Smallmouth Flies

[Shawn Joseph]

For those that have experience fishing for smallmouth on the Susky, what are your top ten flies to have? I’m just getting into it this year after being mainly a trout fly fisherman on and off for the last 20 years. Can’t wait to hear everyone’s responses.

Shawn

 

[poopdeck]

I don’t have ten. Clouser minnows, swimming nymphs, any cray fish pattern you like, any hopper pattern, white gurglers, poppers and a zonker.

 

[Fish Sticks]

For those that have experience fishing for smallmouth on the Susky, what are your top ten flies to have? I’m just getting into it this year after being mainly a trout fly fisherman on and off for the last 20 years. Can’t wait to hear everyone’s responses.

Shawn

Clousers
Wooly Buggers
Damsel fly nymphs
Game changers
Master splinters
Gurglers
Boogle bugs
Dalberg divers
In August have white fly conparaduns
Hellgramite patterns
Murdich minow
Damsel fly dries for low spooky water summer fish

 

[Fish Sticks]

Buggers in various sizes being best streamer or tight lined nymph pattern


Then this style diver being my best top water fly

And having some hexes in summer cant hurt

 

[troutbert]

Clouser Crayfish, Shenk White Minnow, Black Wooly Bugger for sub-surface.

White popper for the evening surface activity.

 

[jifigz]

Clouser cray, buggers, clouser minnow, murdich minnow, gurglers ........tis all you need.

 

[nymphingmaniac]

add mr wiggly to your arsenal.

 

[Shawn Joseph]

add mr wiggly to your arsenal.

Yes! I’ve seen that one on YouTube. Was planning to tie a whole bunch up.

 

[Striperbobby]

For those that have experience fishing for smallmouth on the Susky, what are your top ten flies to have? I’m just getting into it this year after being mainly a trout fly fisherman on and off for the last 20 years. Can’t wait to hear everyone’s responses.

Shawn

I grew up fishing the susky in Middletown. You don’t need 10 different flies you only need 3. Poppers when a hatch is going off and chartreuse and white clousers and a few clouser crayfish!

 

[Beweav]

What size are we talking about for the clouser minnows and crayfish? Most of the small mouth I’ve caught have been on something with zonker strips or marabou. I’ve been struggling to have much confidence in a clouser, but maybe I need to size up.

 

[lars]

shenks sculpins are good imitations for stonecats...smallies love stonecats

 

[jifigz]

I grew up fishing the susky in Middletown. You don’t need 10 different flies you only need 3. Poppers when a hatch is going off and chartreuse and white clousers and a few clouser crayfish!

I bet an olive over white clouser outfishes a chartreuse over white clouser.......easy-peazy

 

[NittanyBearcat]

You don’t need a vast selection of flies to consistently catch smallmouth. The last few times I have been out I took one small box that had clouser minnows and a crayfish pattern.

I fish a clouser minnow probably 90% of the time. They work consistently through out the different parts of the year, just match your depth and retrieve to where the fish are holding.

Clouser minnow
Crayfish pattern
Wooly bugger
Dahlburg diver
Popper

 

[NittanyBearcat]

What size are we talking about for the clouser minnows and crayfish? Most of the small mouth I’ve caught have been on something with zonker strips or marabou. I’ve been struggling to have much confidence in a clouser, but maybe I need to size up.

Most of my smallmouth Clousers I tie on a size 4 mustad 3366 with size small dumbbell eyes. Between 3-4 inches in length.

 

[dc410]

Most of my smallmouth Clousers I tie on a size 4 mustad 3366 with size small dumbbell eyes. Between 3-4 inches in length.

The Mustad 3366 is a really solid choice of hook for a Smallmouth pattern - for sure.

 

[Striperbobby]

I bet an olive over white clouser outfishes a chartreuse over white clouser.......easy-peazy

Lefty kreh once said any color clouser minnow will work as long as it’s chartreuse over white! Just saying! lol. I actually also like white over white with silver flash as my second choice. Red eyes too

 

[Solitariolupo]

Game changer

 

[Silent Ocelot]

Don't forget some nymphs too for those fast runs. I like stones and an Orvis pattern referred to as the "Fast Water Prince" in a size 12 and size 8. The rubber legs on the fly are particularly tempting for smallmouth. I think they think it is a small crawfish.

 

[Shawn Joseph]

Thanks for all of the replies. Much appreciated. I have a bunch of Clousers tied up already a bunch of chartreuse over white and brown over white. Need to tie up some all white and olive white. I bought a bugger barn box so I need to fill it up 😁! I’ll look up all flies mentioned and tie some up. Gonna float the north branch the weekend of the 20th. Looking forward to it. I’m about half way through Bob Clouser’s “Fly Fishing For Smallmouth” book. Bought it 3-4 years ago and it’s been sitting on my book shelf since then. Regret not reading it earlier. So much good information in it. Again, I appreciate everyone taking the time to reply.

Shawn

 

[Shawn Joseph]

Don't forget some nymphs too for those fast runs. I like stones and an Orvis pattern referred to as the "Fast Water Prince" in a size 12 and size 8. The rubber legs on the fly are particularly tempting for smallmouth. I think they think it is a small crawfish.

I’m a big prince nymph fan! I’ll definitely tie a bunch of them up for sure.