Not all fly lines are created equal. A lot of newcomers get confused on the wide variety of line types, weights, tapers, and sizes available when they are trying to put together a good bass combo. If you are one of these people you don’t have to worry about taking time to learn all the specifics about each type of line yet. There are a few labels that you will need to learn, though, to make sure that you are going to give yourself an advantage when you are casting large flies, and not going to end up throwing out your shoulder or getting a wrist injury from trying to lob big bass flies through the air.

Some work better than others, but as long as you remember that you want a weight forward, floating fly line that either matches your fly rod’s weight, or one weight above what your fly rod is, you will be able to find a good fly line. If you are fishing with a 7-weight rod and want to load the rod for better casting you can get an 8-weight fly line.

Lefty Kreh Signature Series Fly Line

Lefty Kreh knows fly fishing. He is one of the most well-known fly fishing writers, and has caught more than 100 different species using Scientific Anglers fly lines. Lefty and SA teamed up to put together his own signature series fly line.

”These new lines practice what I preach – they make fly fishing easy and fun” – Lefty Kreh

This fly line is the perfect balance between functionality and price. At the time of this writing it’s been rated 4.6 out of 5.0 by Bass Pro customers. It is touted as being easy to cast for both beginners and experienced fly anglers, and a high floating line that is slick enough to shoot it for precise fast casting.

Orvis Hydros Bass/Warmwater Line

This is one of those lines that I want to try some day. I have to admit that I want to get a higher end rod so that I can tell the subtle differences between the lines, but until that happens I am stuck dreaming. I love the Orvis products that I have had, and you can tell that the quality is there, but you have to have some rich blood to be able to afford to buy their gear. When you do get it, you have to take a lot better care of it than you would with your $100-$200 combo that was put together for you.

Maybe one day when I have access to a bigger variety of fishing on a more regular basis, it would be worth it to try out. When I do, I’ll let you guys know about it! Until then, this is what Orvis has to say about their Hydros bass line:

Fishing for bass requires the ability to get big flies in tight places. This line has a compact head and short front taper to turn over the big deer hair poppers and sliders with ease. Drive flies into tight, heavy cover, under branches and back in holes where large bass lurk. Cast into the wind with less effort. Works great with heavy nymph rigs at short to medium distances.

Someday. So, anyway, What fly lines are you guys using? Let me know! ‘Til next time, tight lines!

A lot of people wonder whether or not the marketing behind Sage’s BASS series of fly rods are everything that the makers want them to look, and sound like. I’m here to tell you, in a short answer, that you can get a lot more rod, for a lot less money. This isn’t saying, however, that these rods do not have their place in your arsenal. I’m just saying that the rods are marketed wrong, and I’ll cover a few of the reasons why I think these combos belong in a different sector of the fly fishing market. Before you head out and spend your hard earned money, you may want to stop and take a look at what I’m talking about.

The Rod Isn’t A True 7/8 Rod

One of the reasons that the rods are marketed in a grain weight, rather than the standard weight system that is used for other combos is because of the true line diameter that is on the rods. Specifically, the largemouth rod is actually lined with an 11-weight line. The overlined rod does help provide a better casting stroke on large hair bugs, but that would happen on any 8-weight rod that you line with 11-weight fly lines. When you drop the line down to an 8-weight to match the rod, the performance you get is on par with performance of other 8-weight combos on the market, that are also available for a lot less money.

The Combo Is Overkill For Largemouth & Smallmouth Bass

As I’ve previously stated, having an 11-weight line on an 8-weight combo is simply overkill for both largemouth, and smallmouth bass. Even for the occasional big fish, all you are going to need to carry with you is a 7-weight rod. The rod that Sage designed and marketed as a largemouth and smallmouth rod is actually big enough to handle saltwater fish such as smaller Tarpon, Snook, and Redfish. If Sage decided to change the way they marketed the rod, they could probably sell quite a few more, but as it stands they are going to be hard pressed to sell them to too many bass anglers.

The Price Is A Bit High, Even Though The Quality Is There

When you take a look at the price tag, $395 is quite a bit for a rod that is supposed to be designed specifically for bass. For that price you can get a high quality combo, spooled with a floating line, a couple fly boxes, a vest, and a full lanyard of tools. Even though Sage is known for their quality products, it is hard for me, personally, to fork over the $395 needed for this “specialty” combo.

Fly Rods Aren’t Allowed In Most Bass Tournaments

Sage knew that they could hit a market that hadn’t been tackled before by saying that the 7’11″ rod falls under the length required in the rules of the BASS/Bassmaster tournaments, but the fact is that they are simply not allowed in the tourneys. This is straight from the BASS rule books:

“Only one casting, spin casting or spinning rod (8 foot maximum length from butt of handle to rod tip) and reel may be used at any one time.”

I’ve gotta admit that there is a strong marketing initiative behind the BASS fly rods from Sage. They knew what they were doing when they started designing, but for what it is worth, they approached it in all the wrong ways. Rather than marketing these heavy-hitting rods as largemouth/smallmouth combos, they should have lowered down the line and rod ratings, to what true bass anglers are able to use, and not use false marketing campaigns that state something that is completely false.

Remember, this is just my opinion based on a few facts, and using the rod for a few hours when I borrowed it from a fishing buddy. Feel free to make your own decisions on whether or not Sage hit the mark with the rod, or if they should head back to the drawing board and give us bass anglers what we really want. Let me know your opinions by leaving a comment below, I’d love to hear from you!

I am having a hard time finding fly line leaders in my area. There seems to be a lack of any pro shops, or bait shops around that carry them. I wanted to find out if it is possible to use standard bass fishing line as a leader on my fly line. Are there any downsides to using this technique?

The short answer, is yes. You can get away with using monofilament or fluorocarbon line as a leader on your fly line. There are also a few downsides to using it, but if you aren’t able to find leaders, it should work for you for a little while.

The main difference between mono or fluorocarbon is the fact that it isn’t tapered, and isn’t really designed to help flip over the fly when you’re casting it. Leaders, on the other hand, do an excellent job of flipping the fly over at the end of your casting stroke, making it a more natural presentation on the water.

If you have a large Walmart or Target in your area, you may actually be able to find the leaders to purchase. However, if you’re still unable to, you may want to take the time to look online and order a couple spools that you can keep with you when you head out for the day. Fly line leaders perform much better than any monofilament or fluorocarbon that you are going to tie on. You can start by checking out Orvis, or reading a post that I previously added on bass fly fishing leaders.

If you have anything that you want to add to the conversation, or another twist on using mono or fluorocarbon as a leader on your fly line, definitely let me know in the comments below!

Until next time, tight lines from BassFlyFishing.net!

A lot of anglers, including myself, sometimes get confused on which size leaders to tie onto their fly line. Rather than using standard numbers that most anglers are able to understand, such as pound test, fly leaders come in ratings, or #X, depending on the pound test they are able to handle. When it comes to fly fishing for bass, there are only a few sizes that you need to concern yourself with, and the size that you choose greatly depends on where you’re going to be fishing, as well as the type of structure you are going to have your flies around. Take a look at the 4 main sizes that I keep with me when I head out to the water. When you’re ready to purchase, you can pick up all of the sizes by clicking here, for $7.95.

1X – 1X leaders are built to handle big fish. On average, 1X leaders are rated to withstand 13.5 pounds of pressure, which can be either the fish on a completely tightened drag, or the fish and your drag pressure. If you are going to be fishing around heavy cover, you are going to want to make sure that you have a 1X leader tied on to prevent breaking off and losing your flies, or injuring fish that may still have the flies stuck in their mouths.

2X – A 2X leader is what I typically use when I’m fishing around weed beds, or lily pads for largemouth bass. These leaders are designed to withstand between 11 and 12 pounds of force. For most fishing situations, you are either not going to encounter fish that big, or you, when coupled with your drag, are not going to be applying that much pressure to get them to come up to the surface. This size of leader is great for flipping over heavy bass bugs while still maintaining lifelike movements.

3X – 3X leaders are better when you are going after big panfish and smaller bass. The leaders are designed to withstand between 8 and 9 pounds of force, which is still more than most drags on your fly reel will be able to provide. If you are downsizing your flies, or you know that there are only smaller fish in the waters, lighten up your drag and tie on a 3X leader.

4X – 4X leaders have the smallest diameter out of all the different sizes covered here, and are not designed for catching large fish, such as heavy largemouth and smallmouth bass. Rather, these leaders are designed around the same diameter, and strength as 6 pound test line. If you are fishing in clear, open waters with smaller flies, and the fish are on the smaller end, you can get away tying on a 4X leader.

Remember, when you’re ready to purchase, you can pick up all of the sizes by clicking here, for $7.95. Until next time, tight lines from BassFlyFishing.net!

Update: 1/6/2012 – I received a question from a reader wanting to find out which size leader is good for an 8-weight fly rod. With the size of the fly rod, you are going to want to use at least a 4X leader, if not a 3X size. If you are going to be fishing around cover or hidden structure you will want to buy a 2X sized leader. Remember, that for bass fly fishing, you are going to want to ensure that you are buying a tapered leader. The thickness on the butt end near the fly line, mixed with the thin end near the tippet, is perfect for turning over large bass flies at the end of your casting stroke. The tapered leaders help keep you from getting frustrated and having problems perfecting your casts.

Question: It is starting to rain a lot more often in the afternoons where I live, is it safe to go fly fishing for bass under these conditions? I have heard that during the rain is one of the best times to go fishing for bass, because they are more aggressive, but I am unsure of which flies to take with me, or what gear I need in order to make sure I am safe. Can you give me any advice?

The short answer to your question is yes! Bass fishing during the rain is actually one of the best times to catch them, as long as you make sure you stay safe while you’re doing it. If it is pouring down rain, hard, you may want to sit the session out and wait for it to pull out before you head out onto the water.

Likewise, if there is thunder and lighting you are probably going to want to avoid the water all together. Waving around a 9′ lightning rod during thunderstorms is not a necessarily safe way to enjoy your favorite sport. It’s during these times, as well, that the bass will turn off, or into a neutral mood, making them much harder to catch.

If you really want to go fly fishing in the rain, you are going to need to make sure that you have adequate rain gear to keep yourself comfortable. Getting soaked while you’re trying to sling flies is a good way to cause chafing where your clothes meet your skin.

As far as the flies that you want to take along, you should start with anything that disturbs the top of the water, and makes a bit of a commotion. These flies are going to attract the attention of the bass that may be cruising around, looking for food. You can also take along some flies that imitate small baitfish. If the bass are going to be active, you can rest assured that the baitfish are going to be active, as well.

All, in all, fly fishing during pre-frontal and frontal conditions, or when it’s about to rain, or raining, is a great time to catch a lot of bass. Once the rain storm passes the bite may slow down for a little bit, but as long as it isn’t pouring down super-hard, or thundering and lightning, you can have some of your best days on the water when you go fly fishing while it’s raining!

Feel free to ask any other questions, or leave comments about the answers I’ve given in the comments below. I’d love to hear what you have to say! Tight lines, folks!