What's your favorite? Decided to make bass my "project/obsession" for the year so starting to fill up my fly box
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What's your favorite? Decided to make bass my "project/obsession" for the year so starting to fill up my fly box
Only flies I really throw out there are those hard or semi hard foam poppers. A Clouser for subsurface but these days I don't waste time with a fly rod if they're not eating on top.
Captain Kevin Doran told us that May was his favorite Top Water month for LMB in the Delta.
https://www.google.com/search?q=capt...id:U1Y0wmSr0Tg
Most use the Umpqua 'Swimming Frog' and the Umpqua 'Swimming Baitfish'.
Both are kind of like a Dalberg Diver.
Captain Andy Guibord spent a lot of time with KD in the Delta after LMB and can teach you many of his top-water subtleties.
I will ask Steve Potter what his favorite Delta top water hair bugs are.
Steve won the first ever "Bass-N-fly" in the Delta with hair bugs on top.
Before KD and others helped Jerry Siem develop the Sage Bass outfits he used a 9' #7 fly rod with a WF8F bass taper.
I think KD's simple leader was about 4 feet of 30# mono for the butt and 3 feet of 20# for the tippet.
KD liked "Russ Peak line dressing" for floating for his hair bugs.
Kevin said Umpqua used smaller (25#) size Mason clear hard mono for the weed guard than he preferred (30#).
Andy learned from KD how to "tune" the Umpqua factory hair bugs before using them.
They would get the weed guard exactly in line with the point of the hook.
Too bad we don't have a full set of videos about all aspects of KD's power system.
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Many of us were taught how to fly fish farm ponds from float tubes with hard-bodied poppers from Leo Gutterres of Stockton, CA.
Leo taught us to go down the shoreline and cast to the "edge" where the water hit up against anything like weeds, bank or wood.
We cast methodically about every 5 feet down the shoreline or weed edge.
Evenings seem to always be best, in the spring, summer and fall.
He taught us to not retrieve the bug but merely twitch it every 5 to 10 seconds then pick it up and cast down the bank about 5 feet.
Andy, Leo, Steve Potter and I only fish topwater for LMB.
Some where in my archives I have a video that I shot with KD and Ken Hanley. I also have a video that I shot of KD tying the KDM Rat Fly. When I fished with KD, I did more filming than fishing.
I can't say these are any good but I like them and they have caught fish. One on top, one a couple feet down and some deeper flies I am messing around with. If you want to fish topwater the most important thing to have is a good alarm clock.
http://i.imgur.com/mOyowQx.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/es53cL4.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/eSL7raT.jpg?1
Bill and crew...
Here's the link to the video I made with KD about his weedguard tips. Enjoy!
http://medialibrary.pacificextremes....ater.php?vid=6
Bill is always full of knowledge and it’s awesome he shares so readily! I’ll have to stop by the shop and get a sample swimming frog. Not sure my hair stacking is all that great but we will give it a shot
John- those flies look like they’ll hunt just fine!
Quote:
Originally Posted by k.hanley
Kevin was so far into the top water bass..........amazing.
Many were so lucky to have been able to fish with him.
After our first day on the Delta for top water bass with KD, Andy and I decide we knew almost nothing about this fishing.
This video about in-depth weed guards is such a gift to top water bass anglers.
Thanks so much Ken......
Quote:
Originally Posted by John H
That first one is about the same thing most anglers that I know fish with.
John, you are a top angler, top fly tier and top photographer.
Thanks........
Remember, KD said May was his favorite month for topwater LMB in the Delta.
Its been a long time but my go to fly on the delta was always a white and chartreuse clouser with a rattle. Top water? I would throw a pole dancer but my shoulder never did like it....
You're welcome Bill. 2 Thumbs up.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill Kiene semi-retired
Cheers
KD Mat Rat:
Attachment 18939
Attachment 18940