Smallmouth flies!

[Alpabuck]

I plan to get into the warm water seen a bit more next summer and was wondering what the size range was on most smallmouth flies. I made two trips last summer on the Lehigh where I was targeting bass and it seemed like the only two flies I could catch fish on were size 8 olive buggers and small black poppers. Most fish I caught were under 10in was that a product fishing a smaller fly? I did catch one that was 16in and was alot of fun on the 5wt.

 

[afishinado]

For SMs in the bigger Rivers (Susky & Delaware) the average size bugger, Clouser, streamer, popper or slider is 4.

If the water is clear and/or the fish or persnickety, I may go a little smaller, and if it's higher and off color, maybe bigger. Let the fish decide.

SMB are are sometimes turned on (or off) by colors. Keep changing colors too until you find what they want.

Also keep changing presentations (drift, swing, strip, or burn it).

And while you're at it, keep changing the water type (fast water, slow, deep shallow).

Also change the levels you fish (top to bottom) until you find the right combo.

Finally, don't forget that most often SMB will relate to some sort of cover (rocks, logs weeds, etc).

 

[osprey]

I agree with the size info 4's mostly 8's at the small end , i'm not sure if the big fly big fish is true all the time but you need a 4 to really get ahold of 15 inchers consistent.

 

[jayL]

I use my larger trout streamers for bass.

 

[bam]

The same size 2 or 4 buggers I use for trout seem to work well on smallies where they share the same water... Yough, J, Lehigh. I should target them more myself. Never was a fan of the clouser/bucktail streamers. With the exception of a Mickey Finn, I can count the number of fish on one hand I caught using clouser style streamers.

 

[gfen]

IIRC, my streamers are generally 4 and 6. I have some 2s, and I have some 8s, but they're rarer.

I think the popper hooks I bought are only sz8 or maybe even 10, but they look significantly larger than the streamers.. If they're 8s, they'd seem more akin to being a sz4 hook or some sort of scale like that.

Sorry, not very helpful.

 

[j_man]

6's would be a good all round fly for on the smaller streams you will catch some of the youngsters and the big ones as well.

 

[Fredrick]

On small rivers I like to use a foxee minnow exclusively

 

[sandfly]

clouser crawfish sz. 1/0 or 2 on the "D" on the susky sz. 6-10
clouser minnow sz. 2-8 on both
shad patterns 2-8 "D"
helgies 2-8 both rivers
bmfs fun fur minnows on all

same stuff but smaller for small streams.
Poppers all sizes, I like deer hair the best. except on small streams then a foam or cork in sz. 6-10

 

[brain]

poppers or sliders....i preffer the sliders for my little creek, and buggers in different colors and size is all you need. i try to get tricky some times, but the basics always work.