It has been stated that anglers undergo a number of phases throughout their angling lives. Lately, I’ve entered the stage the place I’m centered on simplifying the gear and patterns I take advantage of. I’ve additionally transitioned to fishing extra heat water species throughout the final 6 years, together with my present favourite—smallmouth bass. As a leisure smallmouth angler, I discover it straightforward to lower my choice. I’m not guiding for bass or getting into bass tournaments the place carrying a better vary of patterns may show helpful in the course of the uncommon occasions when my staple patterns fail to provide a strike. That is why, from late spring to early fall, I solely carry two streamer patterns with me—Sport Changers and Murdich Minnows.
Sport Changers
The Sport Changer is among the hottest patterns within the fly fishing world and for good cause—it has lifelike motion and catches fish. However even a superpattern has its kryptonite, and for the Changer it is the fee and time required to tie the sample. I’m a sluggish tier and it often takes me a minimal of 25-Half-hour to tie even the smaller Sport Changers. I nonetheless tie and purchase Sport Changer patterns, however I solely use them throughout essentially the most difficult circumstances, when cautious fish demand the very best fly presentation. Most frequently, that is when fishing extremely pressured water or low flows.
In any other case, I discover the Sport Changer to be overkill for most of the bass water I fish. Sure, they obtain strain, however nowhere close to the strain different standard bass fisheries obtain. Plus, youthful small to medium measurement bass make up the majority of fish I current my patterns to and are sometimes not too choosy when consuming.
Murdich Minnows
Though initially designed for striped bass, the Murdich minnow continues to attach anglers with numerous freshwater and saltwater fish throughout the globe. The Murdich has among the greatest motion of any single-shank streamer sample available on the market as we speak. It’s straightforward and cheaper to tie than many standard streamer patterns as we speak. At the same time as somebody who’s a bit sluggish on the vise, I can crank a Murdich out inside three minutes.
One factor I like concerning the Murdich is that its single shank design means I can pitch it underneath tight brush with out worry of it fouling. A brief, erratic casting stroke is usually all now we have when attempting to current a fly in tight cowl and articulated patterns simply foul (turning into bait balls) when utilizing a brief, overpowered casting stroke. That is why I’ll often change to a single shank streamer when approaching stream sections with little casting room.
Nothing is extra irritating than once you completely current your streamer underneath tight brush solely to seek out out that your a number of shank sample fouled itself and was a bait ball. Bass are ambush predators and the tighter you may current your streamer to wooden, the higher your outcomes are prone to be. Along with being single-shanked, the Murdich Minnow is gentle and may simply be skipped on the floor to shoot a presentation deep underneath the comb. Even within the bigger sizes I take advantage of for musky fishing, the light-weight Murdich is a pleasure to solid.
I’ll fortunately fish Murdich minnows aggressively in tight cowl whereas with costly Sport Changers, I’ll discover myself being cautious as a result of price and time concerned in tying these lifelike streamers. If I lose a Murdich, I solely lose three minutes of my life and a greenback of supplies. If I lose a Sport Changer, I’m out 20-40 minutes of my life and 6 occasions the supplies price.
Fly Building
I take advantage of a Tiemco 8089 streamer hook in sizes 6-10, however any streamer hook will work. Earlier than attaching thread, I’ll add 8-12 wraps of .015-.025 lead wire across the decrease third of the bend to behave as a keel. The keel retains the hook driving hook level down and gives extra momentum for the sample to glide in the course of the pause between strips. A number of drops of superglue are utilized to lock within the lead wire.
The diameter of lead wire depends upon how deep you wish to fish the sample. My desire is for .015 to maintain the sample gentle and neutrally buoyant. The one factor I’m discovering out about smallmouth is most of the strikes happen in the course of the pause because the fly hangs within the water column. A heavy fly that rapidly drops in entrance of an bass typically appears to be a turnoff greater than an attraction. I additionally like lengthy pauses between strips and a heavy fly tends to snag backside throughout such long-pause retrieves.
Photograph: George Daniel.
Bucktail kinds the muse for the flashy tail and a liberal quantity of pearl flashabou strands are laid on high of the deer hair. The stiff tail acts as a rudder, creates buoyancy, and prevents the flashabou tail from fouling across the hook shank. The quantity of flash used depends upon how a lot bling you need within the presentation. I’ll add a liberal quantity of flash on the tying desk however can simply skinny out with scissors on the stream. It’s simpler to trim flash than so as to add it streamside. Be certain to tie within the bucktail so the hair doesn’t flash off the edges when making use of thread. What you’re on the lookout for is a good bunch of bucktail tip fibers clumped collectively. Use gentle thread wraps at first to maintain the hair from flaring after which add extra strain to lock within the bucktail fibers.
Some fly tiers add a small rattle on the rear hook shank. I’ll use rattles early within the season when coping with greater and off-color water, however I not often use them from late spring to summer time. The rattle does add bulk to the rear shank, which is a part of the design, the place there’s a bulge close to center-between the tail and head. This bulge might be constructed of any variety of supplies, however a pinch of artificial fiber doubled over and tied again on each side is a well-liked alternative, which aids in inflicting the fly to kick sideways in the course of the presentation. The remainder of the physique is often an Estaz chenille in measurement Grande. If desired, stick-on eyes might be utilized.
White is my best shade however sharpie markers can be utilized to paint the sample. I just like the visibility of white within the water and can set the hook once I see the white disappear. Smallmouth are inclined to inhale (not seize) the fly whereas swimming in the direction of you. Watching the fly disappear is usually a faster indicator to set the hook than ready to really feel the tug. All the time ensure to debarb your hook as bass are inclined to take the fly deep.
Presentation
A floating or sluggish intermediate line are my two favourite strains for presenting this neutrally buoyant streamer. Chief system is an easy two-part system: Half 20-25 lb and half 12-15 lb. I’ll use an 8-9’ chief with my floating line throughout excessive low flows and a 6-8’ chief when utilizing an intermediate line. As a result of I make use of lengthy pauses, a loop knot gives extra motion between strips. For bass, I most frequently use a brief highly effective strip (roughly 1-3”), adopted by an extended pause (3-10 seconds) between strips. The pause permits the Murdich to glide off to the facet after which course appropriate itself. This isn’t often a 90-degree kick however extra like a forty five — simply sufficient to offer any following predator a facet view, hopefully attractive a T-bone strike.
The largest problem for a trout angler studying to fish for smallmouth is the lengthy pause between strips. Be affected person. Watch a 3 to 4 foot space across the streamer in the course of the retrieve and take note of the fish’s physique language. Usually, you’ll see bass beginning to observe the streamer from a distance solely to show away when the sample is retrieved too quick or erratically. Consider fishing the Murdich the identical manner you’d fish a hopper sample—an extended drift with a number of twitches. This strategy greatest imitates a wounded or dying baitfish—a straightforward meal for any predator.
Photograph: George Daniel.
If bass approaches—simply drift the sample. When you see the fish lose curiosity, ship a number of brief pulses into the sample. I don’t suppose most trout anglers understand how a lot finesse and pleasure there’s in fishing for smallmouth bass, particularly with streamers. What I take pleasure in most is the visible eats—seeing a big shadow strategy the streamer or watching the massive white sample disappear in the course of the presentation. There are a lot of good causes I have been spending extra time chasing smallmouth bass throughout these final 6 years and the Murdich minnow has been one in every of my high producing streamers.
