Popp'n bass

When buying this Cabela's fly rod combo I thought I would only be fishing for trout. I quickly found that this was not the case after talking to my father who fly fished for many years. I landed this big guy on a popper bug that I tied myself. I started tying flies last spring shortly after christmas. Fly fishing is an entirely different game once you start to tie flies yourself. Mostly started tying zebra midges (I will go into that at a later time), but once I was informed of popper bugs I had to give them
a try.

 This is a popper bug that I tied myself. Instructions coming later.

This is one of the first popper bugs that I tied. These little guys are really effective for largemouth bass. The water I fish is mostly behind a dam and the best bug for the part of the river I fish are wet flies such as midges and nymphs. So this fly that I fished was the first topwater fly I had fished. This fly I do not fish in the river. I fish this fly in lakes, ponds, small creeks. There is so much excitement when it comes to catching a fish on the fly rod using a dry fly. The bass were practically jumping out of the water to get a piece of these guys. They are easy to fish. Simply cast them out and then pull the popper a few times on top of the water. This creates a "pop" and bubbles that grabs their attention. You have to let the bug sit for a break between popping the fly. You can spook the bass if you pop it as they are going for it. The joy in this top water fly besides the effectiveness it has for catching bass is that you do not need an indicator like you do with a midge or nymph. You know when a fish is on, because the bass jumps out of the water as he bites the fly. Bass have been one of my favorite fish to catch on the fly rod besides trout. So next time you are looking for a fly to fish for bass grab a popper, cast the bug, pop the bug, have a little patience, and then...wait for it... wait...then BOOM fish on! Hold on tight and enjoy the fight. Tightlines to all!