Smallie fishing

[Po0gs 0]

I went to Cabelas, got the tying stuff, and well asked someone to help me to a local river, I went to the Schuykill like 3 mins from the store(Hamburg one) well, my m8 had about a size 8 olive wooly bugger, caught 3 Smallies and a perch . I was skunked. My woolys were to big? not presented right? IDK. Well I was wondering what are some flies that will mere guarentee me some small mouth. What about wolly worms, anything. And we were near some dam that starts with a "K". It was a great time. BUt what are some paterns that I will catch fish with?. Any top water flies that are killer like dry flies? Well basically just give me some flies where next time i go Ill be pleased:P, any help is muchly appreciated.Thanks again

 

~Po0gs

[Guest luvinbluegills]

If your friend was using size 8, how big were yours?

[Philly 0]

Po0gs

 

I fish SE PA in the Philadelphia area. I've been doing real well on top with a size 6 or 8 Sneaky Pete(fluorescent yellow). I'm not a big fan of wooly buggers, but since you're just getting started and don't tie your own yet, they'll do. I don't go by hook size, but I would suggest you try a white wooly bugger about 2 to 3 inches long. Cabela's or your local fly shop should carry both the Sneaky Pete and a white wooly bugger. I just re read your post. You do have tying stuff.

 

I would tie the Wooly Bugger on a size 6 3 or 4 XL streamer hook.

 

Tail: Tie white marabou over pearl or smolt blue crystal flash. Tail should be same length as hook shank.

Body: Pearl ice/sparkle chenille(medium)

Hackle: white soft saddle hackle

Weight: Either a large silver bead head slid on the hook before you start tying, or 6 or 7 wraps of medium to heavy lead wire, on the front third of the hook.

 

Another pattern

Estaz Bug

Hook: size 6 or 8 regular or 1XL dry fly hook

Weight: 5 or 6 wraps of medium lead wire on center of hook shank.

Tail: White marabou over 10 strands of pearl or smolt blue crystal flash.

Body: Pearl Estaz wrapped and trimmed

Instructions

Wrap lead wire on hook shank, cover with thread

Tie in crystal flash and then marabou. Length should equal hook shank

Tie in estaz at bend of hook, wrap forward to just behind eye. Build a thread head, and finish off. Now take a pair of scissors and trim the estaz short. When you're done the body should have a grub shape.

I'd fish both these flies by casting out letting them sink and stripping them in fast. or make 2 or 3 fast strips, pause, and do 2 or 3 more.

 

Here's an easy popper to tie.

Hook: size 4-8 Aberdeen style crappie hook.

Popper Head: Foam Circle(to be found at any craft store, already cut)or by some craft foam, and use brass tubing or old shell casings to cut the circles. A 1/2 inch or so cirlcle is a nice bass and panfish size.

Tail: Marabou over crystal flash

Hackle: whatever color you want.

After the hook is in the vise. Take a foam circle. If you pinch the bottom of the circle you'll see it will form a cup face. What I like to do is make some thread wraps behind the hook eye. A small drop of Zap-A-Gap on the threads. Pinch the foam circle, and slide the pinched part onto the hook shank. Then make a couple of thread wraps to hold it in place. That's the hardest part of tying this fly.

Now tie in the crystal flash and then the marabou for the tail. Length of tail equals length of hook shank. Bring your thread to the front behind the head.

Tie in your hackle by the tip at the bend and wrap forward to the head. Wrap down and trim excess. What I do is bring the thread under the head and build a thread head just behind the hook eye. You can half hitch it or whip finish it. Head cement or Zap-A-Gap to hold. Now take a pair of scissors and trim the hackle flat on the bottom of the shank.

Colors, I like to match the head and tail colors. white head, white tail. Hackle can be what ever color you want. Yellow and Chartreuse are two other good colors.

 

Give these a try. They're easy to tie and have caught me plently of fish over the years.

[Guest]

I would have to say that buggers are gonna be your best bet. Starting out I would have an assortment of buggers in olive, brown, black and white ranging from size 8 to 4. I would also have a variety of weights to fish the different depths. If you fish a rocky creek lead eyes will make the fly ride "hook-up" which should help with the snags. If the water is low and warm like it is here for me throw your fly into any moving water you can find. Even if it is less than a foot deep throw in the the faster water, the smallies like the cooler more oxygenated water found in the riffles this time of year plus there is alot of food in those areas for them. If it is a hot, sunny day try the deeper pools where the water is also cooler and gives them a refuge.

 

A bugger can be drifted, stripped fast, slow....very your approach til you find what works.

 

A box full of buggers in a variety of colors and weights should be all you need to get started. The key is finding where they are holding.

 

This past weekend I was getting skunked until I came up to this one spot which was the fastest moving water in a mile upstream or down. I threw in right behind some rocks that provided a nice current break and managed 4 fish on 4 casts. Ended up with 7 Smallies total from that one spot and not one fish anywhere else the rest of the day. If you can find em they will eat almost anything they can fit in their mouth

[Po0gs 0]

QUOTE (luvinbluegills @ Aug 18 2005, 08:18 PM)

If your friend was using size 8, how big were yours?

Mine were like size 2, with long marabou tail

[Po0gs 0]

QUOTE (Philly @ Aug 18 2005, 09:12 PM)

Po0gs I fish SE PA in the Philadelphia area. I've been doing real well on top with a size 6 or 8 Sneaky Pete(fluorescent yellow). I'm not a big fan of wooly buggers, but since you're just getting started and don't tie your own yet, they'll do. I don't go by hook size, but I would suggest you try a white wooly bugger about 2 to 3 inches long. Cabela's or your local fly shop should carry both the Sneaky Pete and a white wooly bugger. I just re read your post. You do have tying stuff. I would tie the Wooly Bugger on a size 6 3 or 4 XL streamer hook. Tail: Tie white marabou over pearl or smolt blue crystal flash. Tail should be same length as hook shank. Body: Pearl ice/sparkle chenille(medium) Hackle: white soft saddle hackle Weight: Either a large silver bead head slid on the hook before you start tying, or 6 or 7 wraps of medium to heavy lead wire, on the front third of the hook. Another pattern Estaz Bug Hook: size 6 or 8 regular or 1XL dry fly hook Weight: 5 or 6 wraps of medium lead wire on center of hook shank. Tail: White marabou over 10 strands of pearl or smolt blue crystal flash. Body: Pearl Estaz wrapped and trimmed Instructions Wrap lead wire on hook shank, cover with thread Tie in crystal flash and then marabou. Length should equal hook shank Tie in estaz at bend of hook, wrap forward to just behind eye. Build a thread head, and finish off. Now take a pair of scissors and trim the estaz short. When you're done the body should have a grub shape. I'd fish both these flies by casting out letting them sink and stripping them in fast. or make 2 or 3 fast strips, pause, and do 2 or 3 more. Here's an easy popper to tie. Hook: size 4-8 Aberdeen style crappie hook. Popper Head: Foam Circle(to be found at any craft store, already cut)or by some craft foam, and use brass tubing or old shell casings to cut the circles. A 1/2 inch or so cirlcle is a nice bass and panfish size. Tail: Marabou over crystal flash Hackle: whatever color you want. After the hook is in the vise. Take a foam circle. If you pinch the bottom of the circle you'll see it will form a cup face. What I like to do is make some thread wraps behind the hook eye. A small drop of Zap-A-Gap on the threads. Pinch the foam circle, and slide the pinched part onto the hook shank. Then make a couple of thread wraps to hold it in place. That's the hardest part of tying this fly. Now tie in the crystal flash and then the marabou for the tail. Length of tail equals length of hook shank. Bring your thread to the front behind the head. Tie in your hackle by the tip at the bend and wrap forward to the head. Wrap down and trim excess. What I do is bring the thread under the head and build a thread head just behind the hook eye. You can half hitch it or whip finish it. Head cement or Zap-A-Gap to hold. Now take a pair of scissors and trim the hackle flat on the bottom of the shank. Colors, I like to match the head and tail colors. white head, white tail. Hackle can be what ever color you want. Yellow and Chartreuse are two other good colors. Give these a try. They're easy to tie and have caught me plently of fish over the years.

I do tie. Thats a great bit of information. Ill be sure to tie some of those up, thanks!

[Po0gs 0]

QUOTE (SmallieHunter @ Aug 18 2005, 09:15 PM)

I would have to say that buggers are gonna be your best bet. Starting out I would have an assortment of buggers in olive, brown, black and white ranging from size 8 to 4. I would also have a variety of weights to fish the different depths. If you fish a rocky creek lead eyes will make the fly ride "hook-up" which should help with the snags. If the water is low and warm like it is here for me throw your fly into any moving water you can find. Even if it is less than a foot deep throw in the the faster water, the smallies like the cooler more oxygenated water found in the riffles this time of year plus there is alot of food in those areas for them. If it is a hot, sunny day try the deeper pools where the water is also cooler and gives them a refuge. A bugger can be drifted, stripped fast, slow....very your approach til you find what works. A box full of buggers in a variety of colors and weights should be all you need to get started. The key is finding where they are holding. This past weekend I was getting skunked until I came up to this one spot which was the fastest moving water in a mile upstream or down. I threw in right behind some rocks that provided a nice current break and managed 4 fish on 4 casts. Ended up with 7 Smallies total from that one spot and not one fish anywhere else the rest of the day. If you can find em they will eat almost anything they can fit in their mouth

Thanks for that info, Ill b sure to tie a WIDE vadriety of those color buggers you suggested. I did throw a black and a brown both didnt work. I figured the brown might resemble a crawfish for I even tried hopping it on and off the bottom. Once again, I think they were all to big.

 

Thanks everyone for the info.

[mozes 0]

I have been doing REALLY good this season on smallies in Neshaminy Creek PA with muddler minnows. Most of the catch came from fast water or riffles just as Smallie described. The other water that I fish regular is Pennypack creek in PA. The hot fly for that creek has been easy hopper that I received from Pujic a few years back in the swap.

 

[Po0gs 0]

QUOTE (mozes @ Aug 19 2005, 08:41 AM)

I have been doing REALLY good this season on smallies in Neshaminy Creek PA with muddler minnows. Most of the catch came from fast water or riffles just as Smallie described. The other water that I fish regular is Pennypack creek in PA. The hot fly for that creek has been easy hopper that I received from Pujic a few years back in the swap.

Hmm , thanks, where exactly are those waters in terms of like eastern state, mid state..

[Philly 0]

Po0gs:

The Pennypack runs through the NE section of Philadelphia. The Neshaminy starts out in Bucks County just north of Philly and empties into the Delaware River. The Wissahickon starts out in Montgomery County and runs through the NW section of Philadelphia before emptying into the Schuylkill. Cabela's Hamburg store is about an hour and a half ride from where I live in Philadelphia. Where are you located?

[Po0gs 0]

QUOTE (Philly @ Aug 21 2005, 07:58 PM)

Po0gs: The Pennypack runs through the NE section of Philadelphia. The Neshaminy starts out in Bucks County just north of Philly and empties into the Delaware River. The Wissahickon starts out in Montgomery County and runs through the NW section of Philadelphia before emptying into the Schuylkill. Cabela's Hamburg store is about an hour and a half ride from where I live in Philadelphia. Where are you located?

Sadly im about 2 hours, 15 minutes from the store. Burlignton COunty , NJ, lookign at Kutztown University, thast what dragged us there that time. Nice campus none the less. Cabelas is just great for flytying stuff

[getholdofjoru 0]

Wooly buggers are great for smallmouth, especially when you tie on some rubber legs behind the bead and use crystal flash instead of chenille. To fish these you have to adhere to two principles

 

1) dead drift 2) enough weight to get it down to the fish

 

The sows don't like to move much for dinner, so you have to get it down to where they're hiding at. Let the materials do the work for you, a dead drift works great for slammin' them. Hope this helps. Remember to fish deep water and around island and in channels. Good luck!

[Griff1950 0]

OK, this fly hasn't been seen much on the 'net or elsewhere, some of my friends have had some experience with it, and it has been dubbed the "DiscoBugger" by one of them. It's Disco yarn form Wal-Mart, tied with a marabou or rabbit fur tail in matching colors with the yarn. Wrap .010 lead wire on the shank, then tie in a tail of marabou or rabbit, then wrap the Disco yarn up the hook shank till full....I prefer olive, but it comes in several colors, so don't be afraid to experiment. Works very well on smallies, trout, and all sorts of panfish.

[GHow 0]

This fly was tied by TJD for the 2005 SMB swap. I gave it a try this week on the Farmington in T'Ville. I caught a dozen SMB's and a couple nice fallfish. It has a great hook, the action of a bugger, the look of a nymph and great attraction colors to finish it off. Perfect for low water river and creek fishing. I caught fish on the dead drift and on the swing.

 

 

Here's a head-on of a fallfish. They were inhalers of this fly.

 

Here is one of the SMB's

 

 

 

If your fishing smaller water this is a winner.