Fly fishing + bass. The two do not exactly roll off the tongue like peanut butter & jelly or Bonnie & Clyde. However the reality is that bass are quite happy to eat flies, and surface oriented “poppers” at that. The takes can be violent and explosive. The fight intense and satisfying, and diversifying your standard fly fishing routine is quite rewarding.
A calm morning on glassy water is the stuff day dreams are made of. Throw lurking large mouth bass under that glass and who know where things will end up.
Chug chug-a-lug...
Flamboyant bass poppers tied to heavy tippet and stout leaders that turn over well are fun to fish. A slow strip-chug retrieve draws the attention of fish, and sometimes the fish can be spotted lurking behind or pushing a bulging wake as they charge in after the fly. A nice 8wt with plenty of lifting backbone help drive solid hook-sets and help drag big bullish large mouth bass out and away from the thick cover & obstacles of reeds
Slurp,set, boom!
Solid fish come in all shapes and sizes, and the large mouth bass is a highly evolved eating machine. I’ve seen these fish shatter 8wt rods pulling hard and winning the battle.
"Like a toaster with eyes on the sides!"
