gfen wrote:
I'm really having problems with this, but its become a new passion for me... Come the weekends, I can't wait to hit the Lehigh down my way and try for smallmouth, but I just can't seem to really seal the deal.
[color=CC0000]Just how gently do these things take the fly?[/color] Today I've found a place that seems to have a great population, the water seems almost text book like. The main river area is a foot to three feet, very rocky. There's some heavily shaded deeper runs along one bank, 3'-4'+ deep pools before a piece of rapids, and then lots of seamed water afterwards.
I spent a few hours working it hard, but seemed to only have a few noticable takes. I'm fishing wooly bugggers like big wets, down-and-across, then the swing, a hang and a stripped retrive.
Nothing. Well, almost nothing. Seems a few smaller ones try to hit it half-heartedly on the retrive, but that's it. I can only assume I'm getting takes on the drift, but I never seem to see it?
Do they really take the fly that lightly? Going from the TV shows, you always see bass smashing the spin guy's lures, but I don't seem to ever get that... Is there a better way to catch takes that I'm not seeing, or is it that I'm just not deep enough?
I'm not above a day full of 6-8" smallies, and I can see them there, but I just don't seem to be getting them... Any hints?
If/When Whheff reads this, I know we talked about this a time or two, if you want to pick up some weekend, let me know...