Go-to smallmouth flies

[ted4887]

While I get out and chase the occasional bass, pannie or northern, I really don't have much smallmouth knowledge aside from a few float trips in the BWCA and a few local rivers I had so much fun though that I would like to make them a regular target. If you had to list your top 3 flies for chasing smallmouth, what would they be? What colors do you find work best? Just looking to learn a bit, and would really like to tie a few flies larger than the normal 16-20's I've been on the last month or two.

 

[smalliesrule]

If I had to limit it to just 3 flies they would be
Chartruse Sneakey Pete
Brown and yellow Wooly Bugger- Beadhead or not
Chartrues over white, or blue over white Clouser Deep Minnow.

This past season though I had some great luck on a Kent's Stealth Bomber
and on as close to Dan's Crawfish as I could tie. He's much better at it than I am, but the smallies around here have never seen the real thing so I was able to fool a few on my butchered version.

Don't be afraid to go big.

Stan

 

[wt bash]

Muddler Minnow
Black bugger
Any type of popper (black)

 

[HuronRiverDan]

Popper (black or yellow), 3" white streamer, simple crayfish pattern; if I could only have three...

Dan

 

[bigjim5589]

I love fishing for Smallmouths! They're my favorite freshwater fish!

I've done well on a lot of different flies. For me, my primary "go to" flies depends on where I'm fishing, as I've fished some tiny streams & some large rivers for them, so I choose different types of flies for different water.

In smaller streams, I'll use a large stonefly nymph that I've done well with, a Clouser style leech pattern, or on the surface, foam bodied flies such as Triple Deckers, or Chernobyl Ants. The stonefly nymph is tied in size 2, and the pattern recipe is on my blog, the others are tied from size 6 to 2. I usually tie the stonefly nymph in black, or olive variations, but have tied it in other colors. The Clouser style leech is tied with Ostrich herl & some flash, very full, and usually in black. The flash I add is usually Flashabou or similar, in copper, bronze, and or black. ( I often mix the flash.) I may add some electric blue too sometimes, but only a couple of strands.

The foam flies are tied in hopper colors,(tans, browns, greens) white or black.

In larger waters, I'll use the above flies, but more on the larger size, plus Clouser Minnows, primarily in baitfish colors like olive & white, gray & white, black & white, plus chartreuse & white. I use Deceivers quite a bit too & in the same colors, and both of these in sizes from 4 up to 2/0 & 4-5" long. Smallmouths will eat the big flies!

Another pattern I really like is the Murdich Minnow, and in particular a variation that Joe Cornwall ties.(The pattern is described on the Fly Fish Ohio, Fly Fishing and Fly Tying Multimedia Magazine website. There's some other good patterns there as well!) Here's the direct link to the Murdich Minnow article: http://flyfishohio.com/Murdich_Minnow.htm

I also like a Sneaky Pete variation, and I make them in 3 colors, chartreuse, white & black. Except, I prefer splayed neck hackle tails on mine with some added flash, and all will have a black collar. I make them big too, from size 4 up to 2/0. I use straight shank worm hooks on a lot of my flies for bass!

 

[caseywise]

a few of my favs-
chartreuse sneaky pete
orange cone head rubberlegs bugger
chartreuse/white clouser


casey

 

[lancer09]

For a river: stick of dynamite
For a stream: half stick of dynamite
For a creek: quarter stick of dynamite

 

[ted4887]

Thanks for all of the insight here guys. Some good info has been posted already. The patterns listed, for the most part, are patterns I fished as well.


Lancer - Do you prefer to tie your sticks of dynamite with or without rubber legs? :army:

 

[lancer09]

With, scares the fish less.

 

[kibby]

I prefer to mold C4 into the shape of a minnow pattern.

 

[PikeFlyGuy]

I agree with most of the patterns, but my "go-to" fly in both lakes and rivers, is a deerhair popper: r/w, r/yel, blk/yel, and natural. I tie it, usually on #2 - 4, somewhat like a diver, but with a bigger collar. The plus is that the fish don't reject it as quickly. The con is that they sometime take it too deep. Another great (although seemingly unlikely) top-water pattern is the "Madame X" dry fly, in #4 or #6. I find smallies will often come to the top, even if holding in 5 - 6' of water, and nothing is more exciting.

 

[Rip Tide]

I mentioned the is in another thread recently, but the Clouser crippled minnow is just about my favorite smallmouth fly.
It may look like a Dahlberg Diver but it's fished dead drift on the surface with an occasional twitch so as to appear as a dying bait.
Floating on the head and collar, with the marabou tail fluttering below

 

[bigjim5589]

pikeflyguy2, good post! I also like deerhair bugs, and have a box full of them, but really don't use them enough. The only exception is Dahlberg Divers, I use them.

I got away from the bugs because they'll waterlog after awhile, and other materials just float longer without adding floatant. You're right though, they will hold on to them.

Another great (although seemingly unlikely) top-water pattern is the "Madame X" dry fly, in #4 or #6.

I've found that most of the big western style dry flies work well on Smallmouths. They're not usually very particular, and agree that anything on top is more fun than below.

But again, I prefer the patterns tied with foam, primarily because they float longer without floatant, something I don't usually carry with me because I don't fish with standard dry flies much at all.

I recall seeing a Madam X version that is tied with a foam body, so would certainly use it! I've got some big western Salmonfly (adult Stonefly) dry flies in my Smallmouth boxes, but really don't even know what the pattern is called. They have a foam body, a cut foam material wing, rubber legs, hackle & some deer or elk hair in the wing. I bought a few to copy, because they looked like they would work well as Smallmouth flies!

I also like some of the big flies that the Steelhead & Salmon guys use. Intruders & MOAL type flies in particular. Smallmouths will eat them as readily as "standard" Bass flies, sometimes even better because in the places I fish, I doubt they see such flies. (No Steelhead or Salmon in MD streams!)

I expect that would be the case in many other Smallmouth streams around the country as well.

 

[trouthound13]

Try the Bronze Goddess that was in the Fall Fly Tyer for subsurface. Been fishing that fly for 5 years for smallies( and everything else) all over the midwest. Easy to make and I have literally caught thousands of fish with it.

 

[Guest1]

Black Marabou Leech, Clouser Minnow, Funny Bunny Emerald Shiner.

 

[stl_geoff]

Dan, I absolutly LOVE those fire tiger clousers you tie!! I need to make me some of them, or trade you for some

 

[Guest1]

Thanks! Pike really like the Fire Tiger ones too. I've noticed that Smallies also seem to like the clousers with hot pink in them.

I do a glow in the dark version I get Walleyes on to.

 

[ted4887]

A lot of great advice in this thread! I appreciate all the insight everyone has added so far. I'll give as many of these flies a try as I possibly can next year. Unfortunately, I have about 5 months until I'll be able to give these patterns a decent try on the water.

 

[stl_geoff]

A lot of great advice in this thread! I appreciate all the insight everyone has added so far. I'll give as many of these flies a try as I possibly can next year. Unfortunately, I have about 5 months until I'll be able to give these patterns a decent try on the water.

Same boat im in, I need to start tying now. I need to tye some Near Nuff Crayfish, those seem to work well. I had a big smallie last year on a Big nasty which is a stonefly/crawdad/dead thing looking fly.

 

[jhammer]

Rust brown woolly buggers for me. Black also works well for me too. unk: