[baldmountain]

Let me start by saying that this book has nothing to do with Spey Casting. But in actuality it does...

This book tends to follow the basic dogma that the best Bass fly rod is an 8 wt rod with either a sinking tip if you need to get flys down or a floating line for fishing topwater bugs. For most, this is just right. But there is more to Bass fishing than an 8 wt rod. Many people are discovering that much lighter gear is better suited to Bass fishing than tackle suitable for SaltWater angling. In some cases people are using 1 and even 0 wt rods and catching bigger and more Bass. They are not throwing the big bass bugs into weed choked lakes. They are thorwing size 12 spiders and even dry flies.

Having said that this book really does set the standard for smallmouth Bass fishing. It provides a good number of techniques and decribes how to catch smallmouth Bass in a way that will get you started right away. The techniques will work just about anywhere Bass live. There are even a good number of usefull Fly patterns with tying instructions in the back to get your fly collection started.

So why review a Bass Fly fishing book on Speypages? Becasue most places don't have stealhead or salmon waters to fish. In fact more places are likely to have bass water than stealhead/salmon water. And lets face it, we want to fish and we want to Spey cast to those fish. Based on the pictures in the book a good number of the rivers Mr. Murry fishes are wonderful Spey casting rivers. In other words I'm going to drag a good number of Bass fisherman into Spey casting and a good number of you Spey casters into bass fishing.

So, skip over the section on tackle. We already know a Spey rod is the way to go. Read the rest of the book on techniques and the flies. I highly recommend this book.

 

[SalmonRiverNY]

Like your review. I think your right on target. There are plenty of rivers that have seasonal runs of salmon/steelhead then off season are littered with smallmouth. Allows me to fish thought the year and learn the river and practice spey casting. The only difference is I like to swing/strip the flies with bass.

 

[scottky]

I am a recent convert. My home waters are full of smallmouth and largemouth. I recently got to into spey fishing for these species. I can cover more water with a switch/spey rod.

 

[jimlucey]

sm bass

smallies , the poor man's steelhead or "what i did on my summer vacation " . a 15" smallmouth from my home river + a 4 weight rod = fun, wow !
thanks , jim:smokin:

 

[CdnRivrAngler]

I have been recently skating flies for smallies on my home waters and I will tell you its amazingly fun on an 11ft 7wt rod. I would love to get a 5wt and do this.

 

[aviomech]

I have been using my 6wt spey and switches on the John Day River in Oregon. This river can be classified as "infested" with smallmouth bass. There is no limit in the regs for size or quantity you can keep. A clouser minnow fly in most any color will bring a fish damn near every other cast. You need to catch about 10-12 to before you get a decent sized one. A normal day will bring 8-14 "keepers". Being from Michigan, it make me feel at home. Not too many people out west here are interested in bass, that just leaves more river space for me! Best time is late April thru June, after that, the river get really drained from agriculture irrigation.

My gear:

Rods:
An ACR Nova 12'6" 6 wt
Nextcast FF45 4/5wt
10' tapered leader
3' 6 lbs Maxima

St Croix Imperial 11' 6wt switch.
SGS 420gr Scandit line
10' Clear Intermediate sinktip
3' 6 lbs Maxima

Flies:
-Clouser minow - green/white or blue/white
-black horsefly
-any dragonfly pattern (the John Day has tons of dragonflies)

The rods are overkill for the size fish, but I use them for the heavier lines to cut through the wind that does plague the John Day canyon. A 3/4 or 4/5 wt Microspey would be better.

 

[CdnRivrAngler]

That sounds awesome! I want to get a lighter spey/switch as well just for bass and residents. Would be killer fun.

Have you tried skating anything at all for them? Big attractor patterns are awesome and do quite well. Do you get any big mayfly hatches like a Hex? On my rivers here they should be starting anytime now, the bass here destroy them.

 

[Philly-Jeff]

The rods are overkill for the size fish, but I use them for the heavier lines to cut through the wind that does plague the John Day canyon. A 3/4 or 4/5 wt Microspey would be better.

I have a 3 Microspey (=5wt single handed), I would have to say there isn't enough horse power to cut the breeze with LARGER FLIES/BIG RIVERS. I use my 7wt 15' spey on the big rivers wether I'm swinging for trout, bass, shad, stripers or steelhead.

 

[aviomech]

I have a 3 Microspey (=5wt single handed), I would have to say there isn't enough horse power to cut the breeze with LARGER FLIES/BIG RIVERS. I use my 7wt 15' spey on the big rivers wether I'm swinging for trout, bass, shad, stripers or steelhead.

You are correct. That's why I use a 6 wt. What I should have said is a 3/4 wt microspey would more fun to fish in respect to the size of the smallies on the JD. We don't have any Lake Erie size smallmouth out here. At least none I have seen.