I’m on my way down to the Mid Atlantic. Trout are in the plans, but the real target that I have is smallmouth bass.

These fish are so incredibly fun on the fly rod. They take dries, nymphs, and streamers. And you may have heard that they’re willing to chase a popper, too. There are few things as pleasant as standing waist deep in a river on a warm summer day, casting to splashes as the sun sets.

Interested?

Below, you’ll find some things to really whet your appetite:

• A quick look at smallmouth gear.
• An argument for waiting until the last minute (of daylight) to get on the water.
• A podcast on the subject of warm water fly fishing aimed at beginners.

Read both articles and listen to the podcast below by clicking on the images or titles:

Smallmouth: A Fly Gear Primer

While trout gear will get the job done in many situations, the angler who chooses to chase smallmouth with regularity will want some species-specific equipment. Making such changes will give you an advantage as you fight smallies. More importantly, you’ll be able to cast and present flies much more efficiently. Here are some preliminary suggestions for smallmouth rods, reels, lines, leaders, and flies.

Going for the Bronze: Smallmouth Bass at Dusk

But just because you may be forced into waiting until later doesn’t mean that you are missing out on good opportunities for chasing smallmouth bass with a fly rod. In fact, there are  many reasons why waiting until later is a good idea for any kind of fly fishing you’ll be doing in the summer. And summer smallie fly fishing can very well be one of the most accessible and most rewarding ways to fish late. Here are three things to keep in mind as you wade out into the river looking for hungry bronzebacks.

[Cast1] Warm Water Fly Fishing

In an incredibly cursory manner in today’s show, I go over how and why the trout angler can and should spend some time on their local pond. The benefits include honing skills. Not to mention, catching a mess of bluegill on a 5-weight is all sorts of fun.