Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition 3811 May 10-24 2019 | Page 10

8 May 10 - 24, 2019 VOL.38 • ISS. 11 Catch & Release Fishing! Hook More & Bigger Fish With Flies... Fur And Feathers: Your Guide To Fly Roding For Bass By Cal Kellogg Picture the scene, your deer hair mouse lands delicately along the edge of the tules. You begin twitching the fly forward. Suddenly the water bulges, the tules shutter and you see the sleek green largemouth as it rushes the fly. The rod This chunky Delta largemouth couldn’t resist a traditional cork, snaps upward feather and fur surface popper. Photo courtesy of KIENE’S FLY SHOP, Sacramento. drawing into a graceful arc as the bass surges out of the water with the hair mouse pinned to its lip… Are you ready for the thrill and challenge of fly rod bass fishing? Fly fishing has the undeserved reputation as being a complicated and expensive endeavor, yet there are rod reel and line combos for under $70 that will do the job nicely. That’s less than you expect to pay for a comfortable bait casting or spinning rig. Fly rods are rated by line weight. The smaller the line weight the more delicate the rig. For bass, you’ll want to stick with a 7 or 8 weight rod that is 9 feet in length. Once you’ve settled on a rod, reel and line the next step is buying a commercial tapered leader or two in weights that are heavy enough for bass fishing. The heavy section attaches to the fly line while the fly attaches to the light end. The taper is critical since this is what caused the leader to lay out straight. The light end of my bass leaders are typically 12 to 15-pound test. Hardcore fly anglers utilize sinking lines to probe depths to 20 and beyond. The casual enthusiast should stick with This bass smashed a yellow, orange and green diver. A fly like this is fished a lot like you’d fish a floating line to target bass from the surface to 8 feet deep or so. fire tiger floating Rapala. Photo courtesy of THE FLY STOP, San Diego. Fun Fly Fishing experiences for Beginners and Experienced Anglers. We Teach FLY FISHING! www.MoJoBella.com Steve Crosetti | 530-333-3484 • mojobella@gmail.com 3810 THE FISH SNIFFER (833)-347-4661 FISH SNIFFER DIGITAL!!! magazine.fishsniffer.com For shallow water fishing, there are three basic types of flies, surface bugs, divers, and streamers. The most effective surface bugs are made out of deer hair to resemble mice or frogs and should be worked accordingly. A diver is minnow shaped with a deer hair head and a long feather body. These flies are worked like a floating minnow plug. At rest, they set on the surface. When retrieved with a series of tugs and pauses they dive and display a rise and drop action When black bass are feeding beneath the surface on that predators can’t resist. threadfin shad and other baitfish, streamers like the Streamers are sinking flies Dustin’s Destroyer imbedded in this largemouth’s lip are a great choice. constructed of feathers and Photo courtesy of THE FLY STOP, San Diego. fur. These flies are tied to imitate baitfish. Think of streamers as suspending crankbaits. After casting the streamer, allow it to sink to the desired depth and then work it along with an erratic strip and pause retrieve. The biggest adjustment you’ll have to make when switching from conven- tional tackle to fly gear is the means of retrieving line. With conventional gear the reel is used to move the lure through the water. To work a fly, run the line between the index and middle fingers of the rod hand and retrieve line by striping it in with your free hand. When you hook a fish the fingers on the rod hand act as your drag. When the fish runs release line. When the bass weakens keep the line tight by stripping line in. The classic places for using flies are cover choked waters, but don’t hesitate using them in rocky open water reser- voirs. I’ve had some memorable days This Delta largemouth blitzed a deer hair targeting Folsom’s acrobatic spots and surface fly worked along a rip rap lined smallmouths with yellow divers worked bank. over rocky structure. Photo courtesy of EDGEWATER OUTFITTERS, Sacramento. Ranch for Sale Buy an exclusive membership with cabin on over 800 acres on the upper Owens River. Share holders enjoy 5 miles of blue-ribbon trout stream affording sensational fishing. (multiple browns and rainbows over 20” to 6 lbs) on the upper Owens River. This has been said to be some of the best fishing in the west. Ideal for family to create wonderful memories or a dream for fishermen looking for seclusion to fish a private river. Located just 20 minutes from Mammoth Lakes. The cabin is built with Cedar Logs, low-maintenance, and gorgeous views www.buymammothlakes.com of river, meadows and snow cap mountains. Fishing is just steps out the door. House is off the grid, powered by photo-voltaic system with back-up generator. Newer deck. $1,199,000 Call KELLY LEE TURNER Call/Text 808-225-2061 REALTOR-ASSOCIATE LIC. 02011212 kelly@snowcreekproperty.com SNOWCREEK PROPERTY COMPANY 5 FAIRWAY DR, MAMMOTH LAKES 93546 3811