Does anyone here fly fish for smallmouth? Particularly smallmouth on smaller creeks and streams?


I am primarily a muskie fisherman with conventional tackle, but once our summers get hot and the water warms; I like wading out small streams for smallmouth, but I've really gotten bored with spinning tackle and would like to maybe take up the fly rod. Problem is I've never even picked up a fly rod and the more I read the more lost I get....

Rod choice, line choice, tippets, leaders, 7wt line on a 6wt rod, or vise versa, why not the weight of the line that matches the weight of the rod? These are just a few things I really don't understand. .....I know there's probably not a good once size fits all answer to picking a good setup but a few suggestions from those of you in the know would really help.


Our rivers are on the small side, not over 6-8ft of places, a lot of shallow riffles leading up to pools that are usually on the 3-4ft range. Rock bottom etc You get the picture

The weight of the line and the rod are designed to be matched to work most effectively together but going up, or down, one size is often done especially when you start dealing with abrupt weight forward lines that load the rod differently when you're casting.

The actual one you want will be driven by the size of the flies you're going to cast since the line has to carry that weight and "turn over" the leader to present the fly forward of the line. The wind can also affect that but fishing the small shielded streams you are in KY no big deal.

I would look for a 8 or 8 1/2' foot 6 weight rod and 6 weight Wulff taper floating line . It will give you good ability to cast without extensive false casting to get line out and good punch for short casts. Most of your fish are going to be within 20'.

Buy some 4X 7 foot leaders and some 3X and 4X tippet material. Fly-wise some black and/or brown Wooly Buggers, mostly weighted, as well as some big deer hair flies will set you up just fine. At least up here in the Mid-Atlantic it's a cicada year so the fish will figure out soon that the big splash over them is a big blob of protein. Going to be a fun year for the smallmouth!

I have fished many years for smallies on fly and one of my favorite freshwater targets.

9 foot 6 wt. for the rivers you described as mentioned the wulf triangle tapers work great for casting poppers and using nymphs. Smaller rivers go 4x 6 to 9 ft leaders. I like fluoro

I really like weighted clouser crayfish patterns, crystal buggers, size 8 poppers with a lot of rubber legs

Give Harry a call at his fly shop and ask what flies. Ive fished with him a bunch when I lived in VA

https://www.murraysflyshop.com/collections/bass-flies

I'll go up line weights if there's a need to have the rod load in a confined space or one needs to fight heavy winds.

Done well on bass with about any streamer, black woolies, muddlers, or crayfish look alikes.

Don't be overwhelmed at all. After 40+ years of fly fishing, I've helped multiple novices to learn. Do not be intimidated. We flyfisherman are an odd group as many of our group, for one reason or another, think we are special. Give me a break. A great resource for you, along with some excellent casting basics is Orvis' instructional site. Here is a link: https://howtoflyfish.orvis.com/ Oh, and they have excellent portions on bass fishing. Go to Orvis' videos on Youtube. Tom Rosenbauer is simply exceptional in his presentation and instructional abilities. In my opinion, he is unique and unequaled. Beyond that instructional site of basics, youtube is an excellent source, as you may already know. Just try to sort out the "me an pa reckon if'n we kin do it, so can you" types. Some of them may know what they're doing; but, you end up digging through huge piles of horse turds in search of a horse.

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..

Seems like the old "Muddler Minnow" would be a great pattern for Smallies.

My EX-FnL used to fish the St. Croix for smallies and his go to was a fly he called a "Wilder Dill" a yellow and black round-nosed popper/diving popper.

link
https://finandflame.com/heddon-wilder-dilg-spook-fly-lure/

Yep. It's jus another way to fish. I chuckle when I encounter the elitist when out fishing but if they're having a good time then good for them but don't make fly fishing something that is mysterious or special. I taught myself to cast nearly 50 years ago on a sod farm irrigation pond and like golf and many other pursuits, it's an "ever learning" thing.

Trout might get all the press, but I'd rather do battle with Smallies on a fly rod than just about anything.

Add to that carp, northern pike, pan fish, etc., the list goes on. People have been conditioned, based strictly on origins and image, to think of fly-fishing as a "trout thing" (steelhead/salmon) or a "saltwater flats thing". We have learned that it can be and is affective and fun with so many other species.

Some of my best days in Pa. included a flyrod, my dad and various species. He was always good for a half hour battle with a carp on a fly rod.
A 8-9ft 4-7 weight rod and a decent selection of big muddler minnows , deer hair flys and something that resembles a crayfish will get you started. depending on size of streams and fish, a four weight will get you by and an 8' 4 wt rod is the easiest to get familiar with. Bigger flys and, longer casts will require more rod. Enjoy and you may get addicted.