Favorite Bass Flies

[SteveGibson]

For years, I was pretty much a popper guy. Recently, I've ventured into the ominous world of subsurface for bass.

On a recent trip, I caught bass on poppers, Wooly Buggers and Clousers.

What bass flies are your favorites?

[Big Bad Wulff]

Olive wooley bugger with bead chain eyes. To a fish it can look like a minnow or a dragonfly larva or a very big nymph.
Caught a lot of bass on it.....and bream......and crappie.....and some catfish and trout and rockbass.

I started using this just last year and was surprised at how the bass were hitting it.............THEN the dragonflies came out! I looked to see what the lifecycle of the dragonfly was and was surprised to see the larval form looks a lot like this fly. I tore up bass on it for quite a while. Last year was a huge year for dragonflies here. It was very dry and they were everywhere! The bass were leaping out of the water to catch the adults in the air! It was crazy. I tried like crazy to get a bass to leap at a fly I made to look like an adult but never got it to happen.

dragonfly larva:
http://www.narbeck.org/Bugs/Bug%20Ga...nfly_larva.jpg
The fly:

[chris from canada]

Think Leech Flies!

Black rabbit strip, tied in the clouser style, about 3 to 4 inches long.

Tye them thin ( thin stips , not wide ) this way they have more movement.

Welcome to the underworld !!!

Your gonna have a blast!

chris

[biot midge]

I've done well with Terry Wilson's "Bass Bully".
http://www.warmwaterflytyer.com/corner.asp?page=9
I've also caught LMB on saltwater flies such as Deceivers and Surf Candies.
Steve

[James Smith]

I fish extensively for bass and the large majority of the time I fish subsurface flies. I have two go-to patterns for bass, depending on the season. In the late winter and early spring, I use black leech patterns. The receipe is very simple:

Hook: streamer hook sizes 2 through 6
Tail: Black Artic Fox or black rabbit fur depending on the size of the fly
Body: Black seal fur tied in a dubbing brush or black mohair yarn
Head: Optional. I often add a red glass bead to make an egg-sucking leech

This pattern is also a KILLER Bream fly is size 10.

Later in the summer after the bass have moved off bed and are in their summer pattern, I switch to a polar fiber minnow. By far the best color for me is olive over chartruese over white.

Hook: streamer hook sizes 2 through 6
Body: Polar fiber synthetic fiber tied in the high tie method. Top of the hook: two to three small clumps of chartruese Polar Fiber and one spase clump of olive polar fiber combed out over the top. For the bottom of the hook three to four small clumps of white polare fiber. I also like to add about 6-8 strands of thin chartuese mylar (angle hair) to each side.
Eyes: 3D eyes in either white/black, yellow/black or red/black. I glue the eyes on with Marine Goop.

If the water is very stained, say after a heavy rain, I will use an all black streamer tied in the hi-tie method with Icelandic sheep fur. I tie these much larger in the 6 to 8 inch size on a size one or two streamer hook. This is also a great pattern for channel cats.

I catch 80-90% of my bass on these two flies.

Jim Smith

[Wild One]

I've been converted to the Orange over Brown clouser minnow. With or without flash it is an ubelievable fly for me. It became my first choice last fall and this year has been my #1 choice as well.

[Thunderthumbs]

Without a doubt it's still a popper. There is just something about watching a bass hammer a popper.

TT.

[Eight Thumbs]

I still fish poppers as my primary bass fly in the all but the winter months. I like to start out with really big Gurgle Pops tied on a 1/0 hook with two, half inch stripes of foam and buck tail & saddle hackles for a tail. The result is a super Gurgle Pop around five inches long. I particularly like an all white fly though I also use an green/orange combination and all black as well.

I also like Crease Flies on 1/0 and 2/0 hooks.

After testing the area with these big flies, I go to smaller size Gurgle Pops (#8-#12) with dropper nymphs attached and try for smaller bass and brim. I firmly believe that big bass like big lures. 8T

[Greg Hunsicker]

I love it when this question is asked!!! Learn something new everytime!!!

Greg

[SteveGibson]

Without a doubt it's still a popper. There is just something about watching a bass hammer a popper.

TT.

I agree, but doesn't make much sense to continue working the top when they're feeding subsurface!