Micropterus dolomieu (Small Mouth Bass)

Just in case you think that I have or I am writing about a disease….think again as this is the scientific name for the smallmouth bass. Micropterus means small fin and I would have thought that stood for smallmouth; the second part is named after a French Mineralogists with the last name of Dolomieu. I guess they didn’t ask me but if they had I might have given a scientific name of “Fightus hardus” or “Breakus linus”; either way I have fallen in love with our native bass and over the past few weeks have stumbled my way through many southern Indiana streams in search of this hard fighting, bronze colored cousin of the largemouth. The absolute distinction between large and small mouth species comes via its jaw or mouth. The smallies mouth or rear crease of the mouth doesn’t extend past its eye whereas the largemouth’s will hinge well behind the large predatory eye.

The past few weeks has afforded me and my boys some quality time together in hot pursuit of these bronze bombers. If you are not familiar with their habitat or are wondering what types of streams and lakes hold these hard fighting fish; look to streams with water temps that stay below 70 degrees throughout the year. In our area we have many spring fed streams that flow over limestone bedrocks with cool springs that flow into them making for a perfect mixture of cool clean water that is just what the doctor ordered for Mr. Smallmouth.

This past week all three of us (Harrison and Jonas) played hopscotch and parked our cars at different points whereby we walked portions of a few streams. Water conditions are very important and the water was up a little from normal but flowing clean and clear as we made our way down the streams, fly rods and streamers in hand. If you haven’t fished for our native bass then one thing for sure is stealth. I am amazed at how touchy these fish are and how much they remind me of the wily trout that I get to chase in other states. One thing for sure…when approaching a hole you need to move your feet quietly and if casting a fly rod be prepared to cast your line ahead of your position in the creek. I like to think about casting to what I can’t see yet or what may be just ahead of me lurking, ready to ambush a fleeting minnow, creek chub or crayfish.

I have worked hard over the past couple years to develop a fly that gets the job done with these sharp eyed and wily fish; I have settled on a streamer that has a little weight, to help in getting the fly down and two basic colors, silver and green. I am not saying that many other colors won’t work…I am sure they will but for me I am fly fishing and tying a pattern I refer to as my ‘Irish Jig’. I have also tried fishing the jig in a bunch of ways and have settled in on casting from within the stream and above, working the fly either back up stream or cross stream and giving it time to sink and fall; creating a yo-yo motion that seems to be the ticket.  Now….I’m not saying that these finicky bass have not snubbed their noses at me as they have. Just this past week I caught a 15 inch smallie out of a hole and followed it up with a chunky 13 inch fish. When I got to a point where I could use the sun to see into the hole I could see that there were a number of fish working the pool and one was a monster, clearly much larger than the others. I watched as he swam over to my fly, hovered over it and then swam away like a snooty diner! I couldn’t believe it and thus I started tying on one pattern after the other; I tried 10 different flies and had all but retired to the fact that this fish was untouchable. I had one large, black wooly bugger on my patch that I had used earlier in the spring in Missouri for trout and decided to try it. I made a cast upstream and allowed the bugger to flow into the hole. The fly settled on the bottom and my behemoth fish slid over, waited and watched, I gave a short twitch and he picked it up! I strip set the line and had hooked the fish…the leap and the excitement that came next will long live in my memory as this large smallie came out of the water, not once, but twice and the battle was on. I was fishing my Cabela’s TQR (Tight Quarters Rod) in a 2 weight with 2x tippet and knew that I had to keep the fish out of trouble yet at the same time had to move it out of the hole. I reeled and then the fish stripped out the same amount of line; one more time, reel as fast as possible then wait as he took the line back out. This went on for a few minutes and I was just starting to feel like I had the upper hand when the fly came un-buttoned. No break offs, the fly just popped loose.

Seldom have I felt this sick to my stomach but there I stood, no one to share my pain as my big fish returned to the bottom of ‘his’ hole.  What is it they say….better to have loved and lost?  I will be back and we will tussle again…but for a fleeting moment I had done battle with a trophy and it was a grand few minutes.  Our streams and lakes are the perfect stress reliever and there for the experiencing.  I hope that you will find the time to throw on an old pair of shoes, jeans and wade down a bubbling creek in search of Micropterus dolomieu and all the while; Enjoying the Great Outdoors.