smallie nymphs

ok i have my own selection i try with smallmouth, but but i would like to hear what you all have ......

I like largish gold-ribbed hare's ear nymphs with gold bead heads as my second choice. My first choice is a red fox squirrel tail nymph with some rubber legs added to the thorax.

I like a crawdad imitation but being too lazy too tie the realistic looking ones I use a tan or olive or brown wooly bugger with or without rubber legs or beads.

Hey tar, what size do you tie on the GRHE?

I've had good luck with larger hex nymphs.

My go to nymph for smallies is a #10 or #12 GRHE. No beads, but with a small amount weight in the thorax area.

For smallies, I tie 2 helgramite patterns. The Helgamonster, and a generic hegramite. A helgramite is a nympth, right?

that is the 2nd time ive heard about hares ears ...i am thiking a size 6 or 8 watca think?

I fish rusty brown ,olive buggers in size 4 and big black , brown stone fly nymphs.

That takes care of most work.

Wet

Third time for the Hares Ear! lol. I usually use GBHE's but in smaller sizes (12-14). They're perticularly effective when the white flies are around. Two other staples would be Murray's Hellgramite and Road Kill Nymph.

I use size 10-12 for smallmouth (which to me seems largish...but 6 or 8, wow, maybe I should try that). I think for the red fox squirrel a bigger size would be even better (though I tie these in a 12-14 most of the time), since you've got enough hook shank space to do more rubber legs. It would make a passable imitation of a crawfish that way.

For smallies, I usually go with a leech pattern. They'll move a long way to gobble up a leech!

My back up fly is the bead head red fox squirrel in size 8.

Take care,
chris

Nymphs are my game and I use a variety. Copper Johns 16-18, Shop Vac 16-18, Rainbow Warrior 18, Hare's Ear 16-18, Pheasant Tail 20-16, Pats Rubber Legs 6?, various midge larva- all colors of brassies, zebra midge, disco midge etc.

Wow, you guys are using some small stuff. I don't know anybody around here that is throwing anything smaller than a #6 for smallies.

Kevin

Not really a true nymph pattern but the lil' Bugger in black over black or most effective, brown over tan...sizes 10-12 work great with bead heads and a couple twists of lead on the hook.

They are tied with a body of Ostrich herl and tail of rabbit. BUT they are pretty much just as effective tied with chennille and marabou, like a tiny little wooly bugger.

The largest Smallie I ever caught was with a #12 in Black...I guestimate close to 6 pounds and all of 22" and it was awesome to see that little fly in the corner of it's mouth.

It is fished like a nymph, allowed to bumble and bounce along the rocks and bottom.

I use a #4 marabou leech pattern that's not weighted and I use an 0x to 1x tippet. I cast
along the bank of the lake/river ahead of me
where I haven't tromped yet and mostly I cast within a couple or three feet from the bank.

I usually get to see the take as the leech pattern settles slowly down through the water
column...and that's the way I like to bass best.

For smallies it's a swinging thing though I've gotten plenty of
them in slack water, also casting straight upstream and
'shad rippin' the leech back to me.

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

i must concur a size 12 seems awful small ..but if it works ...yeah ....i am not a fish in this life lol