouth on a fly rod. But if you have the fly rod bug it's very rewarding. Yes other methods are more "effective" for those that are trying to catch the most or the biggest, but at this point I just want to catch something and enjoy the time outside. I would agree with Al on several things. It's hard to impart much action on a streamer so it's not even close to the same as a crankbait or spinnerbait. But there are small things you can do to increase your chances. I'm to the point that I don't really like to dredge the bottom for them, but in the past I have done pretty good on a worm pattern. But I mostly fished it like a carolina rig on the fly rod. It's a bit tricky to cast, more of a lob. Most of the smallmouth fishing I do is on the top. And the most productive fly I have used for that is a gurgler. And don't be afraid to let it sit and wait, just don't take your eyes off of it.

[flytyer57]

So you admit that spinning gear is better and more effective for smallmouth.

Please come on the float trip and show me how to fish a fly rod

Yes, I do catch more smallies using my spinning rods and lures.

But I still like using the fly rod and feathers and fur tied to a hook.

Can't come on the float. Like I said in another post somewhere on this forum, I have $30 in the bank and $375 in bills that need to be paid. I'd love to go on this float with you guys, but I really can't afford to drive up there.

If you want to come down here sometime, I'd be more than happy to show you how I use a fly rod to catch smallies.

[flytyer57]

And the most productive fly I have used for that is a gurgler. And don't be afraid to let it sit and wait, just don't take your eyes off of it.

The best fly I have used for smallies is a white gurgler. It's usually the first fly I tie on when smallie fishing. Then comes the woolybugger and then a clouser. I have others I use, but these three have been my top producers.

[Trout Commander]

Like this?

I just found that fly and website via TFM a couple hours ago. Once you get a bunch of those tied up give me some of them.

[Danoinark]

Like this?

Dano, my best advise for you is to not fish with spin fishermen.

Ronnie, excellent. Now I think that dude would work. Here is one that appears to be a simpler tie.

http://www.warmwaterflytyer.com/patterns6.asp?page=16

[rps]

I have seen Purina Fish Chow flies. I have seen fish guts flies. Now flies to imitate a piece of plastic. Who said fly fishing was dull?