So why has Smallmouth bass on the fly become such a hot topic ? The pull...the tug ,the 'take'..that's why. If you fly fish and have not pursued these feisty fish with a streamer ,you are missing out on big fun . Chances are , if you are a trout fisherman (fisher person for the PC crowd),if you live in the great state of Michigan, or Wisconsin, you are within near casting distance of a river that holds smallies.
If you are totally set on fishing pristine ,clear and cold hard bottom rivers and streams such as classic trout waters typically are, you need a new perspective.
Some of the water we here at The Fly Factor fish,our 'home waters' if you will, are for the most part are not unlike many northern rivers. The Kalamazoo River is a perfect example . You can wade many stretches of the upper river and if you didn't know better , you would assume it was indeed a trout river and in fact, an occasional brown trout is caught as a bonus.
We employ drift boats for the most part and wear our waders to allow for the option to wade certain stretches that allow for a more deliberate approach and presentation...also this helps to create a little diversity and the client can slow down and cast from a static position as opposed to the sometimes "machine gunning " of being in a boat and casting to cover as it presents itself.
The deal here is,that many anglers are missing out on great fishing that occurs in some cases, very close to home. The fight and pull of a 15" bass in moving water will put a smile on the face of an angler that may have looked down on warm water fish as somehow beneath them . And technically speaking,while fishing from a drift boat, the smallmouth are 'beneath you' in the most literal sense.....that's the game here...to bring a new perspective AND the fish to the surface, have fun close to home with a fly rod and open up a whole new world that is bass fishing with a fly that once experienced, you yourself can become 'hooked' as the tug is going to surprise you ,and allow for a quality experience close to home.
"Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they
Are after"........ Thoreau