River Smallies Primer

[Danoinark]

After reading Bill B's excellent report on fishing for bronzebacks in the lakes it occurred to me that I seem to never know what I am doing when I fish for smallies in our streams. I for some reason can't figure out where they are holding, what to watch for, and never seem to pick the right fly or lure. I think in my case the few I do pick up is just luck and hit and miss. I would like for Bill B, Phil, FlySmallie and all of you other experienced stream bass fishermen to help get me and others like me get ready for some Spring action.

Dano

[fishinwrench]

I think the best piece of advise for smallies is : They'll bite a piece of plastic 50 times... before they'll bite hair and feathers. But if you just "have to" catch them on fly tackle a pine squirrel leech, a muddler on a sink-tip, or something on top is the way to go.

[Flysmallie]

That's funny that you bring this up now Dano. I have actually been working on a bit of a primer for smallmouth. It's based on my past couple of years of fishing the yarn worm and a couple of variations that I have come up with. I need to get some pictures to go with it and convert my writings over to the computer, but I'll probably have it done sometime this week. I would like for you and Phil to look at it before I just throw it on though.

Of course the best way for you to learn is just to go along on one of my adventures!!

[Guest]

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[hoglaw]

I primarily use the heaviest baitcasting gear I can get away with when fishing for smallmouth, but I have fly fished for them quite a few times. My favorite flies are crawfish patterns of all shapes and sizes, autumn splendors, and any sculpin pattern if the creek I'm fishing has sculpins, but a muddler would probably be productive regardless. My recent favorite is a wiggle minow that I get from McClellan's fly shop in Fayetteville. Not sure if that's a trade name, but it's a foam bodied topwater diving minnow that wiggles back and forth when you let it float back to the top. The wiggle minnow requires floating line, or a sink tip with a longer leader. Clousers can also be productive of course. When in doubt, however, I always come back to crawfish flies. In any event, I don't fish anything but streamers, and the occasional LARGE terrestrial (though these seem to be gobbled by bream and goggle-eye before anything else).

The main thing when flyfishing for smallmouth is patterning the bass since you can't probe the deep structure as well as you can with baitcasting gear. Sometimes, the tops of riffles seem to be the most productive with fish holding in inches of water, and you fish the swing like you would a soft hackle or bugger. Sometimes, it's the bottom of riffles with the fish holding in the deeper water. Any current break, upstream and down, is a key area.

If someone had a pretty good frog imitation that they could rip near the grass, I suppose that could be pretty dynamite as well.

[fly2fish]

I throw plastic baits on flyrods all the time in ponds and streams even on my 3 & 4 wts. I use a plain hook and not the lead head that usually comes with a pack of grubs. If I need weight I use the #6 & #8 split shot used for flys. The plastic crawfish are a lot cheaper than the tied patterns (less than a $1.00 for 4). I know the flyfishing purist bash me sometimes but I just like to catch fish on a fly rod.

[Flysmallie]

If someone had a pretty good frog imitation that they could rip near the grass, I suppose that could be pretty dynamite as well.

An STP frog works very well.

[Flysmallie]

The plastic crawfish are a lot cheaper than the tied patterns (less than a $1.00 for 4).

They may be cheaper at the cash register but on the stream a well tied crawfish pattern will outlast those 4 plastic lures by a long ways. And if you tie them yourself you have just saved a ton of money.

[Danoinark]

Of course the best way for you to learn is just to go along on one of my adventures!!

Now that's what I am talking about.....

[Gavin]

Hogjaw nailed the summer time pattern......When I fly fish for them I usually use a Gaine's Sneaky Pete, or a Sparkleminnow in Pearl or Crawfish colors (Browns, Olives, etc). If they wont come up, go down and get em...but be sure to switch back to topwater every once in awhile..dont want to miss the bite if they get on it. I also like to toss buzzbaits, flukes, and 4" plastics for them..usually a Chomper or a Zoom Fat Albert Grub in Green Pumpkin.