"Bassin" With a Fly Rod

By Karl Power

   Pymatuning Reservoir has a tremendous bass fishing resource that is enjoyed by thousands of anglers each year. Bass fishing is open on the water impoundment throughout the year, with a daily limit of eight bass at least 12 inches in length. Although there are plenty of bass to go around, catch & release is encouraged to ensure the future of this spectacular bass fishing hot spot.

   Anglers flock to Pymatuning to catch bass and other game fish; and they usually do quite well. For most, fishing is done with bait casting and spinning rods. The rods are usually stiff, with heavy lines - much like those used on weekly television fishing shows. The baits and lures used for Pymatuning bass vary greatly; ranging from plastics to live baits and lures, such as top water and deep diving varieties. The popular spinner and buzz baits are also being thrown by anglers consistently.

   However, there is yet another way to enjoy the bass fishing experience. Go bassin’ with a fly rod and see just how exciting and challenging the limber rod can be against the powerful fight of a bass.

   Although bass can be taken nearly any time of the year on a fly rod, the “dog-days” of summer are by far the absolute best. In fact, you may be surprised at just how many bass can be taken with the unconventional method of bass fishing with a fly rod.

   Fellow outdoor writer, Dave Wolf and I frequently guide fishermen on area lakes, rivers and streams. Most of our fishing is done with fly rods - often including on the water instruction. On a number of outings, our clients opted to use conventional bass fishing tackle, while Dave and I stuck with the long fly rods. On just about every fishing day, we out-fished the other anglers by about five to one on bass with a fly rod.... We made a few “converts” in the process!

   The size of the bass you find can determine the weight of the fly rod and line best suited for the job at hand. Often, the same weight rod (5 or 6 weight) used for trout will work well for most bass. However, if the bass are consistently topping the five pound mark, you might be best advised to step up to a seven or eight weight rod. The fly rod you use for trout will always do the trick, but you must play the fish a lot longer. “Horsing” a hard-fighting bass could result in snapping a $200.00 fly rod in short order. With the limber fly rod, the bass fights both the rod as well as the line. The fight (an exciting experience) takes longer and must be done with finesse. Best of all, even a small bass is a real pleasure to fight on the fly rod.

   Most fly rod toting bass fishermen prefer a nine foot rod; simply because the length makes longer casts with less effort. Also preferred by many fly anglers, is the use of weight-forward floating line. The forward weight on line aids greatly in longer casts and accuracy to specific spots.

   Leaders with four-pound tippets should be at least nine feet long. This allows floating flies such as popping bugs to ride along the water’s surface with ease. If you switch to a streamer, the long leader will allow it to sink to an effective depth.

   Popping bugs, such as the Gaines popper work great for surface feeding bass. A long cast and a jerking retrieve trigger plenty of aggressive strikes from hungry bass. In most cases, you won’t have a problem recognizing the explosive strike of a bass on a surface fly. The splash of the water and surge of the line from the speeding bass will awaken any angler from the deepest daydream.

   Streamers such as the Clouser minnow also produce plenty of fly fishing action. A streamer pattern with flashy foil-type material always gets the attention of feeding bass. And again - you’ll know in an instant when the streamer fly is engulfed in the mouth of a hungry bass.

   Fly fishing for bass can be done from shore, by wading or from any stable boat. Some people , like myself, often fly fish from a canoe. It takes some practice, casting smoothly in a sitting position from a 24 foot canoe; but once mastered, the canoe can get you into some remote areas of water that harbor plenty of bass.

   Wading for bass during the summer months is a lot of fun as well. Imagine yourself waist-deep in the lake casting for bass. Suddenly, a smallmouth explodes from the water, engulfing your popping bug in its jaw and bending your limber fly rod nearly in half as it attempts to escape. At 25 feet away, it leaps from the waters surface and you find yourself actually looking upward at its flight into the air. The bass, a handsome one at that, struggles for nearly 10 minutes before it come to hand. You then gently unhook the fish and release it back into the water; knowing you just experienced bass fishing at its best.

   Try fly fishing for bass this season... And begin the sport at Pymatuning - one of the best hotspots in Western Pennsylvania or Eastern Ohio!