Fly Box Sneak Peek II - Bass

[Fishidiot]

My primary warm water fly box - mostly stuff for smallies. I like a lot of big, heavy, rubber leg nymphs which I fish dead drift with a smaller nymph as a dropper. Bass really like the big nymph and the dropper just nails the redbreast sunfish. The small orange nymphs are a favorite for carp and I keep at least one giant streamer with a wire bite tippet in my bass boxes in case a shot at a musky presents itself. The usual Clousers and poppers round out much of what I throw at smallies day in and day out.

 

[maximus]

love it. Especially the musky part that's a great idea ... Stealing it!

 

[Maurice]

Yummy!

 

[JasonS]

Very nice. Looks like my smallie fly box, although I have a few crayfish patterns and sneaky pete's. The sneaky petes are by far my favorite top water fly for smallies.

 

[flyfishermanj]

NICE!!! Come on warm weather!!

JH

 

[Acristickid]

Nice box.

This whole warm water fishing thing opens up another world of fly fishing and not nearly as far away as trout- here in SW PA.

 

[tracker12]

Fishidiot
Where do you get the long thin pencil poppers. I also second those rubber legged nymphs. I love to tie a Bluegill Bully off of a larger fly. I have had a bluegill hit the f=dropper fly and have a smallie take the top fly while it is flapping around from the pan fish fight.

 

[Fishidiot]

tracker,
The pencil popper bodies are a form of hard resin that floats. They have to be attached to the hook with epoxy glue - I find they're very durable. Mine are purchased at Yellow Breeches Outfitters (I can't recall the brand). I think the big box fly shops have 'em too.

 

[tracker12]

Thnaks for the info. I'll check them out next time I'm in the area.

 

[Fishidiot]

tracker,
I should also point out that they come only in white. I paint my poppers with basic artist's acrylic paint and then give 'em a coat of spray polyurathane before putting 'em in the vise and tying the rest of the fly. If you have some enamel model paint, it would work fine for these hard bodies poppers.

 

[Brownout]

You fish the Susky right? I think I see some hellgramite nymphs in your box. Is there a wet hellgramite, or do they always travel to shore to transform into Dobsonflies. Do you knick those nymphs right off the bottom?

 

[Fishidiot]

Brownout,
Yes, they're helgrammites. I fish 'em near the bottom, standard, high stick method. A more detailed discussion of helgy flies with a closer photo can be seen on a recent thread (I think titled "Helgrammites").
The Susky is loaded with these bugs but I only find 'em rolling rocks in riffles with fairly good current. During the spring, when they're on the move I suppose you could find 'em anywhere.