# Smallmouth on dry flies



## dcfisherman (Jul 25, 2008)

I'm going to montana at the end of July and I am too excited to wait to fish dry flies for those trout! so that got me thinking, does anyone fish smallmouth using dry flies instead of poppers? I just want to go out and scratch the dry fly itch on some smallmouth!


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## SteelStreamer (Dec 2, 2015)

I use terrestrials like Chernobyl Ants. Anything that floats and is wiggly works good..


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## rickerd (Jul 16, 2008)

I use Dave's Hopper pattern in #4 or #2. Go big or go home with the bass. I also use a "Titanic Hopper" pattern same sizes. The smaller hopper patterns catch too many gills or smaller bass. The bigger fly and hook prevent the small fish from getting on in the first place. 

also, use a crayfish dropper and double your catch. Looking forward to your reports.
Rickerd


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

I like catching bass on top as much as anyone, but I honestly ditch the topwaters altogether more often than not. In specific situations or in specific locations, yes I'll throw a popper or slider for them, but I feel like I'm going to catch more fish subsurface most of the time. I feel like that smallie that eats your popper would eat a streamer, too. But, maybe a fish that would eat the streamer wouldn't necessarily commit to eating a surface fly in the same situation. That's my messed up logic, anyway.


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## goatfly (Jun 21, 2013)

The current Flyfisherman magazine has an article on top water smallmouth fishing. Good read.


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## dcfisherman (Jul 25, 2008)

I tried the hopper dropper setup with a white wooly bugger as the dropper (my crayfish patterns are too heavy) and a chubby Chernobyl as the hopper. of the few hits I had they were all on the dropper. I'm just starting to get into smallmouth fishing (I can't believe I haven't done this before...very addicting!) and im scouting out the rivers. im having my best luck in deep runs where I would normally catch steelhead. nothing really in deep frog water pools where I hear its good..odd. just ordered a bunch of near nuff crayfish we will see how it goes! my question is for you all, what is "prime" smallmouth water??? I know they like rocky areas but do they prefer decent current or no?


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## bassclef (Jul 25, 2013)

goatfly said:


> The current Flyfisherman magazine has an article on top water smallmouth fishing. Good read.


Yeah, I read that and it's an excerpt from this book which is absolutely fantastic:


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## ejsell (May 3, 2012)

I do sometimes just to mix it up or if there are a lot of weeds to get hung up on. 

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk


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## Yakphisher (Jul 9, 2013)

I use Cream/badger/White Wulffs #6/8, Whites especially. Any Stimi's will wreck smallies also. Large Dragon fly patterns do well also but really not as much as the others. Best overall topwaters is Sneaky Petes!


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## Tom 513 (Nov 26, 2012)

dcfisherman said:


> I tried the hopper dropper setup with a white wooly bugger as the dropper (my crayfish patterns are too heavy) and a chubby Chernobyl as the hopper. of the few hits I had they were all on the dropper. I'm just starting to get into smallmouth fishing (I can't believe I haven't done this before...very addicting!) and im scouting out the rivers. im having my best luck in deep runs where I would normally catch steelhead. nothing really in deep frog water pools where I hear its good..odd. just ordered a bunch of near nuff crayfish we will see how it goes! my question is for you all, what is "prime" smallmouth water??? I know they like rocky areas but do they prefer decent current or no?


A stream with mixed size aggregates is best for smallies, 85% of the time I fish current seams, riffles early in the day and tail out in to pools can yield big fish, as osg says the biggest smallies are in the best spots.

Sent from my SM-J727V using Tapatalk


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## smath (Nov 20, 2013)

Tie up some big san juan worms or squirmy worms. Can't beat a worm for bass.


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