FEATURE
SPRING/SUMMER
FLY FISHING
for Smallmouth on
Lake Pend Oreille
This world-class bass lake
may produce Idaho’s next
state-record smallmouth
By Dillon Given
As I write this piece, it’s raining/snowing, 34 degrees
Fahrenheit, and the forecast calls for heavy snow
the rest of the week.
It doesn’t take much for me to start
daydreaming of warmer days on Lake Pend Oreille,
and this dreary forecast is no exception. I can
picture myself stripping poppers along a suspect
dock, awaiting an explosion in 75-degree weather.
Honestly, spring can’t come soon enough.
For some, spring means matching blue-wing
olive hatches and casting streamers during spring
runoff, or engaging the bobber and lead in the San
Juan-athon, which is my term for working San
Juan Worms when everything else fails.
For me, however, spring means the start
of the smallmouth season and one of the best
opportunities to take giant bass in shallow water.
This is an opportunity you should take advantage
of, too. And in this article I’ll give you the basics
for success—I won’t give away all of my secrets,
but you should learn what’s necessary to take your
next five-pound Pend Oreille smallmouth.
Let’s talk gear. Smallmouth pull, so you can’t
challenge an Idaho smallie with your average 9 foot
5-weight. I highly recommend a 9 foot fast-action
6, 7, or 8-weight rod to do the trick. In my opinion,