Fly Fishing Smallmouth at its Best

If you like to fly fish for bass, especially smallmouth bass, this is it boys and girls. This is the best time of the year to fish top water particularly. There’s bugs all over, most of the rivers are clear and warm and the fish are looking up!

Recently we fished two days, back to back on the Mississippi. The conditions were not optimal as the water is not clear due to a summer of continued precipitation. However, it is clearing with 3 – 4 foot visibility. The first day the fishing was just OK, but not the continuous top water action we come to expect this time of year. We also had a young fellow with us who was throwing Chug Bugs and having trouble with solid hook-ups.

In the last several weeks we also did not connect with big fish. We couldn’t bread 16 inches.

The next day was different. Similar summer weather in the mid-70′s, but the fish were in a different mood altogether. You just never know from day to day.

The fish on the second day were going, pretty much all day. Solid top water action on poppers and foam hopper patterns. I didn’t keep track (we never do), but we caught a bunch of fish to nearly 20 inches.

I’ll be posting a video on the next posting showing some nice fish, caught on some groovy hopper patterns.