Hooked…Fly Fishing for Smallmouth Bass!
Even though this month’s theme is wild-water trout, I had to write a brief article after last month’s newsletters focusing on smallmouth bass fishing. Just about two weeks ago, I unexpectedly had the chance to go smallmouth fishing in Pennsylvania – what a blast and how different this was from my typical fly-fishing experience. The water I waded was much wider than the streams in western North Carolina so I had to do some different casting (called a double haul). This required using a lot more line and then stripping of the line, which was tough for me.
I fished with a green transparent minnow-like fly and also some rubber worms (wasn’t up for using the real thing). I only landed two fish, but how fun. Both fish were about 14-16 inches, but the fight in them was amazing – much more tough than trout. I personally enjoy this part of fishing the most. When you remove the fly, you hold the bass from the mouth, which is much different than trout. I was surprised at the difference, but would definitely try it again. You may want to try this when you book a guided Smallmouth Bass trip with Curtis Wright Outfitters if the “fight” of the fish appeals to you! ~ Kristen