SMALLIES ON THE FLY

[WFF]

DOES ANYONE HAVE SOME ADVICE AS TO WHICH FLYS OR STREAMERS WORK THIS TIME OF YEAR FOR SMALLMOUTH? COLORS, SIZES?

------------------

[badcast]

Posted a reply to a similar quaestion on another board today, one of my favorite subjects. My number one fly is an olive wooly bugger with a little chrystal flash in the tail. I like to tie them #6.

My number one favorite way to catch them is on a muddler or zonker strip tied with no weight. Bang the bank and structure with it and then swing/splash/jerk it back in. If they're aggressive they'll whack it. I have minimal luck on topwaters for them on rivers but they will get after the streamers. Not as productive as probing the runs and eddies with a bugger but its fun to have them blast it.

[Cobra]

Would have to agree on the wooly buggers and muddlers, throw in some Mickey Finns or other bright/flashy type streamers and you have it pretty much covered. Have had some success later in the year, on top, using big crickets & hoppers and some big black ants.

[kroppe]

What about a casting bubble to cast a fly with spinning gear? Do any of you use flies to target smallies in this way?

[WFF]

THANKS FOR THE GREAT ADVICE GUYS!, AS FAR AS THE CASTING BUBBLE GOES, I WOULD BE SCARED A SMALLIE MAY DECIDE TO EAT THE BUBBLE INSTEAD OF YOUR FLY?

[Seldom]

A question for Badcast-
For many years I've fished deerhair bugs for largemouths (lakes) and just last year started fishing a local river for smallies. I caught some nice fish using a purple Zonker fished quartering upstream with a short jerky retreive and locally tied yellow/brown deerhair flies (they look like fat millers with heavy hackle) fished with the same technique but on the surface. Am I fishing the Zonker correctly and are the Buggers fished similarly?

[WEEZER]

White, white, white!!!!!! For some reason they just can't resist that color!! I'd try the maddonas, strip leech, Zonkers, and just about anyother streamer with a lot of movement.
Don't overlook a grasshopper or a deer hair beetle!! Last summer I caught a few nice largemouth on a Beettle pattern!! and I have done well on bronzebacks on the Rifle using a dave's hopper!
Anyways thanx for sparking my interest in smallies(I totally forgot them and I have a top notch river that isn't far away!!!)

[Seldom]

Thanks Weezer,
I've always had better luck with dark (black or purple)colors for largemouths through the years and I guess it sort of just carried over to the smallies. I fish the Chip. above M-30 and the Tit. above Midland.

[WEEZER]

Seldom, the Chip is the river that I plan on hitting for smallies, there is some great action there!! If you ever get the chance take a boat and head up to the Dow Dam!!! you wouldn't believe the amounts of trophy sized bronzebacks that frequent the water just below the culpher :) They are there all year long but most of them start to spread out after the spawn.(Which usually means that they are outta season, but hey if you are C&R there shouldn't be a problem)
~Rick

[Steve]

Guys check out this new book in our bookstore:

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/images/Books/flyfisher_guide.jpg

I just bought it and not only does it talk about all the coldwater fly fishing opportunities in the state, it gets into the warm water fly fishing opportunities as well on some of the same rivers you guys are talking about. You can buy it at http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/books.htm (http://www.michigan-sportsman.com) Just a small plug :)

[This message has been edited by Steve (edited 06-15-2000).]

[Seldom]

Hey Weezer,
I'm retired from Dow and a bunch of my friends/work buddies fish below the dam. They REALLY knock the devil out of the big smallies in the fall! I've seen the fish and I'm talking 4-6 lb'ers, 16"-20" and shaped like footballs (all catch/release). Most of the people I know fish with beetle spins, jig/minnow combos, & inline spinners. They tell of seeing schools of shiners or shad get pushed into shallow water right by their feet and watching big smallies come in slashing! I have never fished there myself but each to his own! It may sound strange butI just don't like rubbing shoulders regardless of the fantastic fishing.

Some of my friends would fish walleyes below the dam in the mornings before work, fillet their fish and freeze them in the plant. Then several times a year they would hire Pat& Jerry's restaurant to come bringing salads their portable fryer and fry up enough walleyes for a 20 man crew!!

GREAT LUCK to you when you go Weezer!!