asherman

I have some loose categories of types of flies that like to have with me when I'm smallmouth fishing so I'm able to give the fish a variety of presentations. The actual patterns that I use within the categories change depending upon what I have been tying.

One category is heavy weighted flies (often olive colored) that can be hopped or dragged on the stream bottom. Hairy Fodders, Fuzzy Bugs, Meat Whistles, and crawfish patterns probably look like crawfish or sculpins to the bass. You need both subtle colors and bright colors depending upon the water clarity. Another category is minnow flies. I carry weighted sinking patterns like clouser minnows along with unweighted minnow patterns like Murdich Minnows for fishing high and low in the water column. I like to have a least a couple of flies that have lots of flash because sometimes the flash triggers the fish. A third category is surface flies. I have some loud surface flies like hard poppers or block heads, along with more subtle surface flies like tarantulas. The fourth category is nymphs, which are smaller flies that are dead drifted. Clouser swimming nymphs, small wooly buggers, and other nymph patterns often work well when larger flies don't.

Count me in.

Alan

Even if I got decked up with a shiny machined Abel Fly reel with a fancy anodized pattern most chicks would not be impressed and they would still consider me to be a fishing geek. I'm fine with that.

http://www.abelreels...rout-Flank.html

I do like fly reels that are light, durable, and able to work well after being gunked up with sand or grit. That is more important than a super drag system for fishing around here.

The Float N Fly does work on the Kish, or at least it has worked for me in the past.  My biggest Illinois smallmouth (19 1/2 inches) was caught on the South Branch of the Kish on a olive over white Float N Fly on the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend several years ago.

In my experience fishing the Float N Fly on the Kish I've done best in calm or slow moving deep water that was close to stronger current.  That kind of water is hard to find on the Kish now.  Several of the spots where I have successfully fished the Kish late in the season (including the spot where I caught the 19 1/2 incher) were so low and clear a month ago that I could clearly see most of the stream bottom and the fish that were in those spots.  If I waded into the these spots now, I would certainly spook the fish. That is the main reason why I have not tried any late season fishing on the Kish this year.

If I wanted to try fishing the Kish now, I would try some type of extreme finesse presentation, such at as tiny 1/32 oz jig fished on a ultra light rod or a #12 trout nymph fished with a small indicator.  I have caught smallies with these presentations in the the late fall and early spring.

With the extreme low water, I am concerned that a harsh winter could result in a winter kill.  The water has been so low this fall that some of the bass in the Kish and other small streams in Illinois have not been able to move to deep water spots where they can survive the winter.   I'm hoping that we get an early winter rain storm that will raise the water levels.

Breaking a rod while landing a large fish is not such a bad day.   Breaking a rod by slamming it in a door or some other equally dumb manner is bad day.  I've done the dumb alternative more times that I should admit.