bass on the fly

Steve,

You don't say where you live now. I live in Northern Illinois, and fly fish
for everything that swims around here, which doesn't include many trout. For
the past 3 years, my largest bass of the year has come on the fly rod. There
are quite a few active fly rodders around here, but not as many as use other
methods.

I do tend to use heavy hardware a lot, but always have the fly rod handy
when I go out. On many a trip, the fly rod out produces the flippin' stick,
though I don't tend to throw 3X tippet into tree tops very often.

I actually got into fly fishing to target largemouth and smallies. A 4
pounder on a 5 wt is a blast! I don't target them with the fly rod, but have
caught a couple of walleye, one on a streamer, the other on a crawfish
pattern.

Don't give up the long rod, but you may have to buy a baitcaster if you want
to get invited to go fishing very often. If you're a loaner, just show them
your fish and tell the skeptics to shut up.

Mark


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I should have better introduced myself in the original post, thanks for
the responses so far, keep them coming

I have fished all over the world during my military career and really
found a passion for fly fishing. I believe a fly rodder can out fish a
bait caster in shallow water anytime. I believe we just have to learn
how and for me that's the fun and challenge. First of all let me tell
you that I live in Florida on Lake Istopokga, a great bass lake and
about 45 minutes from Lake Okeechobee. I have hundreds of smaller bodies
of water within minutes. I do not have a boat so I have been focusing
on the smaller bodies of water and canals. I use a 6 and 8 wt set-up
and poppers seem to be my mainstay. I use clousers and deceivers but
algae really fouls up wet flies.

I think the biggest problem is culture shock, coming from pristine
creeks and the tiniest of flies and leaders to these huge monstrosities
is almost like learning to fly fish again. I have learned that there is
very little written on fly fishing for Bass and what is, seems to be
basic and mainly focus at small mouth in gin clear streams. The books
written seem to be trout fishing technique thats super-sized, but I have
learned that largemouth fishing in still water it really is a different
style of fishing. The weeds algae and in many cases along the shores
competing with big old oak trees. My biggest problem is casting. The
wind can be a real bother when I am throwing a # 4 popper. With a back
wind the popper sails but when it is in my face I get no distance.

I like to fish for Bass, big bass are not a must but would be nice. I
land 1 - 3 lbs as normal I haven't weighed any but a 3 1/2 is probably
the largest I have landed. I don't mind bluegill or crappie either but
algae keeps me throwing poppers and for bluegill it's O.K. but crappie
don't hit them.

I have no local fly shops and the closest is about an hour drive. We
have no fly clubs and the local bass club does not allow fly rods in
tournaments. It's just a whole different animal fly fishing in central
Florida compared an outfitter on every corner and clubs sponsoring
clinics every weekend in Montana and Utah. The coast offers
opportunities but it is hard to find time to regularly visit.

Suggestions on equipment, casting and fly suggestions would be a great
start.

Well, I've been down this road on a little bet with some NC scoundrels
who waxed me good -- however, the fact that I was accompanied by one
of the said scoundrels might have influenced the results.

Largemouth feed on insects and often quite voraciously. We should
consider fishing for them as fly fishermen as well as ersatz gear
fishermen equipped with feathers. Leeches, dragonflies, damselflies,
and small streamers should all work fine. Standard bassbugs also work
but wind will defeat them unless . . . Standard streamers work just
fine (Deceivers or Clousers anyone?)

About gear, well, I'm shying away from single handed rods in almost
any situation where distance and wind is on the menu. I can cast
farther and with less effort using a two-hander. For largemouth, it's
often necessary to cast far over lillypads to get at the best lunkers.
I kept thinking while in NC, that if I had brought one of my two
handers with me, I could've sailed casts well into the salad, through
the wind, then used the long rod to keep the fly skipping across the
top of the pads and the fly line off of the salad. My Loop 8/9 tosses
a 35' Airflo 12 wt. shooting head over 100' on an overhead cast and it
can cast short as well. There isn't a bassbug in existence that it
can't cast. Nothing beats a two-hander for covering water.

On Monday, I'm going to hit the Grand for dropback steelies, resident
bows and browns, smallies, or whatever hits the fly, using my Loop
7/8. A few weeks back, I was whacking monster smallies using a big
Daiwa, while after steelhead. In all cases, I'm covering a lot of
water. There was damn near a gale blowing hen I was using the Daiwa
and I could still fish. Some of the smallies were taken in water that
was about 10' deep.

It's time to think a bit out of the box . . .

Peter

Hi Steve,

I have a small vacation home in Sebastian, FL now that is about 2 hours from
you.

You might put a WF9F 3M Mastery Bass line on you 8 weight rod and then put
on a Rio 7 1/2' 2x leader . This should help your 'bass bug/popper' casting
some.

For small poppers you could put a WF7F Bass line on you 6 weight rod.

Seems like the winter months is the big bass time in Florida?

--
Bill Kiene

Kiene's Fly Shop
Sacramento, CA, USA

Web site: www.kiene.com


"Steve Nyhan" wrote in message
link.net...

I should have better introduced myself in the original post, thanks for
the responses so far, keep them coming

I have fished all over the world during my military career and really
found a passion for fly fishing. I believe a fly rodder can out fish a
bait caster in shallow water anytime. I believe we just have to learn
how and for me that's the fun and challenge. First of all let me tell
you that I live in Florida on Lake Istopokga, a great bass lake and
about 45 minutes from Lake Okeechobee. I have hundreds of smaller bodies
of water within minutes. I do not have a boat so I have been focusing
on the smaller bodies of water and canals. I use a 6 and 8 wt set-up
and poppers seem to be my mainstay. I use clousers and deceivers but
algae really fouls up wet flies.

I think the biggest problem is culture shock, coming from pristine
creeks and the tiniest of flies and leaders to these huge monstrosities
is almost like learning to fly fish again. I have learned that there is
very little written on fly fishing for Bass and what is, seems to be
basic and mainly focus at small mouth in gin clear streams. The books
written seem to be trout fishing technique thats super-sized, but I have
learned that largemouth fishing in still water it really is a different
style of fishing. The weeds algae and in many cases along the shores
competing with big old oak trees. My biggest problem is casting. The
wind can be a real bother when I am throwing a # 4 popper. With a back
wind the popper sails but when it is in my face I get no distance.

I like to fish for Bass, big bass are not a must but would be nice. I
land 1 - 3 lbs as normal I haven't weighed any but a 3 1/2 is probably
the largest I have landed. I don't mind bluegill or crappie either but
algae keeps me throwing poppers and for bluegill it's O.K. but crappie
don't hit them.

I have no local fly shops and the closest is about an hour drive. We
have no fly clubs and the local bass club does not allow fly rods in
tournaments. It's just a whole different animal fly fishing in central
Florida compared an outfitter on every corner and clubs sponsoring
clinics every weekend in Montana and Utah. The coast offers
opportunities but it is hard to find time to regularly visit.

Suggestions on equipment, casting and fly suggestions would be a great
start.

"Peter Charles" wrote in message
om...

It's time to think a bit out of the box . . .

Peter
Warren, myself, and my son in law all fished Coeur d'Alene this past weekend
for bass/pike. about the only thing different between us and the gearheads
is that we had a pile of line around our feet/ rod holders/ motors/
cleats/anchors/tackle boxes, and the gear guys do something totally silly
like wind all the line up onto their reels after EVERY cast. otherwise
pretty much the same thing- oh, that and our leach patterns were made of
dyed rabbit fur instead of good ole' amurican plastic.
jh

My thoughts exactly,

I do want to continue to thank all the great responses that I have received

Steve wrote:I do want to continue to thank all the great responses that I have
received


I am surprised that no one has mentioned any of the three editions of Tom
Nixon's classic book Fly Tying and Fly Fishing For Bass And Panfish. Some may
consider it dated, but you must remember that the reason fly fishing is banned
from B.A.S.S. competition is that he beat them at their own game one day on
Toledo Bend when they could not boat a fish and he caught them all day long
Sadly, Tom passed away a little over a year ago, and I lost a true friend and
so did those who fly fish for bass. I prefer the second edition of his book.
You might find a copy on ebay, but I suggest you contact Walt Winter at
EZflyfish.com or Wilson Creek Outfitters to see if he has a copy.

Big Dale

I'll look on ebay thanks

Big Dale,

I have looked at the book by Tom Nixon and thought it was great, I
will look for my own copy. Thanks for the info

PS Tell me more about how Tom Nixon outfished the Bassmasters on a fly
rod. I looked on the internet and on several sites and I can't find
anything about it. I sure would like to use it as a weapon when these
local gearheads laugh at me for sticking with the long rod.

Steve
Sebring, FL

i love spincasting topwater lures for bass...it's every bit as exciting
and fun as flyfishing for trout imo. i have tried the flyfishing for
bass thing... in the places i fish, it is always frustrating and that
detracts from the fun for me. forget the crowd... find the sporting
niche in bass fishing that suits your fishing. i've never found a fly
rod to be the sole or most important factor in my enjoyment of the sport
of tricking a fish to take a topwater lure. i usually take flyfishing
gear along when bass fishing, but it's not my preferred tackle in that
venue.

jeff

Steve wrote:

I love fly fishing and live in an outstanding area for bass fishing. I
moved here from Utah and learned to fly fish in Montana. I was raised
spin and plugcasting in upstate NY. I am really struggling keep my
focus on fly fishing because of lack of other anglers in my area. I am
also having trouble learning to tie and use these huge flies and casting
with the wind has been a whole new experiance. Any suggestions any
other spring creek tranfers. Everyone tells me to just return to
baitcasting and fall in with the crowd, but it just isn't the same
excitement anymore.