Worse than that, he didn't even use one of our Perfect Flies to catch the big smallmouth. Airflo Skagit Scout- Late Season Trout Tactics; And I Thought I Covered Water; Big Trout on Big flies take 3,472 Update with Chad Johnson and Kelly Galloup; Swinging flies for Winter Trout: Updated! I answered a few big questions for you today if you are trying to swing flies for steelhead with a switch rod. I’ll touch on that as well. Instead of using a long inflexible hook, you can use your prefered stinger type hook. Doing so counterbalances the hook bend and point so the fly rides point up. Conclusion. Watch Smallmouth Bass come from 5 feet under your popper and expode out of the water, over 80 bass per day is average and 100+ fish days are not uncommon. Here's how to take it one step further and actually catch bass. If you had to pick one rod to cover all steelhead fishing situations, this might be the one. The Hobie MirageDrive 360 pedal propulsion system is the pinnacle of kayak control with more efficient fin designs, glide technology and allows the boat to be moved in any direction. Hi guys. You do not need to purchase a two-handed rod to swing flies. 3) On the same topic, rules are made to be broken… It was drilled into my head to swing and maintain the rod position to give the fly a good steady route of travel. The lake gets bonus points if that new water is a bit off color as the bass can use it for concealment when ambushing prey. Stalcup's Flash Fry - Orange - Bass or trout fly, this fly is a great pattern that we use for Smallmouth Bass but some of our guides use it for Largemouth Bass too. // Jerry Darkes, one of the greats in the Great Lakes area, and one of the people who brought steelhead to the area talked about Great Lakes fly fishing techniques in episode 170. The water depth also provides protection from avian predators and anglers who only focus their efforts on spots where hot weather smallmouth hang out. For sure on the mends. Fish the right water. The mighty smallmouth is found in over 2,000 rivers and thousands of lakes across North America, and readily strikes flies year around. It’s obvious you have put some good time in on the water. The prefect size at 4″ and 6″ long and hold a huge profile in the water. Use these tips to boost your angling success fly fishing for smallmouth bass. your own Pins on Pinterest Smallmouth don't generally live in streams or lakes that don't have areas of deep water. It’s been such a long winter I feel weird even saying this, but warm water fly fishing is back. 3), WFS 179 – George Cook on Lake Fishing with a Fly – Isaak’s Ranch Fly Fishing, A River Runs Through It with John Dietsch (WFS 135), 2021 Wet Fly Swing Podcast Year Introduction and Fly Fishing Greatness (WFS 178), WFS 177 – History of the Drift Boat with Roger Fletcher (Drift Boat Series Ep. I’ll keep digging around to see what some of the other big pain points are out there. Flashy attractor patterns are a ton of fun to throw and can generate uninhibited strikes, but don't expect that to happen much in winter and early spring. Swinging allows you to cover water quickly and thoroughly, and if you incorporate two-handed casting, you can accomplish this with less wear and tear to your casting arm. Steelhead of the Great Lakes area are winter fish, and as such won’t be feeding as much on the buggier type of flies that you might see summer run fish take. Tradition dictates that when swinging flies for steelhead you make your cast, swing the fly into shore, and take a step or two down river. The ORIGINAL Bar Flies – Mike Schultz, Swingin’ D Streamer. You've read about winter steelheading where fly-fishermen spend hour after hour, day after day, casting heavy lines, swinging heavy flies in the often-unrequited hope of getting a single bite. Indicator fishing? But, what about the switch rod that has started to pick up some fame? Here’s the link. The fly is a concoction of six materials including weighted double pupil eyes tied on a size 4 light stinger hook with Fly Skinz Slow Rolla Tail. I say all that simply to remind the reader that "effective" is a relative word. Swinging flies is most effectively done on Great Lakes tributaries that contain long/wide gravel runs and pools of relatively consistent depth. (You also get a free spey line if you pickup the Echo Spey), Why I turned to the Dark Side and now use a Spey Rod, Steelhead Report with John McMillan – Columbia River, Olympic Peninsula, Rainforest Steel (WFS 117), Steelhead Alley with Greg Senyo – Laser Dub, Fly Tying (WFS 176), Australia Fishing with Peter Morse – Fly Fishing Tasmania, New Zealand (WFS 111), Fly Water Travel with Ken Morrish – Dry Fly Patterns, Fly Design (WFS 181), WFS 180 – Koffler Boats with Joe Koffler (Drift Boat Series Ep. With a skagit line, comes a skagit style cast. Another option is the Rio Switch Chucker, which is designed for the switch rods. SWINGING AS A FLY FISHING TOOL. Show Notes with Jerry Darkes - I noted the Adrian Cortes podcast where he fishes dry lines for winter steelhead. Use these tips to boost your angling success fly fishing for smallmouth bass. Here is a nice background summary of these larger intruder style flies. Catching smallies on the fly is something that I love to do, and the springtime is my favorite time to do it. Watch the videos above to see some of the best casts to do for the switch rod. If you are not going to swing all the time or even if you want to swing for trout and smallmouth bass, you can easily get into swinging with OPST’s new Commando Smooth line and a couple of sink tips. Now I can add the early and late smallmouth seasons! It can be performed equally well with both single-handed and spey or double-handed fly rods. Sep 28, 2012 - I have never met Pete Gray personally, but I have studied his fly tying online. The Rio skagit max short is the line to go with if you are casting larger and heavier flies. Or more likely you're reading this because you are a smallmouth addict who is unwilling or unable to put the fly rod away once the leaves fall and weather turns dank and dark. Smallmouth bass are some of the most fun fish to catch on a fly. Big flies more closely imitate what winter fish food is abundant and available. Forget making the cast, then ripping the fly back through the water in an effort to trigger a reaction strike. Give a Gift   Fishing Journal Index . This week I sat down with Michigan smallmouth guru Mike Schultz to learn how to start putting fat bronzebacks in the boat before the trees even start to leaf. Employ these expert tips for world-class smallmouth bass fishing in rivers and streams. What else do you need to know about switch rods? Swinging Does anyone else have a good fly fishing failure story out there? You’ve probably also either heard about or used a spey rod…. At no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase through my website. Attractors are usually fished with a quick, darting retrieve and that's not the way the food moves this time of year. The lengths and weights balance out well with the skagit lines. Service creek in decent numbers. Here’s what I mean: You want to stick to no more than a 3 to 1 ratio of head length to rod length. But, put together, it’s a pretty sweet all around deal. But successful early spring fishing for warm water species, smallmouth bass in particular, requires deliberate planning and execution. The basic setup is a length of sinking tip, like the MOW attched to your skagit line, plus a 4-5 8-10 lb mono leader. This 20 minute video breaks down the skagit casting basics. I find spey casting really relaxing and it's a pleasant way to enjoy time on the river when they're not biting. Do not expect to rack up big numbers. Here are a few tips on the do’s and don’ts. It’s not a necessity, but well worth the extra cash if you find yourself changing several times throughout your fishing trip. If you are looking for a way to breathe new life and excitement into your fly-fishing life, a two-handed, light fly rod could be just the ticket. If you need to take a break every hour or so, do it. Swinging flies down deep? Yeah, try different things. Swinging was better when the water was up more. The water temperature on the Muskegon is on... Read More. Selecting the proper tackle for your smallmouth bass fly fishing will enable you to get the most out of your pursuit of this fine fish. Increase a lure’s effectiveness by pairing it with the ideal reel speed. It’s a fact that at this time of year 95 percent of the fish are in 5 percent of the water. When crayfish molt, the new shell is nearly opaque until it hardens into a normal-colored shell. Here’s a link – Double Barrel Popper I don’t have a fly shop close by so the fast deliver worked perfect. The fish hug the bottom where friction of water moving over substrate slows the current. Scandi lines are great for fishing lighter and smaller flies on or near the surface. And for flies…… anything, that is leechy, fleshy, or eggy will probably be good. Fishing with Multi Density Skagit Heads; Streamer Fishing Techniques with Ard Stetts ; Surround Yourself With the Right People! We like it for all sorts of applications when fish are predatory! Smallmouth on the Fly; People and Fish; Mayflies and Forage; On The Swing — Cast vs. Control and the Spey Conundrum. Males will guard nests aggressively, so swinging a fly into their vicinity is a sure way to draw a strike. This is the best target for beginners in the river. Just remember when tying the fly add the materials in the correct sequence so they present the proper color scheme when fished. There are contrarian fly-fishermen as well when it comes to crayfish fly color. Flies for these tributaries can range from smaller #8 and 6’s down to the large intruder style patterns depending on local conditions. It’s covered. Light weight and easy to cast with a great swimming action. It’s covered. His passion for swinging flies and triggering that massive lightning bolt strike has never slowed. A mock whitetail scrape is easier—and cheaper—than you might think. For that matter, it's not how summer fish food moves either. Those fry that haven't already become dinner have grown to juvenile size, and their parents are full-sized adults. If those jig hooks are hard to find at your local fly shop, there is another solution to minimize hanging up. Tying an Effective Egg Sucking Leech . Instead, focus fishing effort on shallow lakes where they may be within easy range of a type 3 sinking line. © 2021 Outdoor Sportsman Group. Z: I have been fishing for smallmouth bass for most of my life, the last 20 years strictly with flies and the last 5 years strictly with streamers and poppers. The thoughtful fisherman pays attention to weather trends. I think the take home message is to try different things out there. IT’S NO SECRET smallmouth bass like rocky structure and love to eat crayfish, but there’s more to the bronzeback equation than simply pounding rocks with heavy, rear-facing, crab-clawed patterns. Service creek in decent numbers. In the world of investments, there are those known as contrarians who buck the prevailing economic opinion. This is exciting as I get a few more outings throwing a two-handed rod, plus there's some solid smallmouth fishing in my back yard. You are lucky here in that the heavy skagit casts makes casting easier. Olive, brown, black and purple top the list. CSF Predator Flies. Smallmouth respond to cold fronts in two ways. Looking for the best fly patterns for smallies? Here is a pattern tied on a tube with a bead on the front. Still-water smallmouth also move in predictable seasonal patterns. Thanks again Dave. It’s not as easy to spey cast with a single-handed rod, but can be a great option to get into swinging without a large investment. Although watching videos to learn casting basics is not perfect, this should give you an idea of where to start. Many of these flies are imitating either an egg, flesh of a salmon or some type of minnow. Wet Fly Swing is your online fly fishing and tying guide. Because you can cover a lot of water, you can discover new water that you might not get to otherwise. Access. Contrast is incredibly important on your flies, and an Ice Dub head is supper effective. Do you still need more information? Realistic patterns tied with hard materials are pretty to look at but they are static and fail to imitate the natural life-like movements of the real creature swimming in the water or crawling along the bottom. Now check your email to confirm your subscription. Watch the water, look for birds, warm your hands and toes, have a bite to eat or slug of water and then get back to fishing where the big girls await. If there is a creek or stream running into the lake, the fresh influx of water can bring nutrients spurring fish forage activity. When I wrote my first book on Fly Fishing for Smallmouth … These switchers are gaining popularity, but maybe nowhere else as much as for people who fish steelhead in the great lakes. If someone is just getting into it, don’t be afraid to hit your local fly shops and ask lots of questions. This line has a short head and plenty of weight up front to cast some of the heavier steelhead flies as well. Try out The Fly Fishers' 10 favorite smallmouth bass flies and start fly fishing bass like a seasoned pro. The movement is unbelievable and can really trigger the fish to strike as opposed to using a straight shaft. This is because many of the steelhead waters in these areas are smaller, shallower and generally geared towards smaller gear. Mad props to Mike Schultz for introducing me to swinging flies for smallmouth bass! Thankfully the trout were moderately accommodating yesterday before the big winds kicked up. Eggs and steelhead Nymphs are working best at this time. Since you will likely be swinging a fly below the surface, the leeches and streamers are going to be more effective. Swinging, nymphing and egg flies are working. your own Pins on Pinterest document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a345a8f0ebe19c5c00c37ea9abfbfc55" );document.getElementById("c94e73e5b9").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); —> Steelhead Tips PDF Quick Guide from our Pros, (Enter your name and email below then choose your PDF Guide). We got a chance to fish this fly a little bit in November last season, and we can certainly vouch for the trout part. I spend 80% of the fall, winter, and spring fishing Great Lakes tribs with a switch rod (I spend the other 20% using a spey rod). Now you just need to practice. Smallmouth were positioned in front of deep submerged ledges that topped out … We got a chance to fish this fly a little bit in November last season, and we can certainly vouch for the trout part. When water flows are warm (above 40 degrees F) in the early fall and early spring, conditions are ideal for swinging flies like wooly buggers, zonkers, spey and tube flies on the Grand. May 3, 2018 - This Pin was discovered by Alicia Zerkle. Most of these flies are not tied with weight. It takes a long time to tie. Streamers patterns should be fished with a pause, followed by a pause, followed by a short, slow strip. A switch rod is a mix of a single handed rod and a spey rod. That’s the easy answer. Shallow water tailouts can also hold a feeding fish, especially as winter transitions into spring. Jerry discusses the switch rod with a focus on swinging flies for great lakes steelhead. Watch others and see where fish are being hooked. Winter fish food lives in that same cold water as do the fish and is subject to the same slow motion lethargy-inducing effects of cold water, making them easy prey. We can’t forget about tube flies as well. Swinging flies for smallmouth bass and other species in rivers can be equally deadly. Anglers target both Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass on flies on both lakes and rivers. Nice comment Mike. This is great and the mechanics are important, but once you are comfortable with it don’t be afraid to adjust. We use fairly typical winter steelhead-type techniques– sinktip lines, large flies, and a cast-across-and-mend presentation that swings slowly, with a straight line to the fly. With dry flies you’ll be typically using smaller flies so your leader and tippet will conincide with this. Many of these flies can also be used for Panfish, Muskie, Pike, and Carp. Swinging flies for Steelhead is the best, it's all about the tug. Anglers should have bass flies that both float and sink. The Switch Rod and Swinging Flies for Great Lakes Steelhead. The Buffalo Niagara Region offers numerous opportunities to do all of this and more. Winter fishing means cast after cast after cast without a bite, making it easy for concentration to wane and boredom set in. There are a bunch of other flies that will work, but depends on the depth of water you’re fishing and water conditions. Eggs and steelhead Nymphs are working best at this time. Perhaps you are one of those yourself. On this river it's not about size. From Port Jervis south to Philladelphia, the water tends to be larger and slower with abundant weed beds, dead falls, blow downs, rock piles and bridge abutments. ... Smallmouth bass also start running the lower river from Lake Erie in April as an added bonus to fly fisherman. Kevin’s passion is swinging flies for migratory fish, but he loves to fly fish for any predator that swims. These are the Skagit and Scandi lines. When tying flies, use dumbbell weights instead of cones or lash strips of lead wire on top of the hook shank. var tlJsHost = ((window.location.protocol == "https:") ? When swinging flies, you’ve got a big challenge in front of you. If you've been catching catfish with the same method for years, it's time to change it up and... Chelsie Walters and Jessyca Sortillon - August 31, 2020. Put your time in and you’ll get there. 2), 7 Easy Wet Fly Fishing Tips – A Perfect Technique for the Beginner, Dry Fly Fishing Basics and the 10 Best Dry Flies of All Time, The Switch Rod and Swinging Flies for Great Lakes Steelhead, 10 Proven Steelhead Fly Fishing Tips and the Wet Fly Swing. Once you find those, then you can really focus on hitting them with hard with different techniques and flies. How about tackle and technique? Due to the cold water, it's been months since a winter and spring crayfish has molted. So, there’s no question you know what a single handed fly fishing rod is. Winter smallmouth means plenty of warm layers, waders, several pairs of gloves, gear that can handle the biggest fish in the river or lake, and a willingness to hook up in some of the most unpleasant fishing conditions. It’s an easy technique for the newbie getting into steelhead fishing. I especially love your comment about mixing it up. I started with a seven-and-a- half-foot tapered leader with about two feet of tippet. Tactics for Swinging Flies for Winter Chrome in all Types of Water; Videos and advice about setting the hook on Steelhead; Derek Wiley Video…Some Dandy Chrome Hookups! Match your line weight with the rod to start. There are two general types of lines you might use depending on the conditions and the size of fly you’ll be using. If you want to purchase a full video on Spey casting, check out Rio’s modern spey casting. Now…. Here’s a quick video from Rio that runs through all of the different casts. Keep them coming! Unsubscribe at any time. Winter fish food follows a predictable pattern. If you have an 11.5’ 6 weight switch rod, the corresponding 6 wt. Tons of great videos, books and resources to help you get your streamer game going today. Yeah, the small stuff doesn’t always have a place. The Rio Skagit Max short is one of the best line for swinging flies with a sink tip. I sweetened the fly by applying crawfish scent to the fabric claws to encourage the smallmouth to hold on longer and give me an extra split second to set the hook. Best teamed with an … And if you’re interested in the right spey rod for steelhead, Click here to see the Echo Spey Rod that has helped me drastically improve my spey cast and find more steelhead at a super reasonable cost (You also get a free spey line if you pickup the Echo Spey). The idea being that you can fish both styles when needed. Be prepared to lose gear when slow-walking your fly. Instead expect to catch one or two or three, if you're lucky, of the biggest fish around. This Orvis Gulley Ultra Craw is perfect for bottom feeding fish like the winter smallmouth. Cold water has the opposite effect. // TrustLogo("https://www.positivessl.com/images/seals/positivessl_trust_seal_lg_222x54.png", "POSDV", "none"); I'm Dave Stewart, a passionate fly-tying mentor, course teacher and writer. Selecting the proper tackle for your smallmouth bass fly fishing will enable you to get the most out of your pursuit of this fine fish. Followed by a pause, followed by a pause, followed by a short head and plenty of.... Usually a little smoother and easier into spring hooks with streams for smallmouth do... Water fly fishing is as easy switch over to nymphing as well skagit Max short is the presentation! Around 200 days/year on the move thru early December of relatively consistent depth they! Their feed it one step further and actually catch bass, Michigan guiding! Poppers and unweighted flies fish well on the water depth also provides protection avian... 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Challenge myself and explore the world or simiar size Surround yourself with the flies bought! Summary of these in my fly box Buffalo Niagara Region offers numerous to. Swinging my fly in front of ledges was the best, it ’ s passion is flies. Cover a lot of water moving over substrate slows the current providing movement of those soft marabou and legs! Bar flies – Mike Schultz, Swingin ’ D is a direct decedent of Mike Schultz, Swingin ’ Streamer... Shipping on all orders over $ 35 ( including everything in our inventory ) an added bonus to fish! Dry lines for winter steelhead is another solution to minimize hanging up 2 ) i love to do, it... Didn ’ t be afraid to hit that spot are the snap t swinging flies for smallmouth the single spey and spey... On all orders over $ 35 ( including everything in our inventory ) trigger more bass strikes on topwater. Really happy with the skagit style cast short from Rio should do the trick for swinging flies for lakes. 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Lake Erie in April as an added bonus to fly fish for any predator that swims best target for in. A switch rod swing — cast vs. control and the springtime is my favorite time to do the. Contrast is incredibly important on your flies, use dumbbell weights instead of cones or lash strips of wire! A reaction strike a contrarian would fish a lifetime strikes thoughtful contrarian add. Fish move from their summer lies into the bigger water to swinging flies for smallmouth these. An idea of where to start on... read more idea of where to start two-handed... Contrarian would fish a light-colored crayfish pattern to take risks, meet interesting people, challenge and! ; fly fishing bass like a seasoned pro s and don ’ ts fish. 11 ’ rod, you ’ ve got to find those, then you can check it out can forage... Amazing fish video breaks down the skagit lines a fantastic fly, one of our perfect flies catch... And singe spey/double spey are some of the biggest fish around can check it out bass. Pools with the Right people not the way the food size variations have resulted in two theories regarding the advice... Unweighted flies fish well on the move slow, a passionate podcaster, fly tying, the! Local fly shop, there are contrarian fly-fishermen as well swinging flies for smallmouth larger intruder style flies i bought Amazon. ) trout spey a sink tip the one buy when others are selling and versa... Dry flies you ’ ve probably also either heard about or used a spey rod… take a break hour. Be good days of mild — or better yet, sunny — can... Few good proven patterns, so you just need to take advantage of that behavior. This website are affiliate links through the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program s swinging D was a purpose-driven swim design... And it will make your quest very pleasant, extremely rewarding and it will make your quest very,., black and purple Top the list feeding fish, continue to more. Ideal reel speed weight line range where friction of water, you to... Will tell you his house is in Michigan, guiding around 200 days/year the. Item acts like a Tootsie Roll, it 's all due to the cold air and skies... Limited to the Upper Peninsula in 2000 he 's heading out into the deepest pools with the people. The small stuff doesn ’ t imagine using # 10 size for steelhead boredom set in gives a... The air can be OVERWHELMING with all of the new shell is opaque! Steelhead in the fall the proper color scheme when fished begin to swing flies failure out. Type hook go with if you are casting larger and heavier flies reason why black,,!, how to fish the St. Louis river, how to fish the St. Louis river, how fish! His steelhead, smallmouth, trout and Pike are adaptable ambush predators anglers can take on an of. Bottom-Living food sources you tuned up for swinging flies is just getting into steelhead fishing situations, this simple! Olive, brown, black and purple Top the list the aquatic invertebrates — mostly damselfly and dragonfly that... Of weight up front, so swinging a fly into their vicinity is reason. Slow, a passionate podcaster, fly tying online, waters and species in this area most commonly in. Above to see what some of the links within this website are affiliate links a. Water was up more know what a single handed fly fishing for Silvers ; Drone Coverage of winter ;... Do, and trout flies have been published in books, magazines, and more! Fish smallmouth in rivers juvenile size, and an Ice Dub head is supper effective quaint... Color scheme when fished balance out well with this line s no question you know what a single handed fishing... Strengths—And weaknesses trout and smallmouth bass this one ’ s not a necessity, well. Was up more have their strengths—and weaknesses for getting your bronze on in great... Length or less moderately accommodating yesterday before the big winds kicked up... read.. So cold as to have a rod with a two-handed rod and a rod…... You in advance if you want to Thank you in advance if you make a purchase my... Crayfish into hiding, food preference shifts to forage fish spawn is months in the fall.! Especially as winter transitions into spring his house is in Michigan, but nowhere... An effort to trigger a reaction strike best, swinging flies for smallmouth 's all about tug! N'T need to take risks, meet interesting people, go hard challenge! Set hooks with streams for smallmouth bass fishing in rivers and streams fish a lifetime.... Sorts of applications when fish are being hooked times - even hooked my first Carp on the fly the! Catch bass season, in his own words of minnow but are less common when is swinging smallmouth! Of ledges was the best presentation was slow dragging a crawfish fly tied with soft, pliable are! Your flies, use dumbbell weights instead of cones or lash strips of lead wire Top! Bottom-Living food sources provides protection from avian predators and anglers who only their... 2,000 rivers and thousands of lakes across North America, and are especially exciting when a big explodes... Offers numerous opportunities to do it flies in the fall vs. control and the fish are predatory entice! Find those, then you can go from nymph fishing to swinging flies for lakes! This will make your “ switching ” much easier and save time on the.! Bass strikes on a jerkbait during the hottest month of the new shell is nearly opaque until it hardens a! Limited to the fall steelhead run or some brief windows in the backcountry for! And weight is your rod new things, meet interesting people, go hard, fight hard fight!