Best 4 flies for catching smallmouth bass in the North Carolina Mountains
In this article I will list my best 4 flies for catching smallmouth bass in western North Carolina. There are certainly many fly patterns that will produce smallmouth bass. However, anglers do not need boxes of flies in order to be successful. These 4 flies in a handful of colors and sizes will get the job done.
My best 4 flies for western North Carolina smallmouth bass are;
- White popper
- Chartreuse over white Clouser Minnow
- Black Wooly Bugger
- white Zonker
These 4 flies will cover the entire water column and imitate all of the forage that smallmouth bass feed on.
Tackle recommendations for fly fishing for smallmouth bass
I like to use a 5 wt 9 foot fast action fly rod for the majority of the fly fishing that I do when targeting smallmouth bass in the North Carolina mountains. I see some other using as large as an 8 wt. Other than casting big bugs or poppers in lakes, this is way too heavy for stream fishing, in my opinion. A 5wt casts flies easily, lets the anglers enjoy the battle but can still handle a decent fish.
Read more about fly fishing in Franklin, NC
I live in Franklin, North Carolina and mostly fish the Little Tennessee River. This river is more about numbers and action as opposed to size, though big fish are certainly possible. A 5 wt is perfect.
I use a floating line most of the time. I will switch to an intermediate sink tip line when fishing larger, slower rivers. In most cases there is no need for a long leader. A 7 1/2 foot leader testing to 6 lb (4X) is fine most of the time. Anglers can use a 9 foot leader with a lighter tippet in very clear water.
Best 4 flies for western NC smallmouth bass
I will discuss my 4 favorite smallmouth bass flies and how to work them.
White popper
On most trips, I start out fishing with a #4 white popper. If the bass will take it, no reason to change. Surface takes are easy to detect and are exciting! Boogle Bug poppers are of high quality, though a tad pricey. Bette’s makes a nice popper for the money. Other colors work, but white is easy to see and effective. Chartreuse would be my second choice. Anglers will catch plenty of panfish, particularly in summer.
The popper is cast out towards the shoreline or other types of cover suck as fallen trees, boulders, or rock ledges. One mistake anglers often make is being too aggressive with the popping. It is best to let the fly sit, even making a drift or two with no action. After that, a nice pop or two will hopefully attract a bass. Poppers work best in slower water as opposed to rapids or riffles.
Clouser Minnow
The Clouser Minnow was invented by Bob Clouser specifically for smallmouth bass in the Susquehanna River. It perfectly imitates small baitfish. The fly can be tied to match the bait fish, anywhere from size #1 down to a size #8 will produce. Also, the weight of the barbell eyes will dictate how deep it can get. Charteuse over white is my favorite, but all white and olive over white are good colors as well. They can be tied in crayfish colors as well.
The best technique is to cast across the current. As the fly drifts, the angler gives the fly action by making short, quick strips. Anglers should vary the length of time the fly sinks as well as the strips until a productive pattern emerges. When fishing crayfish colors, allow the fly to get as close to the bottom as possibly and bounce it along using short strips.
Wooly Bugger
The Wooly Bugger might be the best all round freshwater fishing fly. It imitates a variety of forage including helgremites, crayfish, nymphs, leeches, and more. Wooly buggers will catch a ton of trout along with panfish and other species. It can be fished as both a streamer and a nymph. Black is my favorite color, but olive, brown, and white are also productive. #4 is a good size to start with.
Wooly buggers are best fished close to the bottom. They are extremely effective when dead drifted and allowed to just tap the bottom. If that does not produce, anglers can add short trips to give the fly some action. It can be fished under a strike indictor in faster water, but this is done more with rout than bass.
Zonker fly
The Zonker fly is a larger streamer fly pattern. It is a bit more wind resistant and more difficult to cast. However, it has a lot of action in the water and is very productive. It works just below the surface. I like larger flies in a #1 or #2 size with white being my favorite color.
The fly is cast out, allowed to sink, and then retrieved in using a series of short strips. Most often, the fly will be just below the surface and in clear water the take is easy to see. This is a bfun fly to fish when they are active and will draw reaction strikes when the fish are a bit more lethargic.
In conclusion, this article on the best 4 flies for catching smallmouth bass in the North Carolina mountains will help visiting anglers experience more success!
