Chasing Smallies

[Gavin]

There is no right or wrong way to fish for them...Bigger, Deeper, Slower certainly does work at times...and big fish eat topwater or mid-water at times too....I tend to stick with topwater when I fly fish for them because that is what a fly rod can do well. As for fly selection..

Topwater:

Gaine's Sneaky Pete Chartruese in size 2..fish it on smooth current, dead drift most often...Dont know why but they crush it...maybe an occassional twitch..but it seems to be best w/o much action most of the time...Hit the shadelines or add a wire weedguard and toss it back into snags and crawl it out.

My Blockhead Pattern: Size 1/0...same as above

Greg Coffey's Coffey Grinder...fish that in chop or at night and rip it.

Mid water:Pearl Sparkleminnow 3-4" long, Shenk's or a lightly weighted muddler 3-5" long

Bottom: Brown, Olive, Gold, and Black Sparkleminnows 3-4" long.

A couple examples...

[duckydoty]

I dont normally target the small mouth, but I sure have a hard time keeping them off my line while chasing the white bass. Seems like every year I'll catch 2 or 3 of them on the long rod that are pushing 4 pounds along with several that are 14 inches or smaller. I usually catch them using a 12 ft. sinking leader on clousers late March and early April. Have not spent a summer here in 5 years, or else I would probably target them more.

[LittleRedFisherman]

I personally like a Maribou Jig under an indicator on my flyrod, my flyfising experience is limited compared to most of you on here probably, I've just got into it the past few years, but I've tried different things, and I can take my TFO to a river rigged with that and catch some fish.

[Al Agnew]

I think the key to Ron's approach, and why mine is different, is because of the waters we tend to fish most often. On bigger rivers like the Current and Meramec, surface fishing is not an everyday, all day thing. Why? Because these rivers are simply too pressured and the bass that used to come up to surface stuff all day have all been caught! Ron has noted before on here that he catches a lot more fish out of the Current from places where all the guys in the jetboats can't or won't fish...the out of the way, in the strongest current pockets that aren't easy to fish. I know from my own limited experiences on Current River that's the case, and the Meramec and middle Gasconade are similar.

But in the smaller streams I usually fish in the summer, I catch my biggest bass on or near the surface, and I catch them all day long. Yeah, there are times when the surface stuff doesn't work and you have to slow down and fish on the bottom, but most days I catch all the fish I want and never have to fish something on the bottom. Probably there are two reasons for this...one is that in the smaller streams, the fish simply are almost always within a few feet of the surface, so they are within easy reach of surface lures. The other is that these streams aren't fished as heavily, and the fish are simply more aggressive and willing.

I've played around with retrieves with surface bugs and streamers, and what I suspect is that even the typical "active" retrieves used by fly fishermen aren't the best for smallmouth. Take the typical stripping retrieve of a streamer. Picture what that streamer is doing. It's darting forward a foot or so (depending on the length of the strip) while rising a bit, then sinking on the pause. Most minnows don't swim like that. And...most conventional lures don't move like that, either. "Swimming" lures wobble and move steadily. If they are floater-divers, they rise if you pause your retrieve. Not that that is a good thing necessarily, but floater-divers are proven producers. And I figured out a long time ago that the best way to fish one of the closest things to a streamer you can use on spinning tackle, a marabou jig, is to swim it on a more or less steady retrieve. You simply can't do a long, steady retrieve with a fly rod.

And conventional surface lures for smallmouth are different from most fly rod surface lures, as well. Two of the things typical of good smallie topwaters are a walk the dog action, or propellers churning the water. Few smallmouth flies have either feature.

So the typical stripping retrieve may not be all that effective on smallmouth. I use a lot more rod tip manipulation of the flies rather than just strips.

I'm going to experiment a lot more this year with a couple of streamer ideas. One is a suspending streamer. I want a streamer that will sink VERY slowly on the pause, will remain in a horizontal position when it is paused, and will stay just under the surface on the retrieve. I think I'll have to devise something with some floating foam in the body. I think I can figure out how to weight it so it will not only sink very slowly, almost remaining suspended, but with the weight placed so that rod twitches or very short, sharp strips will make it walk the dog after a fashion. That's the goal, anyway.

The second streamer idea is one that has worked decently in the past...a curly tail streamer. I've made curly tails out of chamois material with deer hair bodies. I want to experiment with this idea some more, including the shape of the tails and profile of the body. With this one, I want to retrieve it in very long strips combined with rod sweeps so that it will steadily move four feet or more before I have to pause it to take up more line.

[Trout Commander]

I couldn't disagree more. And I can't believe a guy that is supposed to have your kind of experience would even put something like this on here. It only makes me question your abilities.

But he is a guide, dude. Leave him alone.

[Smalliebigs]

I couldn't disagree more. And I can't believe a guy that is supposed to have your kind of experience would even put something like this on here. It only makes me question your abilities.

LOL......Ron, I don't think I would be to worried about an MFU member questioning your abilities and I really do like your response...........The Unit knows all and is wise........ha

[ColdWaterFshr]

I don't know about you guys, but spring is practically here, its supposed to be 73 today, and to heck with troutsies for another 8 months, I'm already to start hitting creeks for smallmouth.

[bferg]

Won't claim to be a pro but I love chasing smallies with my fly rod. I generally agree that deeper is better for larger fish but at the same time top water is too fun not to throw. So, I carry two spools with me for my 6wt. An intermediate line and a floating line. I usually start with a floating line and a pop'er early in the day. Then I switch to my intermediate line and throw clousers and crazy crawls. Honestly, I think you only need 3 or 4 types of flies. This year I am playing around with these sculpin helmets too (http://flymenfishingcompany.org/products/fish-skull%E2%84%A2-products/sculpin-helmet/). I agree with Ron though: for fly fishing deep is relative. I try to find places where I can get a decent size fly onto the bottom with my intermediate line so that is generally smallerish size creeks and the upper end of rivers. But...there are still some decent fish in those areas. Also agree with Ron that fly fishing for smallies is about an overall experience in nature- not just size/numbers of fish. (Not that spin fisherman don't appreciate these things) There is just something awesome about being on a remote and quiet stream, throwing a fly you tied for a fish you love that is awesome no matter what happens.

[Wayne SW/MO]

LOL......Ron, I don't think I would be to worried about an MFU member questioning your abilities and I really do like your response...........The Unit knows all and is wise........ha

Thank you Smalliebigs, the acknowledgment is appreciated.

[MoSportsmen]

I enjoy tying my own jigs and flys, just never have loved fly fishing. I like it, after all it is fishing. Been tying up some squirrel tail jigs in anticipation of my trip this summer. Looking forward to the thrill of home made achievement with the spinning rod.

Speaking of Squirrel tail......Has anyone ever sent Mepps squirrel tails? What is the return? One Mepps spinner per tail? One for Five? Always have saved my squirrel tails but I have never sent them in, usually end up pitching them or loosing them before I get it together and send them.