05-26-2018, 05:30 PM
Yeah last year I primarily used a fly rod at Deer Creek. I've done fairly well with standard streamers and nymphs. My typical rig is a minnow or crawdad imitating streamer (sparkle minnow, woolly buggers, ice pick, etc) followed by a size 12 or so nymph (prince nymph, hare's ear, flying squirrel, whatever). Sometimes there's a few mayflies coming off, and then the nymph will do better. Without any bugs, the streamer usually does better. I like nymphs that are tied in a fairly conspicuous way--smallies seem to prefer them to more subtle patterns, but who knows?
For a nice comparison, a friend of mine used primarily soft plastics. I found that early in the season, I could match him fish for fish, or sometimes even pull ahead. But after the water got warm--for whatever reason--I could never match soft plastics with flies. My guess--although i haven't done this comparison directly--is that live bait will also take bigger fish than flies.
Later in the summer I've also caught smallmouths on topwater flies--gurglers or chernobyl ants, stripped back. I think I might give that a try against live bait and see how it goes.
I wish I were enough of a purist to stick with the fly rod, but sometimes I give in to the temptation of more bites
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For a nice comparison, a friend of mine used primarily soft plastics. I found that early in the season, I could match him fish for fish, or sometimes even pull ahead. But after the water got warm--for whatever reason--I could never match soft plastics with flies. My guess--although i haven't done this comparison directly--is that live bait will also take bigger fish than flies.
Later in the summer I've also caught smallmouths on topwater flies--gurglers or chernobyl ants, stripped back. I think I might give that a try against live bait and see how it goes.
I wish I were enough of a purist to stick with the fly rod, but sometimes I give in to the temptation of more bites
[signature]