First Bass!!

Spurchaser

Spurchaser

Well-known member
Some may remember a post I made about wanting to learn about fly fishing last Fall. Well a well known member on here gifted me a couple of nice fly reels and a small box of flies. I finally saved up the money for a “decent” fly rod and decided now is as good of a time as any to start the learning process.

I went yesterday and realized I’d gotten everything needed except flies to bass fish with. Luckily in that little box with all the trout flies were two “top water” flies that I thought were big enough to work. Yesterday was mainly a “trial run” so to speak. You know, one of those trips to sorta work the kinks out. So yeah, I caught nothing unless trees and brush count.

Last night I got online and watched videos until I couldn’t keep my eyes open and ordered me a bunch of flies that hopefully will have bass fighting to see who can devour them first.

It wasn’t quite as windy today and the sun was bright. I got my casting dialed in at the first spot I tried but no takers. I moved to another spot on the bank and caught my first ever bass on a fly rod and fly!!! Yeah, he’s the size of some baits I’ve used, but I was HAPPY!!

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After that boost of confidence I moved around to the other side of the pond and caught a few more. Nothing huge, but I didn’t care!! I was catching bass on a fly rod!!!

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Don P thanks so much man!! I had a blast with this!! I already see maybe a 3wt and 8wt in my future!!!
 
Awesome, congratulations on you're inaugural run! Flyfishing can be addicting. It can be as simple a casting a few flies for bass or as complex as spey casting for Atlantics!

I've been heavily involved in flyfishing for about 30 years and have fished for many species both fresh and salt water, single overhand and spey. I've gotten so involved in fact that I started a small company designing/machining fly reels and center-pin reels.

Keep at it, it's a life long sport that is very satisfying with many rewards and can be pursued your entire life. We had one fella at our Atlantic salmon camp that celebrated his 100th year while in camp! He was an incredible man.
 
Always wear a brimmed hat and eye protection. Had shoulder surgery years ago an recovered with fly fishing. Wolly Buggers work well for bass. Got a few bites from small blue gill Friday, saw the flash of a big bass but no bite. I have the 3 & 8 wt but normally use the 5 wt. Poppers are fun for blue gill.
 
CJ and Zac were out there with me fishing conventional gear. The fish just weren’t really biting. They each caught 3 I believe using Texas rigged worms.

I went back to feed about 1645 and was gonna meet the wife and Zac at car wash at 1800. Once I got to the back part of the property, I remembered the pond we call the Warmouth pond. It has 2 sides I can cast from so I figured since I’d mud bogged my way back there I might as well go check it out.

I rigged up the rod with the hopper and proceeded to catch fish about every other cast!! Bass were about the same size as before with one about 1.5#!! He was fun as heck!!
 
That sounds like a lot of fun. Only in recent years have I fished for bass, but not with a fly rod. Bass are fun to catch though, and I can see why it's so popular. Hope you get into a pile more!
 
Not an expert at all and really don’t know how to fish them except to strip a couple of times and pause. It was during the pause that they’d nail it. I’m using floating line and just let it sink with the leader. Again I’m learning through trial and error, 😝
 
Almost all sinking flies act the same, you get the strike on take-up after stripping. Strip, let sink just a BIT. quick short tug, then repeat. Bait moves quick, stops and sinks a bit the starts the 'move' again. Most bites on the 'move'. Jerk too hard and they drop the bait.
 
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