What to use?

[pomerob]

Ok I have decided, I am going to a private farm dam where the bass are plentiful so I am going to give them a go on fly for the first time. What flies would you regular fly fisherman recommend I have in my arsenal as far as flies are concerened. I have fast sinking, intermediate and floating line for my 7wt.

[Guest]

A mate of mine uses a red surface popper, it looks like it's made of bristles with a feathery little tail. I get quite sick watching him nail the little bass on that thing, just about shot for shot.

[pomerob]

I have several popper flies that I bought for tiger fish, about 3 inches long. I am sure these would work. What say the experts???

[robdog]

I have several bass flies that I got from Angling Africa that I have not given a faitr try. They are basically poppers, streamers and big wooly buggers in various sizes and colours.

[pomerob]

I have never seen you fly fish for bass :-?

[robdog]

I don't do it often, but I think I will in Newcastle!

[oli]

hi pomerob,
try some wooly buggers in natural ccolours like olive or brown , you should get something on that.

[pomerob]

I have lots of the standard trout flies i.e wolly bugger, walkers killer, Mrs simpson, white death, ddd etc etc I though specfic bass flies would be slightly bigger, actually a lot bigger.

[Guest]

Hi Pomerob,

My favourites are the following:

Subsurface - no.6 or larger Woolly Bugger with heavy brass bead. Totally black or black with contrasting tail like chartreuse. Also try the Eel Worm - similar to a Wooly Bugger, but with dumbell eyes, longer body hackle and and two or three long (up to 3")grizzly hackles for the tail. Fish right on the bottom with short hops. Both these patterns are fairly heavy and since casting is always slightly compromised from a tube - watch out for the fly on the forward cast. It will easily damage a graphite rod or your head :oops:

Polistickles or Kent's Baby Rainbow are good fry imitations and almost always successful in the shallows.

However, nothing beats Old Bucketmouth hitting a surface fly. A Dahlberg Diver (up to 5" made from deer hair) is always good. A sharp retrieve will cause it to dive up to about 6" while pushing a lot of water. On the pause it returns to the surface with the rubber legs and marabou feathers fluttering enticingly. Hits are normally savage with the fly stationary.

Normal DDD's are also good for smaller fish.

[lazy-ike]

hey pomee i've nailed them with wooly buggers, poppers, nymphs, and surface lures. i've caught most with surface lures like mice and poppers
booooooyah

[pomerob]

Thanks Ike I have some mouse flies which I will definately try, actually they look like an oversize ddd with a pointy nose :lol: Thanks again for the advise.

[Guest]

I was just going thru the latest issue of INWATER Africa, and found an excellent article on fly-fishing for bass. As you had just brought this topic up, I thought it was quite appropriate, but when I read a little further, I realised it was REALLY appropriate. I wish I had the time to translate the whole article for you, as it is written in Afrikaans by Abr? J. Steyn.

These are two of the images:-




He is not using flies or poppers! <img src="http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_1_10.gif" alt="SmileyCentral.com" border="0">

He apparantly caught excellent fish and really enjoyed this style of fishing with small cranks and Ike's.

In his article he says (translated): "... and went home. I had proven my point! If I call this 'fly-fishing', some 'purist' fly-fisherman will want to stone me, but I feel 'vere'." :lol:

[lazy-ike]

tuning you lank my chronie ike's the shyte 8-) :lol:

[pomerob]

Jeepers I wouldnt want one of those cranks whizzing past my ear.

[Guest]

Jeepers I wouldnt want one of those cranks whizzing past my ear.

Come on pomerob, 'Dis be Afriiika, maan'. Nothing ventured nothing gained, or like they say in the Freestate "nothing ventured ....................., ja, nothing ventured. :lol: