FishSniffer Magazine Issue 4007 | Page 11

Off Season Preparation
1 Rated Outdoor Radio Show for 26 years ! with your host Bob Simms
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Off Season Preparation

< Clouser

Minnow - This color of Clouser has been what has personally proved successful fishing with a very quick stripping tempo technique . I attempt to fish the fly in water that is between 8-12 feet and will allow me to fish in the bottom column of water with a sinking leader .

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Shenandoah Chugger fly - Both of these colors are plenty in my fly box before any excursion that will involve targeting bass . I will use the gray with a red bottom in water with higher clarity than I use the Florescent Chartreuse . I use a 3 to 3 tempo technique with this fly where I will pull the fly abruptly to make it pop along the surface three times fast and then let the fly lay still for 3 seconds then simply rinse and repeat . Bites off of this fly are some of the most entertaining and are almost always prolific .

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Articulated Conehead
Minnow Fly - The Articulated Conehead Minnow fly are a great choice while fishing in the Lower American River because of the wide variety of baitfish it resembles while in the water . This is another fly that I personally prefer to fish in the bottom column of water and will strip fairly fast . One difference I use in temp with this fly is allowing it to bounce off the bottom of the river floor . There are many weedless varieties of this fly that I use when I will preforming this technique that is also very effective .

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Umpqua Swimming Frog -
With the Umpqua Swimming Frog I attempt to use the same 3 to 3 tempo while retrieving the fly while allowing it to sink 1-2 feet . This is a fly that is fished almost always in the top column of water and can sometimes be aided with a split shot to get the fly to its desired depth .

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HOW TO ...

April 9 , 2021

Chasing The Fight - Fly Fishing for Bass

On page 23 I reported a recent outing where I was chasing

around Striped Bass in the Lower American River this past weekend and in this “ How-To ” Article I will break down Gear tips , Techniques , and Triggers to keep you on top of the fish while you fly fish for any kind of bass you please . Fly Fishing for Bass in my opinion is the ultimate Fly Fishing experience if you ’ re looking for lots of action and aggressive strikes . For myself , this urge began at an early age throwing attempts of self-tied wooly bugger flies in farm ponds full at the brim with largemouth . Granted , I haven ’ t found a fly fishing opportunity so plenty or easy since , the level of satisfaction from feeling a largemouth hammer my fly is one that has stayed by my side and keeps me fly fishing for bass . On top of that , I mean who doesn ’ t like a fish that hammers what you ’ re giving to them , and then almost always sends a skyward shot projecting out of the water . Another motivating factor for fly fishing for bass is pure convenience . The reality is they are a durable species , and they are capable of living in many areas other fish couldn ’ t survive . All the way from the warmest and murkiest pond water on the Golf Course , that water canal your drive over , the slack water sitting all year in the Yolo Causeway , they ’ re there , and are ready to be fished ! In our last Issue 4006 , Ernie Marlan wrote an amazing piece regarding Striper Fishing tactics that was labeled “ Think like a Striper when Fishing for Striper ” and that title couldn ’ t be more spot on . I keep this exact mentality when fishing all species of bass in order to put myself in the best possible position to have a chance to land one . I have a personal saying “ If you are going to catch a bass , you have to act like a bass ”, however , this doesn ’ t refer to you having to eat frogs and harass cute little baby ducks . But you need to think like a bass in the sense of stalking them like they stalk their prey . This is what separates fly fishing for bass verse fishing normal creek and stream trout . Trout are much more refined and gentle fish . When you are fishing for trout in a lake , you wait ; you can troll , but most successful lake trout fishing involves keying into the basic fact that the fish are on the move , cruising . They do some stalking , but they don ’ t have the explosive body / muscle type that makes a bass attack like a linebacker through the weeds and into their prey . The First step in the right direction to fly fishing for bass is having the appropriate gear . Generally , a 5 / 6wt rod should do the job , but every now and then you will hook into one that probably would have been a better fit for an 8wt ! I personally use an 8wt , with a floating line , and a sinking leader . I also have 4 Main flies that I make sure to get on the water no matter what the circumstance that are
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By Tyler Andersen listed below :
• Clouser Minnow
• Shenandoah Chugger
• Articulated Conehead Minnow
• Umpqua Swimming Frog Now that your gear is squared away and you ’ re chomping at the bit to get out on the water and lip one yourself we need to dive into techniques . The single most important technique while Fly Fishing for Bass will be casting these much larger heavier flies the distance needed and probably personally expected from prior casting . The casting technique that I use is technically called a Belgian cast or Oval cast . In this casting technique , the main point is never allowing the fly itself to stop moving or die in the air , the easiest way to do this is by maintaining tension in the line at all parts of your cast . I personally do this by using my off-hand to pull and manipulate the line to provide tension at any part of the flies movement during the cast . However , with this being said , I am a firm believer that when fishing you can pick and choose bits of knowledge from other anglers but it is critical to find a technique that is specifically tailored to you and the way you intend to fish . There are many triggers that are important to watch and key in on when Fly Fishing for Bass that can immediately help your understanding of their feeding preferences and in the meantime better your understanding of how to provide an accurate presentation . This all ties back to thinking like bass in order to catch them . As I have mentioned have had a great time learning about different types of bass and the one major consistency between all Saltwater and Freshwater Bass species is their feeding habits . Generally , when the sun is low in the sky , either dawn or dusk , sunlight penetrates through the water , but not very deeply . This means that the baitfish swimming in the upper part of the column is much more visible than the bass lurking beneath them . This creates a perfect feeding opportunity for an ambush predator . As the sun rises higher in the sky , the light penetrates more deeply and the bait has a better chance of spotting the predator . This type of conditioning has a significant effect in almost any location and represents the core conditioning for many species of bass . With all of these techniques and enough time and dedication , I ’ m sure every fly fishing angler can find enjoyment in targeting bass . I mean bass fishing has almost everything other freshwater fishing has , only scaled up . Lots of impressive topwater action , strong long fights , and big fish , the perfect recipe . Hopefully , through this article , I have been able to both provide you with the urge to get out and try fly fishing for bass yourself as well as the skills necessary to catch one . Good luck and tight lines !