Flies for Smallmouth

[Darian]

Noticed that "Hairstacker" posted a beautiful bass (Gerbubble variation) bug on this site under photography. I'm a devotee of a fly with a green body (sponge or chenille) and white rubber legs (....no name spider??) in smaller sizes (#8 or #10) for Bluegill/sunfish and larger sizes (#4 or #6) for Bass. This fly is at its best in still waters. Have others but this is my go to fly.....

Anyone else have some interesting flies for smallmouth??

[Hairstacker]

Hi Darian,

Appreciate your comments! I'm curious about your chenille/white rubber leg fly -- I tied the Bully's Bluegill Spider below to try on bluegills. It has a chenille body and white rubber legs tied in at the head on a #10 Mustad 94840 wrapped with .020 lead wire. It was invented and named by Terry and Roxanne Wilson and featured in their book, "Bluegill.....Fly Fishing & Flies." They say it's their no. 1 big bluegill getter and they've tried a bunch. Is this like the fly you tie?

[David Lee]

It all boils down to season ......

Early season on our local creeks (April-June) will have Smallie the way we want him -STUPID AND HUNGRY ! That's the time to chuck #6 Clousers and high-stick #4-#8 black rubberleg Stonefly nymphs (no Stones in your creek ? That's o.k. , Bass eat 'em anyways ...)

Summer (mid-June thru mid Sept.) is fun and sometimes frustrating . Water is warm and clear , #6 beadhead Leechs are killers , as are most topwater flies . As Smallie gets worked over , try a #6 or #8 Dragonfly nymph -they will eat it when they won't touch anything else .

The end of the season (mid-Sept till close) is tough . I've found fishing a dark Clouser on the drop will get fish sometimes , as well as a #10 olive Birdnest . Now , go tye some flies ! David

[Darian]

Hairstacker,..... The fly in your picture is similar to mine but the body color is a darker green. I tried chartreuse without much success. The legs are tied in at the thorax and the body is then divided. (.....not sure that makes a lot of difference) Also, I tie in a short, divided tail of white rubber band. The sponge bodied version has no tail. I don't weight this fly at all. I fish the chenille bodied version on a sink tip line. Thread is the same color as the body. Very simple fly......

Oddly enough, this fly works in most places I've fished but, occasionally, there's a place where it won't draw a look from anything.

Sorry I don't have a photo of it.....

Here's a collection I like to toss...
1. Crawdads, crawdads, crawdads
2. Burk's Aggrivator Nymph
3. Dragonflies (nymphs and adults)
4. Clouser Minnow (tan/white or olive/brown)

I chase smallies in rivers and stillwaters. Great gamefish. Love 'em.
Cheers, Ken H.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Many use larger trout flies for them.

My friend Bob Long was working back east for a few years before he retired. He was fishing those eastern Smallmouth Rivers/Streams a lot. He tried lots of flies and his favortie ended up being the Steelhead natural Bomber dry fly which has a spun and clipped natural deer hair body.

Natually we would use something like a Clouser Minnow or weighted Crayfish fly in larger, deeper rivers. I know they eat crayfish and small fish.

Large rubber leg stonefly nyumphs are popular too.

Small/medium size light colored poppers in white, yellow or chartreuse are popular in the AM/PM or shade.

I think the the Marabou Muddler, Wooly Buggers and Leeches are very good too. Black, brown and shades of green/olive should work well.

I think finding a stetch of river with lots of Smallmouth might be more important than the actual flies to use.

[Hairstacker]

Hi Bill!

Curious about that "Steelhead natural Bomber dry fly" you mentioned -- is it like this one?