Flymen Blog
Bass like to party, which is what makes them the most chased game fish in the United States.
Aggressive eats, jumps, and willingness to eat on the surface make bass a fun fish to chase, especially on the fly. Personally, I think the topwater takes are where it’s at in bass fly fishing. Part of the fun is getting the fish to eat what you want it to eat.
If you’re set on getting bass to eat on the surface and it’s not working, before you give up and switch over to fishing a streamer, try dialing it back first. That’s where the topwater finesse comes into play.
Vote on Your Favorite Fly for a Chance to Win Prizes From Some of Your Favorite Brands
6 Prizes = 6 Chances For You To Win!
Over the last 6 weeks, fly tyers around the world submitted flies to the #FlymenFlyTyingFreeForAll2019 which we put on with Howler Brothers, Loon Outdoors, Rep Your Water, Taylor Fly Fishing, Cortland Line, Kona Fishing Products, and Hareline Dubbin to challenge fly tyers to push the limits of fly tying.
The Flymen team chose a winner each week, and now it's up to YOU to decide the final grand prize winners and have the chance to win the same 6 prizes that the finalists will win!
- Taylor Fly Fishing Revolution Z Fly Reel ($479 value) + Cortland Line $100 credit for products of your choice and 1 spool of Top Secret Tippet ($20 value). $599 total prize value!
- Flymen Fishing Co. $100 credit for products of your choice + Kona hook assortment ($50 value)
- Howler Bros. $100 credit for apparel of your choice
- Loon Outdoors $100 credit for products of your choice
- Hareline $100 credit for materials of your choice
- Rep Your Water $50 credit for apparel of your choice
Fly #1
Jeff Thompson (@jeff_picz). Sculpin tied with the Fish-Skull Articulated Fish-Spine and Living Eyes.
Fly #2
@madflyentist. Articulated Craft Fur Mice using Surface Seducer Double Barrel popper bodies, Dragon Eyes, and Popper Hooks.
Fly #3
John Michael (@tribtribefly). Dragon of the North tied using the Surface Seducer Howitzer baitfish popper head.
Fly #4
Christian Miles (@focus_on_fishing). 2/0 streamers tied with the Fish-Skull Fish-Mask and Living Eyes.
Fly #5
@cochs_flies. Squid tied with Fish-Skull Big Game Articulated Shanks and a Surface Seducer Double Barrel popper and slider body.
Fly #6
Tradd Little (@traddsflies). Stonefly Nymph using a Nymph-Head Evolution Stonefly tungsten beadhead.
Everyone Can Use a Few Good Crawfish Patterns in Their Fly Box
The thing with crawfish fly patterns is you tend to lose them in the rocks faster than you can tie some of the intricate flies that imitate these bottom-dwellers. The Fish-Skull CrawBody on the Sparkle Craw makes tying a crawfish imitation foolproof and fast.
But what is a Crawfish pattern if it doesn't get to the bottom? The Fish-Skull Shrimp & Cray Tail gets the Sparkle Craw to the bottom in no time.
Fly Recipe
- Hook: Kona Nymph Streamer 2XL (NS2), size #6
- Tail: Fish-Skull Shrimp & Cray Tail, medium
- Under Body: Ice Dub
- Antennae: Magnum Sili Legs
- Under Antennae: Fish-Skull Faux Bucktail
- Rib: Mono
- Over Body: Fish-Skull CrawBody, large
Learn To Tie Chase Howard’s Extended Body Drake, a Nymph With Movement That Is Out of This World
Dead drifting this fly into a swing works flawlessly as the Nymph-Head Evolution tungsten beadhead will get the fly deep quick, and as the fly swings, the Wiggle-Tail Shank offers tons of extra movement.
The weight of the bead isn't a compromise for realism as the Evolution Mayfly Swimmer & Burrower tungsten beadhead is molded after the common mayfly swimmer and burrower head profile – oval, elongated, and gracefully curved at the front but flattened at the back near the thorax with prominent, egg-shaped eyes.
We hope you enjoy tying and fishing this fly!
Fly Recipe
Rear
- Rear Shank: Nymph-Head Wiggle-Tail Shank
- Tail: Pheasant Tail
- Wing Case: Pheasant Tail
- Body: Rabbit/Synthetic Dubbing Blend
Front
- Hook: Kona Terrestrial Nymph Dry (TND), size #10
- Bead: Nymph-Head Evolution Mayfly Swimmer & Burrower tungsten beadhead, large, brown
- Connection to Tail Shank: Fluorocarbon Tippet, 2X
- Tail: Soft Hackle
- Wing Case 1: Pheasant Tail
- Body: Rabbit/Synthetic Dubbing Blend
- Legs: Soft Hackle Fibers
- Wing Case 2: Pheasant Tail
- Body: Rabbit/Synthetic Dubbing Blend
- Legs: Soft Hackle Fibers
- Collar: Rabbit/Synthetic Dubbing Blend
As I pull back on the oars my eyes settle on a small current break with nice holding water and some overhead cover.
It’s a solid spot that has produced many times throughout my years as a fly fishing guide.
I relay the information to my clients, and what happens next is...
A) The client lands the fly an inch off the shore, lets it sit for a couple seconds, strips, pauses, and the smallmouth eats the fly.
B) The fly lands 3 feet off the shore, well short of the current break, and the client fishes the fly back to cast again.
C) The client false casts so many times that the fly is never given a chance to catch a fish, even with me frantically pulling on the oars trying to hold the spot.
D) The fly lands in the spot but is quickly stripped well out of position, the fish chases and turns off.
E) The fly lands an inch off the shore, the client lets it sit for a couple seconds, strips, pauses, but no one is home and hungry today.
The following 3 tips will help make option A more likely of a situation for you on your next smallmouth fishing trip.