BaitfishbeginnerMidwest & Driftless
Clouser Minnow
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Fulling Mill Flies
Matched on baitfish flies, bass, baitfish. Large pattern house with broad freshwater and saltwater fly categories.
Orvis Fly Catalog
Matched on baitfish flies, bass, clouser. Broad retail catalog for standard trout, warmwater, salmon/steelhead, and saltwater patterns.
Murray's Fly Shop
Matched on baitfish flies, smallmouth bass, smallmouth. Appalachian trout and smallmouth source with long-running regional fly catalog depth.
AZ Fly Shop
Matched on baitfish flies, bass, bass. Arizona and Southwest shop lead for desert trout, bass, canal carp, and warmwater patterns.
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Bob Clouser tied this for smallmouth on the Susquehanna River and accidentally created the most important fly of the twentieth century. The lead eyes flip it hook-point-up so it bounces along rocky bottoms without snagging, which is helpful because smallmouth bass live in places specifically designed to eat your flies. Chartreuse and white is the combination that works everywhere from Ozark smallmouth rivers to the flats of the Florida Keys, which is an absurd range for a fly that takes three minutes to tie.
Quick Facts
Where to Fish It
Current River
MO · Ozark River
Eleven Point River
MO · Ozark River
Spring River
AR · Spring-Fed River
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Related Reading
species science
The Bronze Back: Smallmouth Bass on the Fly
Smallmouth bass fight harder than trout, eat more aggressively than largemouth, and live in some of the most beautiful water on the continent. From Driftless spring creeks to Great Lakes tributaries to Appalachian smallmouth rivers, the bronze back demands respect and rewards understanding.
technique
After Dark: The Night Fishing Guide
The largest brown trout in any river feeds almost exclusively at night. The biggest smallmouth in your favorite river moves into the shallows after dark. And the redfish on the marsh flat feed through the night on every tide. Night fishing is where trophy hunters go when they get serious — here's how to join them.
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