Smallmouth!

[Project Healing Waters]

If I were only able to choose one fly for smallies, regardless of time of year, it would be a grey over white clouser with red eyes- lead or bead chain. My $.02

Agreed...if it were only one. The other suggestions are good too. But I prefer using a sink tip line or leader to get the fly down instead of heavy weighting of the fly itself. This allows the fly to "hop" along the bottom better. And with a slower retrieve rate and clearing waters, this can become a determining factor in enticing fish to strike.

Of course, a conehead or tungsten bead is a LOT cheaper than a sinking leader or sink-tip line and extra spool. But fooling that giant smallie out of that glarly hole...priceless!

[Danimal]

Here's some of my favorites. Dan-o

[Al Agnew]

I agree with Gavin, fall fishing is about the toughest of the year. And this fall is especially tough because my rivers are low and very clear. You need some fall rains to raise the rivers and put a bit of color in them before the fishing gets good.

I don't flyfish for smallies in the fall and winter, but if I did, one thing I would try would be a minnow-imitating streamer with some size, say 3-4 inches long, unweighted, but using a sinking or sink-tip line. What I'd want the fly to do is get down fairly deep, but sink VERY slowly on its own, so that it more or less suspended 4-6 feet deep. I'd fish it very slowly, with twitches and short slow strips with plenty of long pauses in between. What I'd want to do would be to imitate the presentation of a suspending jerkbait like a Rogue, Rapala Husky Jerk, or Lucky Craft Pointer. Suspending jerkbaits are a great choice when the water temps get down into the low 50s and high to mid 40s.

Another good fly choice would be a heavily weighted Woolybugger, or just a simple marabou streamer, fished slowly on the bottom...tying a heavy monofilament weed guard on the streamer would be a must.

[Guest]

t

[creek wader]

Siusaluki, I've never tried the float and fly. But, have read up on it, since your post. Seems like it would work on lakes, although I fish streams for smallies. I think, I'll order a few of the flies and see what I can do with them. ... Wader

[Chief Grey Bear]

I like to Carolina rig a Rebel or Rapala floating minnow. Tenn. shad is a geat color in the 3" and down size. Work it like a jig & pig. This is also a killer way to tout fish when they are holding in deep holes.