falcon
Well-known member
I need to book a float with Nick sometime in June when fishing slows on the Upper D. Smallmouth fishing is a lot of fun.
Smallmouth Lines
- Thread starter Schaefer406
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Silent Ocelot
Well-known member
My thoughts on using the intermediate line is that when fishing subsurface I like to decrease the angle of my rod tip to the fly. Theoretically that should aid in strike detection as well as hook sets, but since I hook set about as good as Helen Keller would, I can't say for sure that running intermediate lines has benefitted me that much.
I like the sink tip line idea too. I suppose you could also replicate the sink tip by attaching a poly leader to a floating or intermediate line. I like the idea of a sink tip or poly leader as I can toss my line over shallow areas and fish deep pockets without having to worry about the hang-ups a full sink line would have. Also with a floating line as a running line it is much easier to pick up and redirect casts. Throughout a day this will prove to be a massive benefit to covering a large chuck of water, which on a river like the Susky, will be paramount to catching fish.
I agree with @krayfish2 about using an intermediate line for surface presentations. I don't like the idea of using an int line with a surface presentation as there will be sag in the line. I like a direct connection to my flies. That's not to say you can't fish large surface presentation with an int line nor is it the first time I have heard someone doing this, it's just not the way I fish.
I do think the rod choice is important too. Don't know what 6wt OP has but if it's not a stiffer rod geared towards tossing streamers and firing a bunch of line, I would advise him to get a 6wt or larger rod better suited for the task at hand. My smallmouth rod of choice is my SAGE SALT HD 7wt 9ft. I find that saltwater rods are great as streamer/warmwater bassin' sticks. Why I like my SALT HD specifically is that it is a stiff rod that will pick up all the line on the water and put it right back down. The rod is also a good fish fighting tool and is beefed up in the bottom two sections. Saltwater rods are just great for the application at hand here, the difference being saltwater rods are typically used for tossing smaller flies and smallmouth flies are typically larger. A lot people think catching smallmouth on 7wt rods is no fun. You get one of those 18 inch puppies on a 7wt or 8wt and you'll still have a good fight, and be glad you have a bit more rod to take to the fish.
Since Nick was mentioned I actually had an encounter with him. I was checking my gear at a Wawa parking lot. I heard someone behind me tell me there weren't any fish in the parking lot. Thinking this was a typical passerby I turned around with a back-handed comment primed at the tip of my tongue to see who it was only to see a new Tacoma parked with a younger-looking man. Fly rods poked out of the back so I stifled my comment and made conversation. Turns out it was none other than Nick himself so we chatted for bit. Seemed like a cool dude with a lot of knowledge.
I like the sink tip line idea too. I suppose you could also replicate the sink tip by attaching a poly leader to a floating or intermediate line. I like the idea of a sink tip or poly leader as I can toss my line over shallow areas and fish deep pockets without having to worry about the hang-ups a full sink line would have. Also with a floating line as a running line it is much easier to pick up and redirect casts. Throughout a day this will prove to be a massive benefit to covering a large chuck of water, which on a river like the Susky, will be paramount to catching fish.
I agree with @krayfish2 about using an intermediate line for surface presentations. I don't like the idea of using an int line with a surface presentation as there will be sag in the line. I like a direct connection to my flies. That's not to say you can't fish large surface presentation with an int line nor is it the first time I have heard someone doing this, it's just not the way I fish.
I do think the rod choice is important too. Don't know what 6wt OP has but if it's not a stiffer rod geared towards tossing streamers and firing a bunch of line, I would advise him to get a 6wt or larger rod better suited for the task at hand. My smallmouth rod of choice is my SAGE SALT HD 7wt 9ft. I find that saltwater rods are great as streamer/warmwater bassin' sticks. Why I like my SALT HD specifically is that it is a stiff rod that will pick up all the line on the water and put it right back down. The rod is also a good fish fighting tool and is beefed up in the bottom two sections. Saltwater rods are just great for the application at hand here, the difference being saltwater rods are typically used for tossing smaller flies and smallmouth flies are typically larger. A lot people think catching smallmouth on 7wt rods is no fun. You get one of those 18 inch puppies on a 7wt or 8wt and you'll still have a good fight, and be glad you have a bit more rod to take to the fish.
Since Nick was mentioned I actually had an encounter with him. I was checking my gear at a Wawa parking lot. I heard someone behind me tell me there weren't any fish in the parking lot. Thinking this was a typical passerby I turned around with a back-handed comment primed at the tip of my tongue to see who it was only to see a new Tacoma parked with a younger-looking man. Fly rods poked out of the back so I stifled my comment and made conversation. Turns out it was none other than Nick himself so we chatted for bit. Seemed like a cool dude with a lot of knowledge.
Ocelot,
Fish rolled in the fly, just nicked him with the hook. I saw the entire thing unfold and think it would have been my best bass in several years.
Falcon,
Nick books up quickly and has put most of his focus during the week. If you do a weekend day, you might be with Jeff, Carl or me. If you don't want to go with me, I understand completely but I'm much less abrasive in person 😁.
Just need more of these this year!
Fish rolled in the fly, just nicked him with the hook. I saw the entire thing unfold and think it would have been my best bass in several years.
Falcon,
Nick books up quickly and has put most of his focus during the week. If you do a weekend day, you might be with Jeff, Carl or me. If you don't want to go with me, I understand completely but I'm much less abrasive in person 😁.
Just need more of these this year!
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falcon
Well-known member
I would be good with you Kray. I was not sure you were actively guiding, If I take another guy with me it would be a weekend as he is a trucker M - F. If by myself then I would prefer weekdays but don't mind a weekend day. Oh I don't have rabies and I'm easygoing.
Silent Ocelot
Well-known member
I'll roll with ya @falcon for a day trip with @krayfish2. Methinks with all three of us in the boat with a few beers in us should make for an entertaining trip to say the least.
Sounds good. Any of the guys are knowledgeable and handy on the oars. I'm guessing I'll see you on the upper D this spring. If you see the snow camo boat with Brittanys in it, give me a shout.
Guiding and insurance stuff prohibits me from partaking in adult beverages. I think I've brought one for each guy to crack open after the first fish. I've had guys show up with a 30 pack for a half day float 🤣🤣.
Now, when not guiding..... I'll have somewhere between 1-12 😁.
falcon
Well-known member
I don't drink alcohol when I fish especially when paying for a guide trip. At the Upper D campground we all fire up the grill and have cold beers or a stiff drink after fishing. Every now and then we get half crazy watching the campfire. My next door campground neighbors are cool and are all good fly fisherman. Stop in and have a cold one. Oxbow campground site 54 all the way in the back right side. 150ft from the river.
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Don't be surprised if I stop by 😂
JimKennedy
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2016
- Messages
- 329
For what it’s worth, my pick is level floating line, six to eight foot level leader (6 pound). Works great with surface bugs and streamers. Add a split shot or two if you need to get down.
I think smallmouth in the Susquehanna kind of like trout in big water except they are a little more aggressive and less leader shy.
Also, Ed Keller is a wonderful guide in the Rockville - Halifax area on the Susquehanna and Juniata. Mainly he’s a spinning rod guy, but if you know how to fly fish, he will put you on fish. Nice guy with excellent river knowledge.
Just my two cents.
I think smallmouth in the Susquehanna kind of like trout in big water except they are a little more aggressive and less leader shy.
Also, Ed Keller is a wonderful guide in the Rockville - Halifax area on the Susquehanna and Juniata. Mainly he’s a spinning rod guy, but if you know how to fly fish, he will put you on fish. Nice guy with excellent river knowledge.
Just my two cents.
I've caught a few thousand smallmouth on flies and have never gotten very technical. I use a 9' #6 rod for flies no larger than #4. I use a 9' #7 rod for flies #2 to #1/0. I use a floating line 90% of the time. I never go lighter than 1X tippet. I keep my leaders at 9'. Occasionally, particularly in the fall, I will use a sink tip line. I only use Clouser minnows and once in a while a crayfish.
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Nice chunk. The fish below were from mid November 2020.
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Loving those fly boxes Matt! Jealous
That was only half the Clouser collection. I bought that giant double sided fly box from the shop that used to be in Carlisle. This is the other half.
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JerryC
Active member
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2014
- Messages
- 526
I use a 9' 6 wgt for smallies. I have two spare spools for my reel. I'm set up with a WFF, an intermediate and a sink tip lines. For most river fishing I use the WFF with a furled leader and 6 to 8 foot 20 or 25 pound fluorocarbon tippet. There are some deeper holes on the creek I fish and I'll dredge them with the sink tip. Mainly I'll use the intermediate or sink tip when I'm fishing from a boat, depending on the depth of the water
DomR
Well-known member
Tell that to the crazies that tube, raft, and canoe from Barryville to Dingmans.
falcon
Well-known member
Actually it is only illegal to have alcohol in a glass container. We were stopped by the National Park Service floating the
Upper Main checking our license and were informed plastic or cans OK glass not OK .. must stay in cooler. We had water and Gatorade in plastic and one beer in a bottle. They can be a little goofy but that is what they said that day.
Upper Main checking our license and were informed plastic or cans OK glass not OK .. must stay in cooler. We had water and Gatorade in plastic and one beer in a bottle. They can be a little goofy but that is what they said that day.
I wasn't going to elaborate but I found that to be the case. Put in at Buck, caught fish on first 2 casts 75' from ramp. We celebrated by each cracking a beer and the national parks service came up to us in a canoe. They wanted to know who was guiding. That was their main concern. Just 3 dudes fishing together and all safety equipment was in order. They even posed for pictures with us. Told them there was a topless woman in the gray boat in the next pool down. It was our buddies. 😂😂😂😁
With that said, I've seen people going down river in a floating chase lounge, a guy with a rottweiler in a toy boat you'd see in a swimming pool and 4 truck inner tubes roped together. When we caught them at the ramp, PFBC was handing out tickets for unseaworthy vehicles and doing breathalyzer testing. All of them were trashed and cuffs were being applied. Not sure how some of them didn't drown.
In the last few years, seen a rash of fools trying to shoot riffs on stand up paddle board. You bump one thing and you'll do a header.... smashing your skull on a rock .
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