new to fly everything!

C

CAMBYSES

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Joined
Jan 27, 2007
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Hello all
I am new to the entire sport. I started fly fishing about a month ago and started tying about 2 weeks ago. I have tied about 15 flies, 5 of which are ok at best. I am mainly interested in small and large mouth flies and was wondering what hook sizes are used for these species. when I use spinning tackle I would use anything from a size 6 up to 3/0 for these fish. would it be the same for flies as well?


thanks

Bob
 
Sizes 8 up to 4 are probably all the bigger you need for MSB. You may go garger for LMB but I don't see the need. I catch a lot of both on just various colors of wooley buggers but poppers and leech patters are great too. Foam poppers are probably the hardest of either to tie so you shuold be able to put together a decent box in a short period of time.
 
Bob Clouser just released a fantastic book called Flyfishing for Smallmouth Bass in Rivers and Streams. It's a fantastic resource for you and should answer a bunch of questions in short order.

His most famous fly the Clouser Deep Minnow fishes well from 4 to 1/0, but it is tough to cast. Actually, casting any fly big enough to temp a smallmouth is going to be kind of rough.

The Clouser Floating Minnow is a really good slider. I find sliders work much better than poppers in low, clear water. The same sizes should work well.

Wooleybuggers are an excellent fly also. Try them in white, chartruese, brown (for crayfish) and black (for hellgremites and after dark).
 
thank you both for your posts. I have been tying poppers alot mainly because I like top water fishing more than anything I can think of :)

where can this book be purchased? Amazon? or does Clouser Have a website. if so I would rather buy direct so that the money will go to B. Clouser and not a third party seller.

thanks again

Bob
 
If you're interested in fishing mainly for bass thats perfectly fine. However, don't limit yourself. Flyfishing is so versitile. I've caught bass on hoppers, buggers, and streamers but there's so much more to it. Do your research and have fun with it. If you're like I am, once you get started you won't stop and you'll be broadening your horizon to different methods, flies, and species of fish than you intended. Have fun with it... as long as you're doing that nothing else matters.
 
CAMBYSES wrote:
thank you both for your posts. I have been tying poppers alot mainly because I like top water fishing more than anything I can think of :)

where can this book be purchased? Amazon? or does Clouser Have a website. if so I would rather buy direct so that the money will go to B. Clouser and not a third party seller.

thanks again

Bob
Click to expand...


You can get the book on Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Fly-Fishing-Smallmouth-Bob-Clouser/dp/0811701735/ref=sr_1_2/102-0303413-1859361?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1173307949&sr=8-2

Clouser's website is here:
http://www.clouserflyfishing.com/
 
I generally tie my bass flies on hooks from size 6 to 4/0. I still tend to think in inches, so I'd say my bait fish patterns range from 2 to 5 inches long. For the local creeks, I like them 3 to 3 1/2 inches long. My Wooly Bugger equivalents go up to 6 inches long.
I tie my poppers, sliders, crease flies and gurglers, on the same size hooks. They run from 2 to 5 inches in overall length. For local creeks, I like in the 2 1/2 inch to 3 1/2 inch range.
 
thank you all for the replies.

I have been fishing for trout since early february on Ridley creek, with limited success, but I am gearing up for the smallies this spring and I can hardly wait to get out on the Brandywine and hook into my first on a fly rod. I have been an avid bass fisherman for about 7 years now and this will be my first season with a fly. I have to say Im very excited.

Thanks again

Bob
 
Just don't use that big old bass fisherman YANK to set the hook or you'll go thru flies like crazy and maybe bust your rod. Its more of a firm lift. Just keep pressure and he'll stay on.
 
CAMBYSES wrote:
thank you all for the replies.

I have been fishing for trout since early february on Ridley creek, with limited success, but I am gearing up for the smallies this spring and I can hardly wait to get out on the Brandywine and hook into my first on a fly rod. I have been an avid bass fisherman for about 7 years now and this will be my first season with a fly. I have to say Im very excited.


Don’t forget about the Schuykill River for smallies. It’s right up the road from you, and smallmouths are everywhere in the River. You can’t go wrong from Valley Forge Park north, all the way to Reading. The park is close to where you live. Drive through VF Park on the main road (Rt. 23). A mile or so after you pass through the Park make a right on Ferry Lane. Follow that for a ½ mile to the end, and make a right on Pawlings Road. Go over the bridge crossing the River and you will see a parking area on the right. Park there and fish up or down stream. Most people don’t realize that the park is on both sides of the Schuykill.

Don’t give up on trout, they’re fun too, and the best fishing is coming up in the next few months. I usually don’t fish for smallies until sometime in June.

You shouldn’t need more than a couple of poppers and some wooly buggers to get into some fish.

Good luck….I’m getting excited too with the weather forecast!
Click to expand...
 
Afishiando,
Thank you for the directions, I fish the Schuykill heavily near Birdsboro, which is where I used to live and I fish it in West Conshohocken off of Barr Harbor Rd, But I didnt know there was an access point right after the park.

Hopefully I can get out on monday morning and test out some of the flies I tied. I want to see how they will float and present. Throwing them in the sink or tub doesnt quite give me the proper idea of how they will act.

Thanks again
Bob
 
Bob,

It may be a little early to expect to catch smallmouths on the surface. The water temperature is still in the 30’s. I know you love smallmouths, but I wouldn’t expect much action for them until the water warms a little. I you do go, try weighted wooly buggers fished slow near the bottom.

You may want to try Ridley again in the DH section for trout. The warmer weather (and the fact it was recently stocked) should increase your success rate. Try wooly buggers for them too, in smaller sizes.

Good luck. Let us know how you make out.
 
afishinado,
Can Ridley be fished now, or is it off limits until the 31st? I really wanted to get out this week.

Bob
 
Bob:
You can fish Ridley now, but only the Fly Fishing section. Though it will probably be crowded if the weather is nice tomorrow. You might be better off going during the week if you can. As already mentioned, it was just stocked and is loaded with dumb, hungry fish.
 
I will be going out monday and tuesday morning to try my hand at some trout

Thanks for the info

Bob
 
Bob,

As Philly said the special regulation area of Ridley is open year round. This is the discription from the PFBC site:

Ridley Creek - Catch and Release Fly-Fishing Only - 0.6 mile; From falls in Ridley Creek State Park downstream to mouth of Dismal Run.

Give it a try....good luck.
 
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