Poppers on a Stream

[Wild One]

I've read a lot of posts where guys are talking about talking a ton of fish (especially smb) from rivers on a popper/slider/gurlger. My question is this. How are you fishing them? Do you just dead drift them like a regular dry fly presenation? Are you quartering and letting them skip (like a wet-fly presentaion) or just fish them in the really slow water and fish em the same as a lake or pond presentation?

[Jack Hise]

Wild One
Here we tend to find bream & bass up close to the bank. You have to be within 3 - 6 inches of the undercuts. Strikes will happen almost instantly. Of course the most productive spots are also under overhanging trees adding another challange. If the fish are a little finicky you may have to let the fly set and give it a twich every so often. The fly will be in fairly slack water so if you can control the drag on the fly line by mending or highsticking you can get it to sit quietly for some time.
There are several spots on the Duck River that you can fish for trout and Blue Gills with out moving. If the trout fishing is slow just turn around tie on a hopper/popper and cast to the bank for gills.

[cbyak]

Typically I catch many more smallies on a dead drift. May initially twitch it to make sure I have the slack out. If it is cast to a likely location (near shore, rocks, logs, seams in slight current, etc.) with barely a twitch then let it set for a bit, maybe another twitch. Let it set., etc.

Usually I get the hit when I am scratchin or picken, ie. not doing any twitchen.

[djo]

This advice is all solid. I also have luck fishing them quartered downstream and then popping them back in short bursts. This is also how I usually work them if there is much current. Work the swing so that the bug crosses over logical holding spots like rocks or in front of exposed wood. Don't be afraid to hold the popper directly below you in a fishy-looking lie. Sometimes it works very well.

David

[anglerdave]

You can also positon yourself up stream from your target. Either cast down to your target, or feed line until your popper reaches the spot you want to fish. Then pop it in place against the current. Drives those smallies nuts.

[tea stick]

Jack Hise described pretty much how I approch fishing poppers in streams.
Againt the bank. I will cast quartered upstream, quarted downstream and every where in between and also find that my popper will usually be taken shortly after the cast. After my popper lands on the water I will usually give it a "pop' after a second or two. I will usually let it drift some and give it a "pop' or two along the way. I fish slow moving water and don't spend a lot of time with the drift. I would rather take a few steps up or down stream and continue casting to another spot.

Scott

[Jack Hise]

Wild One;
Come down here in early June and use the methods discribed above on the Duck River. A friend and I put enough Shell Cracker, Blue Gills and Black Perch on the stringer in less than an hour to feed 5!! And, we did it without moving more than 30 feet!

[Wild One]

Jack,
Thanks for the invite. I may just take you up on that next year.

All,
Thanks for input. Pretty much what I suspected. Can't wait to get back out on the new (to me) river and give me a shot.

One more question. Do you often a toss a dropper along with the popper? My favorite stream set up for trout was a hopper/dropper this time of year and would think this would be productive in WW as well.

[cbyak]

Droppers just complicate things for me. I have used them for smallies but would rather fish just surface or just a streamer and get their reaction. Droppers seem somewhat more effective for trout than smallies.

Many times when casting to that shore location it is shallow and a dropper would just get in the way.

[EdD]

Let me make a quick addition. The clearer the water and the more sunlight on it, the more timid fish seem to be. This is not a hard and fast rule, but a good rule of thumb. Sometimes fish will smack a popper the same second that it hits the water. Sometimes they will smack it after a couple of seconds of inactivity. Sometimes you need to work it. You get to experiment a little each time out.

Ed