[Dave Perkins]

Firstly to say hello to everyone on this forum from a newish member. It is a great source of info and a big help, there is always so much to learn in this game. Thanks to all.

My post is a question regarding fly fishing for bass.

Now I have had relative sucess using lures over the years, and recently on soft plastics, but I have always wanted to give flies a go.

My question is has anyone had sucess in fishing a fly for bass, other than going the whole hog and buying a specific fly set up and fishing `traditionally` if you like.

It seems to me that you have two obvious problems :

a) Delivering the fly out to the fishing ground.
b) Presenting and working the fly to the fish in a correct, or rather lifelike and therefore successful, manner.


I have read articles where bubble foats have been used to deliver, but I am not sure for instance how this affects the actual working of the fly or indeed if it is really succssful.

Anyone any experience or thoughts on this and other methods?

Cheers

Dave

 

[PeteB]

Having only fly fished for trout a handlfull of times I am not in a position to advise you but have you looked at Jin Hendrick's pages here:

http://www.probassfisher.com/search/label/saltwater fly fishing

http://www.probassfisher.com/search/label/saltwater fly fishing tips

 

[Mark Sleep]

I am assuming from your post you just want to fish flies on your normal lure gear without shelling out for a fly outfit? If so, one word - BOMBARDA!

I have recently bought a range of Bombardas in different weights, from 5g for LRF up to 20g for distance stuff, in floating and slow sinking. I intend on fishing weightless soft plastics and flies with them.

Its a new technique for me, but am hopefully going to be getting some coaching from K&K amongst others on the various ways to fish them, drifting with current etc.

 

[Dave Perkins]

Thanks Mark, where did you manage to buy the Bombardas from? I couldn`t find any, and bought some similar ones from Sbirulino.

 

[Mark Sleep]

Same thing really. I bought some from a seller on eBay in Germany and some from Askari.co.uk. I now know that Mick (Mr Fish) about two minutes down the road does them I believe, but they're not on the website so you'd have to call.

 

[Retired]

I am assuming from your post you just want to fish flies on your normal lure gear without shelling out for a fly outfit? If so, one word - BOMBARDA!

I have recently bought a range of Bombardas in different weights, from 5g for LRF up to 20g for distance stuff, in floating and slow sinking. I intend on fishing weightless soft plastics and flies with them.

Its a new technique for me, but am hopefully going to be getting some coaching from K&K amongst others on the various ways to fish them, drifting with current etc.

I'd be interested to hear what length traces are being used/suggested. When this thing was all the rage in the late 80's local anglers were using 12' carp rods and the French were using 13ft+ rods to achieve the desired trace length of 6ft+. No doubt there has been a renaissance in terms of thinking around traces - we didn't have fluorocarbon back then.

 

[Mark Sleep]

Long ones Paul! But there is a kind of roll cast you can do to get out the long traces apparently. Another thing I need to learn...

 

[Mick Ward]

I have never had a bass on a fly rod so just passing on what I have heard Keith and Kev saying, but I know they strongly believe if you want bass on the fly its best to not strip back the line much, if any at all.I am sure they will explain it better than me but find currant anf let the fly drift all you can in the flow, I think.

Bombardos!! Its another method I have to try in certain situations this year!! Paul is right though and I hadnt thought about it, but when me and some old mates used to use Bulrags etc with jellyworms years ago we were using 12ft carp rods indeed, with 6ft to 8ft snoods.

 

[Bagpuss]

I have never had a bass on a fly rod so just passing on what I have heard Keith and Kev saying, but I know they strongly believe if you want bass on the fly its best to not strip back the line much, if any at all.I am sure they will explain it better than me but find currant anf let the fly drift all you can in the flow, I think.

That's ok if you are fishing in a current, if you are fishing in relatively shallow water with no lateral current, you do need to move the fly otherwise you will get snagged up. A slow retrieve near the sea bed should work, unless the bass are obviously hitting bait on the surface.