Smallmouth bass are an excellent species to pursue with a fly rod. In fact, smallmouth techniques have more in common  with traditional trout fishing than with popular largemouth bass practices.

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:

Rod

There are situations where a 6 or even 5-weight will work for smallmouth. Smaller rivers fished with smaller flies allow you to simply use your trout gear. But when you’re throwing weighted flies, sinking lines, and topwater bugs you’re going to have a much better time if your go-to is a 7 or 8-weight.

The “downside” of a stiff rod when feeling a bass fight is far outweighed by the ease of casting a big fly all day. Most contemporary technology is going to yield a rod that is not only going to cast but also have enough sensitivity to allow for enjoying the fights of smaller fish.

A 9-1/2′ or even 10′ rod makes mending drifts simpler, and it also makes for better casting in a canoe or kayak. Such a specialized purchase is only necessary if you want that perfect gear fit.

At the end of the day, you’ll get by just fine with your lighter saltwater setup or your heaviest trout gear.

Reel

A good disc drag reel does a couple of things when fishing for smallmouth. You will encounter fish that you have to play on the reel. River smallies of even a moderate size will require effort beyond just cranking it in. Additionally, there is a good chance that you will hook fish at a considerable distance away from you. Even if you can strip in a fish from 60′, it is much neater to reel all the line in as opposed to let it pile up and drift downstream.

The reel doesn’t have to be top of the line, but something light and reliable will serve you very well.

Line

The prepared smallmouth angler will have at least two lines.

A floating line works great for topwater flies and when fishing skinny water.  An aggressive weight forward taper is helpful when you need to turn over wind-resistant poppers or hair bugs.

An intermediate line will get big streamers down to where the larger fish hold. Even the heaviest bugs are going to need some additional help to get deep. An intermediate line keeps you directly tied to your fly. Instead of having an angled hinge from the line down to your fly, you’ll have a direct connection from rod tip to any bites or bottom tics.

In a pinch, a weighted polyleader will give you a little help making a floating line sink. They are not as simple to cast, but having that sinking aid can be better than nothing.

Leaders

There are as many different leader configurations for smallmouth as there are for spooky trout on a spring creek. But more often than not, you’ll be prepared if you have 8′ of monofilament that tapers down to 3X (8 pound test).

Bigger streamers allow for heavier tippet, and smaller dries call for something lighter. As trout anglers ought to also consider, the tippet is more about presentation than breaking strength. If the fly isn’t drifting properly, you might need to change your tippet.

A simple solution for being flexible on the water is to use a braided or furled leader. You can run straight lengths of 0X-4X tippet off one and fish in virtually all conditions you’ll encounter.

Flies

There is no one-size-fits-all flybox for smallmouth anglers. Flies will vary by watershed, season, and personal preference. But here are some good all-around patterns:

• Clouser Minnows (olive, chartreuse, orange) Clousers are perfect flies for quick retrieves when bass are being aggressive.
• Poppers (white, green) They work fast or slow. But they work best slow. Weedguards can help depending on where you are.
• Woolly Bugger (white, brown, black… any color) There are countless flies with fancy names that are essentially dolled-up woolly buggers. They are all successful if they can be retrieved to imitate baitfish, crayfish, or hellgrammites.