| For fly fishing for bass can provide some of the | | | | bright and the water temperature is cooler. Bass are |
| most exciting fishing in the country. The largemouth | | | | generally found in areas of the water that have a lot |
| bass is probably the most popular game fish in | | | | of vegetation and cover. They spend a lot of time |
| America. The popularity of fishing for bass is partly | | | | near the water's edge among the grasses, reeds, |
| because no other freshwater fish has a wider | | | | and other plants. |
| distribution. Largemouth bass can be found from | | | | Many fly fishermen fishing for largemouth bass use |
| southern Canada to South America. Smallmouth bass | | | | bass bugs and poppers. Poppers were designed as a |
| are also excellent for fly fishing, but they prefer | | | | surface lure to be skipped across the top of the |
| slightly cooler waters and are not as ever present as | | | | water in a series of quick retrieves. Other good fly |
| the largemouth variety. | | | | patterns for largemouth bass or the Muddler Minnow |
| Generally, the warmer the water, the larger the bass | | | | and the Wooly Worm. There are some fly fishermen |
| will grow. For example, a four or five pound bass | | | | that prefer to use streamers and bucktail. |
| may be large for a northern lake, but warmer | | | | When fly fishing for bass the fly is worked |
| southern waters regularly produce 10 pounders and | | | | differently than it is for trout. Poppers are worked |
| better. The temperature of the water is a key | | | | not only for their appearance but also for their sound. |
| factor not only in fly fishing, but in all fishing. When | | | | Generally, when a fly is cast for bass it should be |
| fishing for bass it is an especially important factor. | | | | allowed to remain unmoving for a longer period of |
| The best fishing will take place just after the bass | | | | time then for trout. It is estimated that 60% of bass |
| have spawned, which is going to vary according to | | | | strikes are made on a still fly. Bass tend to inspect |
| the temperatures. For largemouth bass spawning | | | | your fly for some time before making the decision |
| takes place when the water temperatures reached | | | | whether to take it or not. It is important to |
| the low to mid-60s. In Minnesota for example, a | | | | remember while fly fishing, that the warmer the |
| female bass may not deposit her eggs until mid-June, | | | | water, the longer it will take the bass to take a fly. |
| while in Florida the female bass may spawn as early | | | | At times fly fishermen like to tease the bass with |
| as February. | | | | repeated casts over the area where they think he's |
| The behavior of the largemouth bass is also | | | | holding. Teasing can sometimes be a very effective |
| influenced considerably by the top temperature of | | | | method in bringing a lazy fish up for a strike when |
| the water. On hot summer days, they usually feed | | | | nothing else seems to work |
| during the early morning hours and then again during | | | | Fly fishing for largemouth bass can be a wonderful, |
| the last few hours of daylight, when the sun isn't as | | | | exciting experience. |