I’m getting close

[fishinwrench]

30 minutes ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

I'm offering my services as a favor.  I don't want to invest a bunch time and money on materials for a mythical fly that is unproven.  Hence the sampler pack to verify effectiveness. 

The ones shown have already been proven to my satisfaction.  I'll send you a handful of culls....maybe you can make them work better than I could.  

Actually the "Game Changer" might get culled this year.  It's only true asset (over the others) is that it lasts forever and doesn't get torn apart.  If I could only have ONE streamer to last a whole weekend, that would be the one.

[fishinwrench]

The most famous Smallmouth fly in the world is a Clouser, but guess what?  

I don't catch Smallies on it worth a hoot.  Whites love it, but it just doesn't suit my style of river black bass fishing at all.  

[Flysmallie]

3 minutes ago, fishinwrench said:

The most famous Smallmouth fly in the world is a Clouser, but guess what?  

I think it's the most famous because people that don't have a clue always throw that fly out there as if to make themselves know what they are talking about. Whites? Yes. Salt? Yes. Smallmouth? Never even comes to mind. 

Maybe that's the reason that some people haven't had luck fly fishing for bass. They only use what's regurgitated to them over and over again. 

[moguy1973]

Mine is in my avatar picture. Came in at 21.5" and 4lb 8oz.  I've had a couple 18" fish other than that one that weighed about 3lbs but nothing else.

[Smalliebigs]

19 hours ago, Ham said:

Beautiful Fish ! I’ll purchase a Hawg Trough for Hero Shots. I want to always be honest with myself and others about the fish I am catching 

hahahahaha Ham you nail more fish than just about anyone I've ever seen but, I'm with you as sometimes it is good to know your estimations are on. I just know 19's are more common than I thought or I suck at getting 20's hahahaha

[tjm]

I like the looks of this one 

I think it was McLellan that sold me on Clousers years ago and the first time or  two I used them they did catch a lot of barely keepers, after that first week they worked about one time in twenty or thirty. they seem to do better with bead chain instead of bar bell eyes, but not  my go to either.

[snagged in outlet 3]

7 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

The most famous Smallmouth fly in the world is a Clouser, but guess what?  

I don't catch Smallies on it worth a hoot.  Whites love it, but it just doesn't suit my style of river black bass fishing at all.  

Come on man!   Just send s few over.  

I’ll take a picture of the fish with your fly in it’s mouth and do a nice write up.  😆

[Al Agnew]

While I fly fish exclusively for trout, I simply don't enjoy it for smallmouth.  Why?  Several reasons.  First and biggest is that my favorite way of fishing for river smallmouth is from a solo canoe.  It's just no fun to try to keep the canoe in position while also trying to cast, impart action to the fly, and keep track of stripped in line, etc.  I've tried it a bunch of times, but just don't enjoy dealing with those problems.  Sure, I could stop and fish good looking areas, but I just don't enjoy stopping and wading as much as I do staying in the canoe and continually drifting and casting.  Second reason--some of my best summertime smallmouth streams are very clear, and simply require longer casts than I can make consistently with a fly rod.  Three, at least 50% of the time in the summer I'm fishing walk the dog topwaters.  I have yet to find a "fly" that will do that walk.  Four, I simply enjoy the kind of rapid fire casting to targets I do all the time with casting tackle.

I've been meaning, however, to do some fly fishing from the jetboat.  I think that it could be very good on larger, murkier waters, using large "flies" and making those pinpoint casts to cover when the river is murky enough that you can get closer to the fish.

 

[fishinwrench]

1 hour ago, Al Agnew said:

Three, at least 50% of the time in the summer I'm fishing walk the dog topwaters.  I have yet to find a "fly" that will do that walk. 

It's called an "Airhead". 

Made with a product called "Slinky Fiber" and Shoe Goo.  

They are a tricky tie, but luckily very durable.   They walk like nobody's business, and they cast like a dream.   With some practice you can even throw a roll cast loop and walk them backwards, round the bend, then straight ahead.     Looks more like something to eat than any hard bait on the market.  Notice the loop knot, that's critical.

I hear ya about the fly-fishing from a canoe thing though.   I don't even try.  It's gotta be a Jon boat, drift boat, or wading.

[Ham]

6 hours ago, Smalliebigs said:

hahahahaha Ham you nail more fish than just about anyone I've ever seen but, I'm with you as sometimes it is good to know your estimations are on. I just know 19's are more common than I thought or I suck at getting 20's hahahaha

I’ve been measuring them all along, but usually in that measuring net or a Flat board. It will be good to have them mouth closed bumping the board and a clear look at their length. 

I catch fish. I always want to catch more. More time on the water = more fish = more big fish. 

Good Luck with the 20’s