Fly Fishing

[bigbassin']

Seeing a report from a member on catching a pb on the fly rod, I figured it would be neat to start a thread on fly fishing for bass.

 

Who here targets bass on the buggy whip? Favorite flies? Pb on the fly rod?  What setups y'all using?  Any differences in the way you target bass on the fly vs conventional gear?

 

Basically I'm interested in hearing anything related to fly fishing y'all have to offer.

[MI.Kayaker]

Hatch 5+ Sage Motive 6

Hatch 7+ Scott Meridian 8

Love them both?

[Bluebasser86]

I'm not good at it, and I don't do it often, but I enjoy tossing a bug around once in awhile. My biggest was a 4.5lb largemouth on a small popper a long time ago. I just have a very cheap combo that I mostly chase bluegills with during the heat of the summer when they can be sight fished.

Also found out the lake I bought a lot on last year has an abundance of hungry grass carp, which are a blast on a fly rod.

 

[Turkey sandwich]

Anything on the fly rod is fun.  I fish mostly for trout and smallies with fly tackle.  I haven't really ventured into using them much for largemouth since I target them less often.  

 

I have a few;

 Orvis Recon 9' 8wt With a Cheeky Boost that I'll spool with either Orvis Smallmouth taper floating line, or Bank Shot sink tip.  (big streamers, mouse patterns, poppers, etc)

Sage VXP 9' 6wt with a Cabelas RLS+ spooled either with Sage forward taper floating line, or a fast full sinking line (It's a really versatile rod.  I can do everything from fish dries, to nymph or fish medium sized streamers)

Fenwick Aetos 4wt with an inexpensive Cabela's reel generally spooled with Rio Gold floating line (good for smaller streams and protects lighter tippets pretty well for a really fast action rod.  It gets used for the stealthier stuff, but can throw a size 8 wooly bugger than you'd think)

 

 

 

Once you get the feel for casting them, big streamers can be the most way you'll ever fish.

[Deleted account]

I only target bass with a fly rod when they are on bugs, specially dragon flies, but I catch quite a few when fly fishing for other things. They are a sucker for a black ant, or stone fly.  I use a 7 or 8 wt with the same trusty pfluegers I've owned for 30 years or more. PB on the fly is 6 lbs, on a 5/6 weight rod of all things. 

[GANGGREEN]

I've fished for smallies a bit on the Raystown Branch of the Juniata and some trout streams where bass also reside, but I'm far from an expert.  I'm using a 9' Sage 6-weight now and typically use a popper or something like a wooly bugger, but they'll bite most anything at the right time.  Streamers are obviously an option too.

[jbmaine]

Spent years with a fly rod, got out of it, but hope to get back into it this year. One of the things I like is fishing towards shore. Strip out line, make a cast, check your distance, strip more line and cast the exact distance again and again. 

       Fishing with a fly rod is a whole different kind of fun.

                                                                         Jim

[thinkingredneck]

I am one of those weirdos that basically started with a fly rod .  I don't like to fish sinking lines or heavy flies.  I like poppers, Wooly buggers and light clousers.  Love Bream on a fly rod.  My primary Bass rod is an 8 wt St Croix with a Pflugerville reel.  I have a 7 wt Bass Pro Shops with an Okuma reel,  a 9 wt Lamiglass with a Hardy, and a 10 wt Sage with an Okuma reel. (Salmon, Steelhead and heavy salt.  For panfishing and trout I have a Sage 3 wt with an Oris reel and a 5 wt  Loomis with a Ross reel.  I also have a Mike Clark Bamboo.  It is a sickness.

 

I only use poppers or flies that I have built or tied.  I can spin deer hair when in the mood and love the way it lands.  I love a Dahlberg diver.  Mostly I use foam for poppers, and tie a modified Bob's banqer and typical poppers.

 

I think a fly rod 1 thread is needed.  Maybe a fly fishing and or tying  forum on this site

[bigbassin']

For how popular a wooly bugger is, I haven't caught many bass on them.  I think my biggest bass on one was only about 1/2 pound as well so I've more or less stopped throwing them if I'm targeting bass.  They've landed me some really nice bluegill and shellcracker however.

13 hours ago, thinkingredneck said:

I only use poppers or flies that I have built or tied.  I can spin deer hair when in the mood and love the way it lands.  I love a Dahlberg diver.  Mostly I use foam for poppers, and tie a modified Bob's banqer and typical poppers.

Any pictures of your poppers?  I've more or less stopped fishing flies if I didn't tie them myself and I haven't learned how to work with poppers.  Definitely something I need to learn, I almost always fish streamers (clousers and shminnows are my go to) yet my three biggest all came off poppers.

On 3/10/2018 at 2:11 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

Also found out the lake I bought a lot on last year has an abundance of hungry grass carp, which are a blast on a fly rod.

 

What do you use when targeting carp?  I've tried wooly buggers and san juan worms on tailing fish and never had a hit.

[WdyCrankbait]

Good to see this thread up and running.  

 

I have about 5 rods for bass fly fishing.  I personally love me some smallie fly fishing for them.

 

Echo 3S 9' 8 weight, Taylor Array 1 reel

TFO 7 weight, with Allen Kraken III reel

Orvis Rocky Mountain 6 weight (from the 90s) two-piece rod, with an Orvis reel (cant remember the name)

[Bluebasser86]

1 hour ago, bigbassin' said:

What do you use when targeting carp?  I've tried wooly buggers and san juan worms on tailing fish and never had a hit.

I've had good luck with salmon egg patterns, I imagine because they look like dropping berries.

[thinkingredneck]

Never fished for carp.    Heard it is a blast on a fly rod.

[thinkingredneck]

On Sunday, March 11, 2018 at 9:18 AM, bigbassin' said:

 

Any pictures of your poppers?  I've more or less stopped fishing flies if I didn't tie them myself and I haven't learned how to work with poppers.  Definitely something I need to learn, I almost always fish streamers (clousers and shminnows are my go to) yet my three biggest all came off poppers.

 

[bigbassin']

On 3/11/2018 at 1:16 PM, Bluebasser86 said:

I've had good luck with salmon egg patterns, I imagine because they look like dropping berries.

Makes sense, I'll have to give them a try next time I try to fish for them.

 

 

A short fly fishing report (no pictures):

 

Took the 8 weight out today for a few hours, air temp in the upper 50's to lower 60's, post-frontal conditions.  Caught 5 total on a white shminnow with dumbbell eyes, steady slow strip was the key.  All in the 1-2 pound range, nothing too big but good for a quick midweek trip.

[desmobob]

On 3/11/2018 at 11:18 AM, bigbassin' said:

For how popular a wooly bugger is, I haven't caught many bass on them. 

 

The Wooly Bugger is my all-time favorite smallmouth fly, just ahead of the Clouser Minnow.  I fish them unweighted, lightly weighted (beadhead or lead wraps) or heavily weighted (cone head), tied in crayfish colors.  I guess you can't tie it large enough to make it a really good largemouth fly.

 

For them, I like bunny strip patterns for streamers and spun deer hair for poppers and divers.  Large Gurglers work pretty well, too.  

 

I keep an old Orvis 4-pc. HLS eight-weight rod and Battenkill disk-drag reel stashed on the boat so it's always handy.  I like various 6, 7, and 8 weight outfits for bass.  Before heading to Cape Cod for my annual fly fishing trip for stripers, I use my nine-weight (Orvis Trident/DXR reel) out on the lake to get tuned up.

 

Tight lines,

Bob

[WdyCrankbait]

Left Kreh passed away today.  Ugh, we lost a legend today!

[flyfisher]

I go in spurts when fishing for largemouth on the fly rod with my largest going 21" and chunky.  I almost exclusively go after smallmouth with the fly rod though.  Flatwater fly fishing gets boring to me too quickly unless I am fishing a lilly pad field, nothing better and you can finesse your way through the pads and get some monster blowups.

 

As far as tackle goes i have a sage 9' 7wt XP matched up with some sage reel and I have a Sage Bass II LM paired up with a Lamson Litespeed.  Both are awesome rods.  

As far as flies go I like anything that is big, meaty and made with rabbit, besides your normal poppers, frogs etc...

 

I also love targeting sunnies with my 3wt...total blast and non stop action on many occasions.

[bigbassin']

What flies do y'all like to tie with rabbit? Seen a few people mention that now, I don't know if I've heard anyone in Florida talk about it for anything besides tarpon.

[desmobob]

2 hours ago, WdyCrankbait said:

Left Kreh passed away today.  Ugh, we lost a legend today!

 

Oh no!  I'm sad to hear that.  RIP Mr. Kreh.

 

Tight lines,

Bob

9 minutes ago, bigbassin' said:

What flies do y'all like to tie with rabbit? Seen a few people mention that now, I don't know if I've heard anyone in Florida talk about it for anything besides tarpon.

 

Simple bunny strip streamers.  Bias cut rabbit strip to palmer on for the body and a long straight-cut strip for the tail.  They are pretty much the "rubber worm" of fly fishing.

 

Tight lines,

Bob