The following video was shot with my video glasses in a small stream in Southern Indiana.
I am using a silver, size 6, minnow or shad imitation that I tied that has done very well. The smallies in our area have been feverishly chasing these minnows into the shallows and I have had a lot of luck casting ahead and into the shallows and then making a quick retrieve with short, irregular strips of the fly. When in deeper pools I allow the fly to sink and place it in front of cover before stripping and retrieving the fly…or I cast parallel with the cover and once again make quick erratic strips of the fly, allowing time for the fly, the minnow, to look as though it has died or is in the process of dying.
I think you will find this pattern very effective during July and August when the water in the pools is clear and low as this is the time the bigger fish load up on the small minnows. When you near a pool, take time to look and observe the pool for movement, wakes in the water and for sure…for escaping minnows as this is a no brainer that a big predatory fish is on the hunt. I then take additional time to plan a cast….it doesn’t always work but when it does…the take is fantastic. Good luck to you and many bent rods.
Share This Post with Your Friends ...
Low Water Fly Fishing Tactics for Smallmouth
In today’s video adventure I am once again back on the upper St Croix River with my good buddy, Duane. We do 3-4 miles of clear and low river water in search of big smallmouth and luckily along the way … we find a few! On this day it was a trifecta of issues; low […]
A Lazy Day for Smallmouth and Pike On The Fly
Another day on the upper St Croix River and another great adventure for my good friend Duane and myself. The air was cool and there was some rain in and around us … barometer was falling and the fish were biting, especially a few big pike and smallmouth bass. What a complete treasure to have […]
Up Close and Personal: One Of My Best Smallmouth Days Ever!
Another awesome day on the St Croix River … lots of smallmouth bass and several over 16 inches with the largest coming in a tad over 20 inches. Every once in a while all the stars align as they did on this day and the fish are up and eager to eat one of my […]
The Highs and Lows of Fly Fishing
If you have watched any of my videos then you probably have seen the bible verse at the end slide of each video, Gal 6:9. There are a few versions but the one I stuck on as a kid is as follows: Let us not get tired in doing what is right, for after a […]