# Bass on the Fly



## ottadad (Aug 28, 2014)

Does anyone out there fish for bass on the fly in Utah? I fish Southern Utah quite a bit in the summer with a traditional setup, and never see anyone fishing with a fly reel. I'm a student in Provo and fly fishing is my first and true love, but is it possible to merge the art of fly fishing with the excitement of bass angling in Utah? 

So to summarize:
A- Anyone have any success with bass on the fly?
B- Could my 6wt streamer pole keep bass from hanging me up without breaking?


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## Cazador (Sep 4, 2014)

I messed around with using Bass Poppers on my six weight at Mantua a few years ago. I caught a few bass on them (6-10 inchers) but I mainly caught the Bluegill. I was only fishing from the shore though if I had used a tube or pontoon boat I could have gotten to the areas where the bass usually hang out I would have probably caught more/ bigger Bass.


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## spacinout (Jul 19, 2014)

I used to fly fish for bass back in Nebraska, I haven't tried it here. Moved out here to chase trout so I've been chasing trout. I've caught a lot of bass on a fly rod, it's a blast! I used a float tube to fish for them so I could get into the spots I wanted to fish plus it's pretty hard to find a place to cast along the shore of a lake that is surrounded by trees, which is exactly where you find the bass. Being on the water obviously makes the casting easier. I knew a lot of guys who used kayaks to fly-fish for bass. A 6wt is fine, the issue isn't breaking the rod but finding something heavy enough to cast out the big poppers and streamers used for bass.


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## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

There's a guy in Utah named Cheech who is an expert at it. But, I've also heard him say why use fly gear when the regular gear for bass is so effective and actually easier (or something like that).


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## Packfish (Oct 30, 2007)

HighNDry said:


> There's a guy in Utah named Cheech who is an expert at it. But, I've also heard him say why use fly gear when the regular gear for bass is so effective and actually easier (or something like that).


And Cheech was the man-

There used to be a pond in Cache Valley (Young Ward) that you could fish- a lot of very nice bass it - You could catch bass on a popper and a fly rod- but it really was a pain- very mossy- a 6wt you could make work- but a beefier 7 or 8 was needed there and that really made it no fun- usually fish for a 1/2 hour or so with the fly rod and put it down and pick up the proper gear for the task.


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## massmanute (Apr 23, 2012)

Packfish said:


> There used to be a pond in Cache Valley (Young Ward) that you could fish- a lot of very nice bass it


Is that pond in Cache Valley what they called "pelican pond", which is not the same thing as pelican lake?


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## spacinout (Jul 19, 2014)

Yeah I've caught a lot more bass on spinning gear than I ever have on a fly rod. But I have caught A LOT of bluegill on a 6wt with a wooly bugger.


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## MarkM (Sep 7, 2007)

I fly fished for bass a ton last year and had a blast. I can't say if fly fishing for bass is harder or easier than in spinning gear as I have never bass fished with spinning gear. I have done so well with a fly rod I don't plan in it.

A 5 or 6 weight will be fine for most of your bass fishing unless your throwing big bugs. A olive bead head bugger on an intermediate line worked great at most the places I fished for bass. Give it a try!


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## Packfish (Oct 30, 2007)

massmanute said:


> Is that pond in Cache Valley what they called "pelican pond", which is not the same thing as pelican lake?


 Yes it was


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## fishreaper (Jan 2, 2014)

The fly fishing gear I more or less inherited was typically used to catch white bass off of underwater lights at docks by imitating the various creatures who fall into the water. The light is typically so murky and silhouetted by the light that you could throw just about what ever you want into the water. 

I'll see if I can't find a picture of the silly little flies he used.


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## fishreaper (Jan 2, 2014)

He got bored and instead started using rattletraps to catch striped bass at the lights. I must admit, they are fun.


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## bigred (Mar 5, 2012)

Yep, I do it frequently in Mantua. I pretty much only fly fish when I'm at Mantua anymore, it's much more fun to catch bass and bluegill on the fly rod than it is on spinning gear. Try using Leech patterns of various types, sized too big for the bluegill if you're specifically after bass, otherwise you will spend all your time unhooking bluegill instead of catching bass. Try various retrieves until you tune in to how aggressive they are that day.


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## neverdrawn (Jan 3, 2009)

I often fish for smallmouth and wipers with a six weight. Last year I landed a 7 pound wiper after a twenty minute battle. I think towing my pontoon around is what finally wore him out to the point I could land him! I like to use big wooley buggers. zonkers, and pistol petes and have caught some really nice smallies as well as wipers. As to "why" fish for them with a fly rod, once you've battled one into submission with a fly rod you never want to do it with anything else.


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## HighNDry (Dec 26, 2007)

neverdrawn said:


> I often fish for smallmouth and wipers with a six weight. Last year I landed a 7 pound wiper after a twenty minute battle. I think towing my pontoon around is what finally wore him out to the point I could land him! I like to use big wooley buggers. zonkers, and pistol petes and have caught some really nice smallies as well as wipers. As to "why" fish for them with a fly rod, once you've battled one into submission with a fly rod you never want to do it with anything else.


I have heard many fly rodders claim that it is more pleasurable for them to fish with conventional gear when angling for bass. They claim they can cast easier, work the lure easier, and play the fish better. I don't see much difference in battling them to submission with one or the other, but I can see where casting and working a lure would be better with conventional gear. I don't think using a fly rod makes you a better angler or puts a bigger smile on your face. To each their own I suppose. I would imagine all the pro bassers would be using fly rods in the tourneys if they were a superior method.


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## fishnate (Sep 11, 2007)

I've done it with both. For my style of fishing I prefer baitcasting and spinning gear so I can work in and around heavier cover. It is definitely a hoot to nail a nice 17" bass on fly gear. I feel far more limited to open water, rock or weed edges when going after bass with fly gear. I just don't have the leverage to winch them out of thick weed growth on a fly rod. I would definitely encourage you to try them on a fly rod, but you just have to pick your situation so you can be most successful.


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## Greenhead_Slayer (Oct 16, 2007)

YouTube can be a great resource. This is a video of someone fly fishing Mantua, not sure what bodies of water down South you are looking for but YouTube search it. You can pick out pretty quick type of fly, retrieve, general area, etc. 




I leave my flyrod home anymore while chasing bass. Like the video shows, you catch a lot of smaller fish. It was always too difficult for me to try to keep the little ones off long enough to find a bigger one. Any of your leach patterns will work, any clouser minnow type patterns work, occasionally you can get by trailing a pheasant tail behind an attractor pattern and have some doubles. If you ever make it up North and want to get out let me know, I've got a boat and fish Mantua quite a bit.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

HighNDry said:


> I don't think using a fly rod makes you a better angler...


I agree. One type of gear vs another is not the determination of "who's better than who".



HighNDry said:


> ...or puts a bigger smile on your face.


It does for me. But, like you said, "to each their own...".

I find fishing with a fly rod, no matter the species, more pleasurable. Striped bass, smallmouth, wipers, chum salmon, brown trout, lake trout, rainbows, tiger musky.....the list goes on and on. For me, I'd much rather use my fly rod to catch fish. That doesn't mean I don't use spinning gear. Sometimes the situation just does not prove right to use fly rod's. But sometimes the challenge of trying to catch those fish on fly rod is just too tempting.

Wipers on a fly rod are the only way to go (for me). I also love catching stripers on a fly rod. Tiger musky can be a challenge, but landing 8 in one day on a fly rod is a feat I don't know if I can ever match, whether I use spinning gear or not! Anyone can land a spring with a heavy spinning rod and reel -- but doing it on a 10# fly rod is an accomplishment I have only failed at (**** salmon-eating tree!).

I love fishing with a fly rod. If the fish swims, I want to catch it with the fly rod, no matter how unconventional it might be.


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