Salmon Fishing on Lake Champlain Tributaries
One of my favorite fish to fish for is the Landlocked Atlantic Salmon. Here is some info off the NYS DEC web site.
Region 5 Fisheries
Emptying into Lake Champlain, New York's Boquet, Saranac and Ausable rivers have their sources in the Adirondack Mountains. These rivers are among the ten New York and Vermont tributaries to Lake Champlain which historically had native runs of Atlantic salmon. Salmon were extirpated from Champlain by the mid- 1800's and, until the 1950's, periodic restoration attempts were unsuccessful. Encouraging results from some of these early 1950's stream stockings of young salmon led to full scale salmon restoration work in the Boquet during 1973. Work included a modest stocking of fingerlings and extensive surveys to locate nursery stream habitat within the Boquet watershed. These efforts paid off when the first significant run of adult salmon in over a decade appeared on the Boquet at Willsboro in the spring of 1976. Lamprey control efforts begun in 1990 further enabled the abundance of returning salmon to increase.
Landlocked Atlantic Salmon Biology
Landlocked Atlantic Salmon (adult male)
Although the same species as the sea-run Atlantic salmon, landlocks remain in freshwater their entire lives. Young salmon look very much like their close relative the brown trout until they reach about six inches in length. At this time, the salmon turn silver and move downstream into Lake Champlain. It can take up to three years for young salmon to grow large enough to move into the lake.
Once in the lake, smelt soon become the salmon's main food. Growth is rapid and a year later some salmon are 18 inches long. Unlike coho, chinook and other Pacific salmon which spawn once before completing their life cycle and dying, mature landlocked and sea-run Atlantic salmon may survive several spawning runs.
It is not known whether the original Champlain salmon were sea-run, landlocked or perhaps a mixture of both types. Today, the rivers are stocked with landlocks descended from Sebago Lake, Maine stock.
When to Fish
There are two runs of landlock salmon in the Boquet, Saranac and Ausable rivers each year- in the spring and fall. During spring, salmon are attracted to the rivers by the warmer water temperatures and/or the increased stream flow resulting from spring run-off. The salmon remain in the rivers from mid-April to late May, offering about six weeks of fishing. Best fishing is often the two to three week period from late April to mid-May.
The main salmon run occurs in the fall when the salmon are returning to their home rivers to spawn. This offers the most opportunity for anglers to catch a large salmon and can provide up to two months of fishing for die-hard salmon anglers. The main run of salmon usually extends from early September into mid-November with the best action occurring from early October to early November.
Note: since river flows (both spring and fall) seem to govern the intensity and timing of salmon runs, anglers are advised to check the Region 5 Fishing Hotline to determine the status of the run.
How to Fish
During spring, actively feeding salmon prefer baits or artificial lures that closely imitate natural food items. As such, worms, spinning lures and streamers catch the majority of salmon at this time. In the fall, worms work best early in the season but seem less effective as the fall progresses. Another effective natural bait is the salmon egg cluster.
Many anglers prefer to use flies, following the tradition of landlocked salmon fishing in Maine. When the water is high or discolored, or when the salmon are active in the fast water at the head of pools, streamer patterns like the Gray Ghost, Black Ghost, Nine-three, Golden Witch or other smelt imitations are excellent. A low, clear river turns many fly fisherman to wet flies and nymphs. For fish that are holding in the tails of pools or shallow water, use smaller flies such as the Hendrickson wet fly, wooly worms or dark steelhead patterns.
Anglers are reminded that fall regulations restrict the use of weighted baits, lures, and flies. For details, consult the Lake Champlain - Additional Tributary Regulations section in the Fishing Regulations Guide.
Angling Ethics
Courtesy and ethics are increasingly important on popular sections of river, and particularly so where you may be on private property:
- If other anglers are present, rotate the pool. Rotating the pool involves starting at the head of the pool, casting and retrieving, and then taking a step downstream before casting again. Each angler rotates downstream through the pool and returns to the head until it is his/her turn again. The process allows all anglers the opportunity to fish the whole pool.
- Know and obey the fishing regulations. In particular, terminal tackle is carefully regulated during late summer and fall.
- Respect private property or risk losing public access! Many of the best pools are on private property where continued access is absolutely dependent on the landowners' good will. One litterer could potentially eliminate access for everyone, so please consider picking up any trash you find.
River Flows
Boquet River below Willsboro Fishway
River flows affect the ability to wade and effectively fish for salmon. US Geological Survey (USGS) web sites provide near-real-time data on flows in the Boquet, Saranac and Ausable Rivers. See below for links to flow information.
Opinions on what flows are suitable for fishing vary greatly depending on individual wading abilities and fishing styles. Saranac River flow during the fall averages less than 700 cfs, while fall flows on the Ausable average less than 600 cfs. Flows of 1600 cfs and 1500 cfs on the Saranac and Ausable respectively can be considered extreme: flows greater than those values occur on average only 10 percent of the time.
The Boquet and Ausable tend to be flashy, that is, flows increase rapidly after a rain event and then decrease rapidly when the storm runoff ends. The Saranac River tends to respond more slowly. In some instances the differing response times mean that the Saranac may be fishable when the Boquet and Ausable are high, or conversely, the Boquet and Ausable may have receded to manageable levels while the Saranac remains high. Anglers wading in the rivers should watch for possible rapid fluctuations in water levels due to hydroelectric projects located upstream. Such fluctuations are rare on the Boquet and Ausable, and the Department continues to work with the power companies to minimize fluctuations in the Saranac River.
Posted 5 hours ago by Jordan Ross |
Our Finest July Smallmouth Rivers
Here's a look at where to find the best river smallmouth bass fishing in New York this month.
Photo by Ron Sinfelt
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By J. Michael Kelly
There's more to bass fishing than cranking spinnerbaits through shoreline weedbeds or gunning a 180-horsepower outboard to beat your best buddy back to the dock for the club tournament's weigh-in.
The other side of bass fishing manifests itself in moving water, where a surprise is always waiting around the next bend. It's about drifting with river currents, letting your legs dangle over the side of a beached canoe, and wading to beat the heat on a sultry summer day. Most of all, it's about a muscular bronze fish with barred sides leaping clear of the water with your hook in its jaw, slugging it out like a heavyweight with its welterweight body.
SUSQUEHANNA RIVER Access is a thorny issue on many New York streams, but not on the mighty Susquehanna.
From its origin at the outlet of Otsego Lake to where it makes its second and final exit from New York in southern Tioga County, major highways including interstates 88 and 86 parallel the Susquehanna.
Even more advantageous to fishermen, there are more than a dozen public boat launches providing access to the Empire State stretches of the river. Most of those sites were constructed with cartoppers in mind because canoes and other small craft are just right for exploring the Susquehanna.
Although the river is more than 200 feet wide in most places, most of its pools have gently sloping, gravel bottoms and can be safely fished by wading anglers as well as boaters.
The majority of Susquehanna River bass are spunky 1/2- to 1 1/2-pounders, but the river does hold some lunkers. A biologist with the Department of Environmental Conservation's Region 7 office in Cortland confirmed a reported catch of a 7-pound smallmouth there several years ago, and a skilled fisherman stands a good chance of landing a 3-pounder any time he visits the river.
Although most of the Susquehanna lends itself to float trips, one of the more interesting stretches is the approximately 30-mile run between Oneonta and Sidney. There are half a dozen put-ins in this section of the river, which is shadowed on its south bank by Interstate 88 and on its north bank by state Route 7. The stretch has a classic pool-riffle-pool sequence, with plenty of good holding water for bass.
Farther west, the rocky stretch below the Rock Bottom dam in Binghamton is perfect for hip boots or even wading in the summer months. The water there is full of crayfish and hellgrammites, and visiting anglers can take a cue from local youngsters who catch their bait as needed by flipping over rocks along the shore.
Below Binghamton, the Susquehanna is deep enough to accommodate gas-powered bass boats. The most popular launch site for such craft is at Hickories Park in Owego.
Anglers can often get an update on conditions in the Binghamton to Owego stretch by calling the DEC's Region 7 fishing hotline at (607) 753-1551.
The Broome County Convention and Visitors Bureau, (800) 836-6740, is a logical contact for information about accommodations in or around the Binghamton section of the river.
UNADIILLA RIVER
A major tributary of the Susquehanna, the Unadilla River is a notable fishery in its own right. Loaded with smallmouths, it is particularly conducive to bank-casting, although it can also be explored by canoe in most places. Shaded here and there by giant willows and crossed periodically by small bridges, the river flows past a succession of dairy farms and rural villages that have a nostalgic, Norman Rockwell quality.
To find the Unadilla, go east from the Syracuse area or west from Albany on U.S. Route 20 to the village of Bridgewater in the southeastern comer of Madison County. From there, go south on state Route 8, which accompanies the river all the way to Sidney.
The Unadilla is visible from the winding highway, and you'll see one tempting bend pool and riffle after another. It's hard to choose an unproductive spot, but I especially like the sections around the hamlets of South Edmeston, New Berlin and Rockdale.
If the Unadilla has a shortcoming, it would be the comparatively small size of its fish. Bronzebacks of 9 to 14 inches are the general rule in this little river, but there are plenty of them.
As a bonus, Unadilla anglers can expect to encounter hordes of spunky rock bass, along with an occasional keeper-size walleye. Near tributary mouths, you might even find a brown trout or two.
Practical canoe floats on the Unadilla include drifts from South Edmeston to the Route 80 bridge in New Berlin, from that span down to the public fishing access north of South New Berlin and from Rockdale to the Route 2 bridge at East Guilford. Any of these trips can be accomplished in a long morning or be stretched out to a full day, depending on your fishing pace.
MOHAWK RIVER
Because it flows in full view of the New York State Thruway from Rome nearly to Albany, the Mohawk River is hardly a secret, and many dedicated bass fishermen work their way along its banks on summer weekends.
Along with easy access, one of the river's main attributes is its ability to grow sizable smallmouths. Until the mid-1990s, the Mohawk, which is part of the Barge Canal for much of its length, was known as a spot where a good bass fisherman might catch 20 or more 11- to 14-inch bronzebacks in a single outing, along with a few bigger ones. However, in recent seasons, DEC biologists reviewing angler diaries and exploring the river with nets and electroshocking gear have noted a decline in the numbers of smaller bass. It appears that relatively few of the bass hatched in the river since the late 1990s have managed to reach catchable size, for reasons as yet unclear. The good news is that the reduced number of small bass means less competition for the big boys at mealtime. These days, smallmouths of 15 to 19 inches and weighing 2 to 5 pounds are more abundant than ever in the Mohawk.
DEC research indicates the most productive smallmouth fishing in the Mohawk can be found between Lock 16 at St. Johnsville and Lock 8 west of Schenectady. Within that stretch are seven public boat launches and six privately owned fee ramps. Anglers can also find dozens of shore-casting spots, some officially designated and some not.
The easiest way to check out these locations is by driving along the north bank of the river on Route 5 between Johnsville and Schenectady with a copy of the Lower Mohawk River Fishing Guide in hand. Readers can obtain a free copy of the brochure from the DEC's Region 4 office by calling (607) 652-7366. Along with a list of launch locations, the document features a concise explanation of how to navigate the river's series of canal locks.
For assistance in finding lodging along the river, contact the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, (800) 743-7337 or the Fulton County Chamber of Commerce, (800) 676-3858.
GRASS RIVER
The DEC's Region 6 fisheries office in Watertown at (315) 785-2261 has a free, map-filled booklet called Fishing and Canoeing the Grass River. Anglers interested in exploring one of the Empire State's most underrated smallmouth waters should study the brochure thoroughly.
Although the Grass River is a fairly long stream, winding 115 miles through St. Lawrence County before spilling into the St. Lawrence River at Massena, many otherwise well-traveled New York bass fishermen have never heard of it. After all, it begins in a remote corner of the Adirondack Park Preserve and then flows north past a series of tiny villages, never to be crossed by a major highway until it slips under U.S. Route 11 at Canton. It is easy to overlook on the way to more famous North Country fishing holes, yet the Grass is worth a special trip.
Roughly two-thirds of the river is canoeable, including all but a few snippets of the 36-mile stretch from Canton to Massena. A fisherman who hits the Grass when it's "on" can expect to battle two- or three-dozen smallmouths, most of them in the 10- to 14-inch range, during a daylong float. That same outing may well yield a couple of keeper-sized walleyes and even a nice northern pike or muskellunge.
The Grass' tea-colored currents call for bucktail spinners, silver-finish crankbaits and other flashy lures, but if you're interested in keeping a few smallmouths or rockies to fillet, bring a can of night crawlers along just in case.
One productive float on the Grass begins in the town of Madrid at the dam just below the Route 345 crossing. You can put in at a town launch downstream from the dam and then float and paddle approximately five miles to another carry-in launch off Route 55 about a mile south of Chamberlain Corners. This is mostly flat water varying from 4 to 12 feet deep.
Another good trip, with shallower water and more riffles, begins farther up the river, about three miles downstream from Canton, at the Lower Lakes Wildlife Management Area. From that state launch it's about five miles to Morley. The first two miles of this voyage is all flat water. Then comes a sequence of rocky riffles that, at normal flows, are easily handled by experienced canoeists.
The St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce at (315) 386-4000 can help traveling anglers plan their Grass River visit.
ST. LAWRENCE RIVER
There are rivers, and then there are rivers. Measuring up to 10 miles across in some spots and carrying the combined drainage of the Great Lakes toward the Atlantic, the St. Lawrence definitely belongs in the latter category. Anglers shouldn't be intimidated, however, for the Thousand Islands section of the river from Cape Vincent to Chippewa Bay has some of the friendliest bass fishing anywhere. Largemouths abound in every weedy bay, and the river's countless shoals and dropoffs are magnets for schools of hard-fighting smallmouths.
Since zebra mussels spread downstream from Lake Ontario in the early and mid-1990s, the many guides who make nice summer incomes fishing out of Clayton and Alexandria Bay have noticed they have to fish their baits deeper than ever to make consistent catches. It's not unusual these days to find post-spawn smallmouths 25 feet down, and Thousand Islands bronzebacks may swim twice that deep from late July through August. The change is a result of increased water clarity, which in turn can be traced to voracious feeding on phytoplankton by mussels.
Along with heavier sinkers, St. Lawrence anglers now need lighter or at least finer-diameter lines than they formerly used to fool wary smallmouths.
Newcomers to the Thousand Islands need to be aware of two things, other than the multitude of fish, which distinguish the St. Lawrence from most other fisheries. First, the river really does curl around a thousand islands and more, some of which measure from a few feet to a few miles across. You'll need a good map and sound navigational equipment to find your way around them.
The 1000 Islands Bait stores in Clayton and Alexandria Bay have the necessary charts in stock.
Second, it's important to realize that the St. Lawrence River is shared by New York and Canada, and that conservation officers from both sides of the border take their responsibilities seriously. Before dropping a line north of the border, be sure to obtain a Canadian non-resident fishing license.
For a list of accommodations in the Thousand Islands region, call the Clayton 1000 Islands Chamber of Commerce at (800) 252-9806. Be sure to ask for copies of their excellent fishing brochures.
SENECA RIVER
Although Oneida Lake is the most popular after-work destination for Syracuse-area bass fishermen, the Seneca River is in second place and coming up fast.
First showing up on maps as the outlet of Seneca Lake, the Seneca River winds eastward for approximately 47 miles before joining the Oneida River to form the Oswego River south of Phoenix. Along the way it tumbles over a couple of dams, skirts the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge and passes through Cross Lake.
Like the Mohawk River, the Seneca River is part of the Barge Canal system, and boaters must negotiate locks east of Seneca Falls and in the Onondaga County village of Baldwinsville. Most of this varied water holds smallmouth bass, including some that weigh more than 4 pounds.
My favorite stretch of the Seneca River is the one closest to Syracuse, above and below the mouth of the Onondaga Lake outlet. It's dotted with deadfalls and tiny shoreline backwaters, all of which seem to hold at least one nice smallmouth. To reach it, my friends and I usually launch at the Onondaga Lake Park marina off the Onondaga Lake Parkway in the village of Liverpool. The outlet, which is less than a quarter of a mile long, is in sight of the marina. Don't forget to make a few casts around the Syracuse University crew team's boathouse on your way down to the river.
Another great spot is Cross Lake. Basically a wide spot in the river, it forms part of the border between Cayuga and Onondaga counties. You can get on it by launching a boat at the privately owned Cross Lake Marina, which is at the northwest end of the lake off Jordan Road in the town of Van Buren. Cross Lake holds plenty of largemouths and some toothy northern pike in addition to smallmouths.
The Cayuga County Tourism office at (800) 499-9615 or the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce at (315) 470-1800 can help you find lodging close to the Seneca River.
CHEMUNG RIVER
Flowing just a few miles above the state's southern border, the Chemung River is often overlooked as a bass-fishing destination. However, the recent development of a network of boat launches along the river will undoubtedly help its popularity.
The Chemung Basin River Trail, a joint venture of regional planning agencies, local governments and state fisheries biologists, winds through parts of Steuben, Chemung and Tioga counties. It links 11 completed river-access sites (and several more in the planning stages) between Kinsella Park in Corning and White Wagon Road in South Waverly. That's 40 miles of mostly canoeable water, virtually all of which teems with smallmouth bass. You can get a map of the river trail from the Southern Tier Central Regional Planning and Development Board in Painted Post by calling (607) 962-5092.
While the Chemung can be waded or covered from shore in most spots, it is ideal for canoeing. Expect to catch many 8- to 12-inch scrappers and a fair share of 13- to 15-inch smallmouths when you try it. Upstream from the Route 17 crossing just west of Corning, the minimum size limit for bass in the river is 10 inches. Downstream, the statewide minimum of 12 inches is in force.
The agency to question about Corning-area lodging alternatives is the Steuben County Convention and Visitors Bureau at (800) 284-3352.
Posted August 13th, 2010 by Jordan Ross |
Surface Flies for Smallmouth
by Bob Clouser
photos by Bob Clouser
Excerpted from Fly-Fishing for Smallmouth
, Stackpole (January 2007), 226 pages, hard cover
( I had the pleasure of meeting Bob a few times. I also have fished the Susquehana with one of his guides. It was there I learned the Susquehana Strip. This is a terrific Article. I highly recomend you buy his book. Give the brookies a rest and go fish for bass.... JP Ross)
For my smallmouth fishing, I switch between an EZ Popper (shown here) and a Floating Minnow, depending on how the fish react to the flies. An EZ Popper creates a lot of disturbance; the Floating Minnow is more subtle.
Surface Presentations
CASTING A FLOATING FLY and watching the take, whether it's a busting strike or a simple gentle sip, still gives me goosebumps. Smallmouth are a great gamefish because they attack flies on the surface, and nothing beats the visual excitement of fishing a floating fly for smallmouth in clear water where you can watch the fish follow and swallow your fly. Surface flies are such an important part of fishing for smallmouth that fly fishing for smallmouth bass used to be called popping bug fishing. Most people never bothered with sunken flies for bass.
Surface flies can be used to match the hatch when aquatic insects such as mayflies and caddis or terrestrials such as hoppers and ants are on the water. They can also be used to match minnows swimming close to the surface because they are crippled or perhaps feeding on the surface on emerging bugs. But surface flies can also be used when nothing is going on. Few things in nature that move across the surface of the water can't be eaten by bass. Who knows what the bass takes your popper for, but one thing is true: A lure chugging across the surface is often hard for a bass to resist, and even when you aren't catching fish, casting and watching a popper chug along the surface of the water is fun.
Many different styles of surface flies have been designed to be fished in a certain way, at a specific water depth, or to present a different characteristic. Each style of fly is best suited to match particular water conditions, the mood of the fish, and the way in which the fly is retrieved. As with many other things, however, there are no hard-and-fast rules; flies designed as streamers, such as the Muddler Minnow, can be fished on the surface, and flies designed for the surface can be fished on sinking lines. I'll talk about poppers, divers, floating minnows and sliders, and trout-style dry flies. These are the styles of flies that have been effective for me over the years. Other anglers have good luck with surface flies with small propellers added, like the Jitterbug bass fly; blades to make them dive, like the Rapala lures; or the Crease Flies designed by Joe Blados. These flies work, and as with all things in fly fishing, fly selection has as much to do with the angler's preferences as it does with the fish. I like to keep my fly selection as simple as possible.
Smallmouth, like trout, rise selectively to insects on the surface, but more often than not, they can be induced to take most any fly. For smallmouth bass, flies designed to look like the natural usually do not work as well as the ones that mimic their movements. Surface flies that imitate struggling insects or crippled baitfish disturb the water's surface, and they provoke strikes even though they really do not look like baitfish. Bass respond well to movement, so a fly skittered or twitched on the surface often gets the fish to bite. But the type of movement often can make a difference. At times, noisy surface activity spooks smallmouth, whereas quiet presentations entice a hit. You can control the way the surface fly moves through a combination of retrieves and fly design.
Retrieves
Presentation, accuracy, and action are important factors in successful bug fishing. Just because a particular technique worked one time doesn't mean it will be productive the next. Sometimes bass like a bug chugged across the water's surface. Other times they only take a dead-drifting fly that is twitched periodically. Once I was pulling a boat with some clients into a cove between a series of rock ledges when I spotted bass busting up a school of baitfish. After I had brought the boat into casting distance, the angler in the bow cast his topwater bug toward the commotion caused by the feeding bass. The bug hit the water, and the angler stripped it once and let it sit, but nothing happened. He picked the bug up off the water and cast again. This time, as soon as the bug fell to the water, he started a steady stripping retrieve. Two large smallmouth moved toward the bug, and one of them inhaled it.
Smallmouth take a wide range of surface patterns — from trout dry flies to deer-hair divers to foam poppers such as this Pencil Popper.
Jack Hanrahan photo
This experience — and many others like it — taught me to experiment if a particular retrieve doesn't work. Good anglers constantly modify subtle things, such as the length of strip, length of pause, or the frequency with which they strip the fly back before pausing. Sometimes getting a fish to strike is as simple as knowing when to stop retrieving your fly and let the fish take it, or gently twitching your popper instead of stripping it back hard. Though I describe some general retrieving styles below, there isn't a simple formula for catching bass.
Many of the best anglers learn by experimenting with different retrieves after they have found one that works. How do you know the bass only wanted a fly stripped quickly if you don't try anything other than stripping the fly quickly? This is one lesson you can learn from inquisitive anglers who experiment even if it means catching less fish. If all you do is fish a popper with a steady retrieve and you are catching fish, how do you know that it is the best technique?
One important thing to remember is that in most circumstances, the action you impart to the surface fly comes from the design of the fly and your stripping hand. Although there are exceptions, for the most part you should not use your rod tip to manipulate a fly you are retrieving. Waving the fly rod tip up and down or back and forth creates slack in your line that will prevent you from quickly and firmly setting the hook on a fish.
Strip and Pause
This method is possibly the most common retrieve. Begin with the tip of the rod just above the water's surface, with the tip pointing down the fly line and in line with the popper. Pull or strip the fly line, forcing the popper to move toward the rod tip. Usually the length of the strip or pull can vary, but the popper should move about six inches at a time. Pause before stripping again. Smallmouth strike during the pause, so stay alert. This method portrays an injured or dying baitfish.
Steady Retrieve
In this retrieve, do not allow time for the fly to pause in between strips. This can be the most exciting of all retrieves. It portrays an escaping baitfish or even a land animal scurrying, panic-stricken, across the water's surface. I have seen some large smallmouth attack the popper with vengeance when this technique was applied. Lefty Kreh favors this method when using his famous Lefty's Bug. This retrieve can be deadly when stripped across stream.
Bob Popovics, an angler experienced with the fickle moods of striped bass on the New Jersey coast, changed up his popper retrieve and was rewarded with a nice bass.
Pop and Stop
The pop and stop can be very effective in slow-moving, clear water. This retrieve varies from the strip and stop by only popping the popper and not allowing it to be
stripped forward.This takes a little practice but can make up for the many strikes that otherwise would not occur. The time between the pop and stop can be adjusted and should be varied until the strikes start. Anglers who use this technique should be aware of subtle takes by large smallmouth that will, at times, inhale the popper without leaving any sign on the water's surface.
Pop and Drift
The pop and drift is used mainly in clear water with wary smallmouth. At times, smallmouth spook when anything hits the water's surface and scurry for cover. The angler should be aware that noise sometimes deters strikes and should not move the popper until it drifts undisturbed over the water's surface. These long drifts from at least three through ten feet will usually bring up a wary smallmouth. If no strike occurs during the drift, try moving the popper with a subtle pop or twitch.
Dead Drift
The dead drift can be employed during a hatch of insects or just used randomly.You can apply this technique by casting up or across stream. After the popper hits the water, let it drift motionless downstream. I like to use this dead drift method over boulder-strewn bottoms or through current seams. I recall an instance where smallmouth would rise from behind a submerged boulder and take the popper as it drifted over the rear portion of the boulder. Large smallmouth often rise slowly to inspect the popper and then follow it as it drifts. At times, smallmouth will follow a drifting popping bug some distance before inhaling it. Smallmouth take drifting poppers subtly; in fact, some anglers take their eye off the bug for an instance and wonder where it got to when they try to find it. I have seen large bass look as if they are standing on their tails, with their noses directly under a drifting popper or Floating Minnow, for as long as five feet, and then without any disturbance, they inhale the fly.
A variation on this technique is to cast the fly and, when all the rings have dissipated after it lands, give it a subtle twitch. Sometimes bass are too spooked to take a popper immediately after it lands on the water, and letting it sit for a moment before twitching it can work well.
Many times, especially on windless days and super-calm, clear water, a bug that is left still for a few seconds and then twitched accounts for more strikes. Another trick is to cast the bug onto the water's surface, especially where slow-moving current is noticeable, and let it naturally drift without imparting any action. These methods seem to tantalize bass that are found around many types of cover. Rock piles, lily pads, heavy surface grass, and downed trees usually call for a slow, quiet, tantalizing retrieve. When fishing this type of structure with a bug, adding a weedguard made from mono or wire is necessary in order to prevent hangups.
Skating Retrieve
The skating retrieve is popular with traditional trout dry-fly fishers of the East, who designed heavily hackled flies that would skate across the water's surface, as well as steelhead and Atlantic salmon anglers. Skating a dry fly on the surface of the water is an exciting way to catch fish and a deadly and overlooked technique for bass.
Heavily hackled flies lend themselves to this presentation, but anglers have reported great success with a Floating Minnow fished in this manner. It's really very simple. Cast across and downstream at about a 45-degree angle to start. Follow the fly with your rod tip as it skates across the surface. When it reaches a point directly below you, twitch it a few times in case a bass has been following it, and then pick it up and cast it again.You can control the speed at which the fly travels across the surface of the water with mends. Mend upstream to slow the fly down, downstream to speed it up.
Bob Clouser is a Susquehanna River fly-fishing guide and owner of Clouser's Fly Shop in Middletown, Pennsylvania. In addition to Fly-Fishing for Smallmouth on Rivers and Streams, from which this article is excerpted, Clouser is the author of Clouser's Flies (Stackpole, 2006, 174 pages). Article copyright © 2007 by Bob Clouser.
(c) http://www.midcurrent.com/articles/techniques/clouser_smallmouth.aspx
Posted August 11th, 2010 by Jordan Ross |
A great way to fish the slow moving pools or deep rapids is with a Saugeen River Trout Float Rig. You still use light line with a trout bait but the setup is a little different. You have to estimate the depth of the water. Let say it's three feet deep. Put a trout float on your line about 2.75 feet up from your hook. Every 6 inches you would want to put a very tiny sinker on the line. Use the smallest you can find. The purpose of the sinkers is to control the way your bait floats down stream. With this method, your bait will be almost straight down from your float as it moves down stream. So what's the purpose? When a fish hits your line your float reacts at once. It also keeps your bait just off bottom and it prevents your line from floating sideways which causes snags. 
