I grew up fly fishing for smallmouth on the Milwaukee River. Old white Shakespeare Fiberglass 8' rod and a level varnished line. Used nothing but poppers, bigger ones for bass and northerns and small ones for river chubs to use for bait soaking for large northerns. I had a blast as a kid grab my bike and rod and head for the river and spend the day wading it, drug a minnow bucket along on a rope when fishing for bait. Really alot of fun was putting on a doughball and drifting it through a deep hole and hooking a large carp , more fun than a steelhead. I got spooled more than once there wasn't any room for backing on the spring loaded automatic fly reel..
