Behold � Can there be any doubt that this classic picture features America�s favorite fish, the largemouth bass? Whether the angler uses bait casting, spinning or the ways of the fly matters not, when Mr. Bigmouth takes the offering an epic battle is promised. While the largemouth�s natural preference is for Southern waters, stocking has successfully spread this marvelous sport fish though out the United States. The growth might be a bit slower to the northern strain but the fight is the same. This predator strikes with a vengeance.

While the statistics vary from year to year and from state to state as to fish popularity, the largemouth always seems to remain the leader. Outdoor Life recently reported that almost half of the fishing population pursued the Black Bass. For the good or bad, this figure includes the smallmouth bass that I like to think of as separate species. And for purposes of this series, it is! Frankly, I am not concerned, at all, that the two were not separated in the survey. After all, the two share many common waters; besides, I have yet to meet a fly fisher hunting largemouth who would turn down a smallmouth. The reverse is also true. As an interesting aside, some fishers cannot tell the difference between the two. Remember, viewed from the side, the jaw extends back beyond the eye.

If you doubt Mr. Bigmouth�s popularity, think for a moment about the industry that has grown, and continues to grow, around him. What other fish has a business like the Bass Pro Shops� named in its honor? None that I can think of ... The business, by the way, is humming along nicely since the fishing population is now estimated as being close to 35 million folks. Think for a moment of the vast number of bass tournaments held annually in honor of Mr. Bigmouth. The cash prizes just seem to get bigger and bigger. How about the advent of the $40,000 "bass boat," or the birth and profitability of the $250.00 bait casting reel, $300.00 graphite rod along with the 565,000 lures now on the market?

Convinced? If all this doesn�t grab you, check out the vault of fishing lures the average bass fisher carries � or used to carry. Many pros now need a cart or caddy to carry their junk. After all, without one-of-everything how could anyone expect to catch a bass? Catching Mr. Bigmouth has gone "high-tech." Competition is tough. Besides the bass boat with built-in stereo, fridge, sonar, hedgehogs, and wire-guided lures, one must also have aboard a Master navigator, preferably the first to ever navigate the Bosporus submerged.

Hard to believe, isn�t it? My first reel, an Ocean City direct drive, cost all of $9.00 way back in 1950. It worked well for years; in fact, it was still working perfectly some 25 years later when I finally gave it to a youngster who wanted to learn to fish. The old reel, sitting atop of a tubular steel rod, caught its fair share of largemouths. My, my � how things change! Considering all the money being spent pursuing Mr. Bigmouth, the Ancient Fish Gods must laugh and laugh at what fools we mortals be.

Without question, Mr. Bigmouth, the largest of the sunfish, leads the pack as our favorite finny adversary. This fish is truly a predator; he is a big eater with a ferocious appetite. While it takes a lot of forage to support a growing bass, I�m told that the size and diversity of the "eatery" makes a big difference. In other words, a big bass needs at least an occasional bigger than little fish to survive. Quite literally, largemouth bass will eat most anything. Popular foodstuffs include other fish to include other bass, sunfish, an occasional rat, mouse, snake, eel, duckling, frog or, for that matter, a flying insect that ventures too close to the surface film. This ought to suggest something about the broad array of imitations that can be thrown at Mr. Bigmouth in an attempt to get his interest. Sooner or later, Bigmouth is going to eat something, and that something is apt to range in size from very little and very big. Unfortunately, only Mr. Bigmouth knows what his whimsical choice will be.

Basically, the fly fisher has one of two choices in his quest for a largemouth bass � cast out either an imitator or an attractor. Both will work depending of where Bigmouth happens to be finning in the water column, whether the fly achieves the "right" depth and whether the fly is of interest � at that particular moment. As most of us know from years of experience, lots of flies can be thrown at a largemouth bass without so much as a nod. Eventually the day comes when the fly fisher guesses correctly � suddenly the water explodes and Bigmouth is on! The fly fisher�s heart flutters. The question now becomes whether or not the fish can be brought to bay given the weeds, Lilly pads, structure, tree stumps that this fish knows only to well. If he can get back inside his comfort zone, Bigmouth seems to know the odds for break-off are in his favor. This is one smart fish � Just think; some say fish have no intelligence!

Speaking of intelligence, I wonder about mine. Mr. Bigmouth has defeated me on so many occasions; the only thing I can say in my favor is it takes an honest man to confess the truth. On a happy note, I must be improving. It is with great pride I make this announcement: Given my very high intellect, years of fishing experience and acute acumen with the broad array of tackle I now own, I recently figured out that my cost for fish caught is down to only $85.00 per pound. It wasn�t so long ago it was over $250.00. How are you doing?

Catching a largemouth bass is lots of fun � especially on the surface. His patented high jump is something to behold. To bad so many fly fishers forget to bow to the jump to prevent slack resulting in the loss of the fish. On the other hand, it�s hard to find fault since the explosive nature of the strike always comes as a surprise. I�ve watched hardened bass fishers with many a fish to their credit damned near lose control when the next "surprise" happens. It�s amazing! Little wonder that this is America�s number one fish.

For those who are just entering the sport of fly fishing, a new thrill awaits, even if you�ve caught largemouth bass before on spinning or bait casting gear. There simply isn�t much to compare with a "hawg" at the end of a tippet. For what it�s worth, I don�t think either spinning or bait casting holds a candle to the thrill of fly fishing for the largemouth bass.

Given the foregoing discussion, just what might be the ideal fly fishing system? The answer, off course, is there is no perfect answer. This rather finite statement is known as an articulate articulation. There are, however, certain facts about the largemouth�s behavior that serve as clues to making the right selection. These three, I think, makes a great starting point in considering a system.

• In summer as the water temperature rise above 78�, count on largemouth bass head for deeper and cooler waters. Bad weather also tends to put him down. There are some exceptions, of course � if the fishery happened to have an abundance of shad or other baitfish feeding at the surface, look for Mr. Bigmouth to come up for a quick snack regardless of the water temperature. I call it the old up and down gambit.
• "When day is done and twilight falls, I think of you..." In this case, "You" happens to be a largemouth bass. In the cool of evening, Mr. Bigmouth is apt to return to the shallows. He returns to the surface to glut himself on one of summer�s array of flying insects. (It�s always appropriate to hum "Twilight Time" when bug fishing for largemouths in the evening. I call it, "Romancing the Hawg." Whether a slider or popper, remember to try black for luck.
• On hookset, the largemouth typically explodes in his patented high leap, but he won�t stay there much longer than a moment. Nine out of ten times, his next move will be a dive down into the water column, not out and away. This fish wants nothing more than to go deep into the water column, tangle the line and leader and break-off.

The Fly Rod. Unfortunately, it is becoming harder to buy anything shorter than a 9-foot rod, once the 6-weight threshold is crossed. (No doubt it will soon be 5-weight.) Somehow, for some reason we�ve bought into the myth that longer is better. As I have already suggested, I don�t buy the validity of the rationale. In fact, it�s silly � especially when it comes to catching Mr. Bigmouth. In a day and time when "Flippin� & Pitchin�" have reached an all-time high, I sometimes wonder what we fly fishers are about. As you know flippin� and pitchin� are close-in bait casting techniques designed to enhance the accuracy and delicacy of the presentation. Taken together, these two techniques have succeeded in revolutionizing bass fishing. In the meantime, us fly fishers are still fiddling around with our 9-foot rods. Even over-lined, a 9-footer is tough to manage in short waters. When your adversary is likely to be not more than 25 feet away, the need to cast the "whole line" is a ridiculous thought. When accuracy is really important, give me an 8 to 8_ foot rod, any day. If Mr. Bigmouth is your favorite fish and you happen upon a 7, 8 or 9-weight that�s a short 8 to 8_ feet, buy it!

Until there is a clamor for a shorter "bass" rod, most of us will make-do with what is likely to remain the industry�s standard -- the 9-footer. Of course, this isn�t all bad. It is a length quite appropriate for many other species and under wide-ranging conditions. (However, I think the same can be said for the shorter rod!) Besides, mastering the technique I call tip casting, many of the short-range disadvantages can be overcome � but not all! Considering the broad array of available nine footers be certain the one you select has a butt section that�s strong and powerful. If you happen upon Mr. Trophy Bigmouth, it is the lifting power of the butt that will or will not stop his run to structure. As far as the rod�s action, I favor the fast tip rod. In my view it more easily turns over a heavy bug when Mr. Wind begins to huff and puff.

The Reel. After glancing at the largemouth�s traits, it shouldn�t take more than a moment of two to figure out that fly fishing this fish doesn�t require a reel capable of sustaining the so-called 200 yard run of a 30-pound permit. Mr. Bigmouth simply doesn�t do that sort of thing. What to use? In truth, a reel as simple as the old Pflueger Medalist will do nicely. It may not be a thing of beauty, but if you attend to routine maintenance chores, especially to assuring the frame screws remain tight, the Medalist will last for years. (SEE: The Fly Reel, Fact and Fantasy.)

The Flies. Thank the Lord that you don�t have to be an entomologist to "match the hatch" for the largemouth bass. The problem is rather simple: Simply select the right water; throw the right fly, with the right line, leader and tippet; achieve the right depth; and capture Bigmouth�s attention with a provocative retrieve. Sound simple? It is! Now for the flies�

• The Floaters. It�s hard to go wrong with a bass bug that sort of lets out a "burp" when a bit of line is stripped in. When the time is right, the popping bug is deadly. My favorites are the hair bugs although the foam and balsa varieties also are popular and work well, especially in the pattern of a mouse or frog. Add to the inventory a couple of sliders. As the name suggest, this variety of floater is guilty of "slip-sliding around" leaving a wake just as anything swimming on the surface. Finish off your floating inventory with a few dry flies imitating the flying bugs of summer and terrestrial�s such as the ant and grasshopper. The largemouth bass loves both of them --sometimes. In low light conditions or darkness, try black for luck.
• The Divers. Floats when still, dives when retrieved � these are the fascinating traits of the divers. My favorite remains the hair bug and specifically a fly called the Dahlberg Diver. It is one of the most productive, versatile and reliable flies a fly fisher can own. Just how far the diver dives is a product of the leader, the line, and the action imparted during the retrieve. Because of these variables, it is possible to fish a diver almost anywhere in the water column, but especially the surface to near surface strata. By the way, don�t for a moment believe that a fly like the Dahlberg Diver is only for largemouth bass. Contraire my friends -- fish it fresh for trout, smallmouth, pike, muskie, or lake trout; or take it to the salt for ever so many more finny adversaries.
• The Swimmers. Swimmers swim, at least from the fish-eye viewpoint. And when they swim, they either imitate baitfish that satisfies the largemouth�s hunger or something new and out of the ordinary -- something that angers or attracts his strike. That "something" is curiosity or anger. Hunger, Curiosity and Anger! These are the three reasons fish strike any fly, not just the swimmers. But the swimmers have a special broad appeal, at least in my view. Like its cousin the diver, the swimmers can fish anywhere in the water column, depending on how it is tied. What fly best illustrates this category? In my view it is the streamer. I believe the streamer, more than any other fly, offers the greatest number of possibilities in the act of creation. It can be made large or small, colorful or drab, weighted or not weighted. A streamer can be designed to replicate minnows or appear apart from the other baitfish. It can be tied to appeal to the fish�s hunger, curiosity, or anger. And it really doesn�t matter if the target is the largemouth bass, the focus of this discussion, or smallmouth bass, trout, perch, pike, weakfish, redfish, salmon, bluefish, mackerel, cobia, wahoo, tuna or shark, there is a streamer for one and all.
  1. Of the lot, the Lefty�s Deceiver is probably the best known, with credit for the design going to Lefty Kreh, world famous fly fisher and fly tier. His deceiver is a colorful attractor that�s deadly when fished in the right size and with the right technique. The deceiver works well anywhere in North America � North or South, East or West � and for any fish.
  2. There is another streamer many consider a must, it is the "Wooly Bugger." I don�t know what the "Bugger" is supposed to resemble, but I do know that it works. Give me a few wooly buggers in different sizes and I can catch fish. On occasion, "I�ve left behind my American Express Card, but never my wooly buggers."
  3. The last, but certainly not least in importance, is the Clouser Minnow. This is a great fly to fish with a variety of fly lines ranging from the floater, through the sink-tip or intermediate, to the full sink. Depending on your choice, the Clouser will swim at all levels. As you might expect, it works on largemouth bass and damned near any other fish that swims.
• The Sinkers. Many fly fishers overlook this last category of flies. For those wondering why, the answer is fairly simple: fishing deep with fly rod and line isn�t the easiest technique to master. The truth is it takes hours of practice to learn to use the sinkers. However, if catching fish is the objective, the hours spent are not likely to be wasted.

The sun is high, bright, and hot, burning down from a cloudless sky. Midday is approaching and the water nears the surface grows a little too warm for comfort. However, things are good today. Breakfast was excellent; those two 5-inch bream had a special flavor � In a word, it�s a lazy hazy day of summer. Time to head deep and cool it ... Now finning away time underneath the Lilly pads near the bottom, you are content and sleepy. When all of a sudden, what should you hear? Why it�s the crashing and thumping of a tiny reindeer ... No it�s not! It�s a stupid sculpin . . . . . Wake me up will you? Take this!!!!!!!! ATTACK!

And so it is, to this very day the Legends of the Fish Gods suggest that the sons and daughters of the "Great Sculpin" come each August to visit the site of the massacre and give thanks they had yet to blunder into the lair of the giant bass.

The truth of this story is simple: the bottom bumpers can catch fish when nothing else works. A deep swimmer scrounging around the bottom, going places and bumping into things, can be a deadly pattern under the right conditions. Just be certain the one you select is tied with a viable weed guard.

Summary. Mr. Bigmouth is a great fish and a challenge not likely to ever be forgotten. Once a fly fisher has one at the end of the line, more are required to satiate their appetite. After several, most fly fishers are hooked � as they say, hook, line and sinker � caught forever in the never-never land of the bass addict. How sad! Once a bass addict, he or she is likely never to know a golf course or a theater; never to be on time for a cocktail party; never to know the pleasure of saying lots about little when surrounded by big-little people capable of thinking nothing but small thoughts. If this sounds like an old person reminiscing on what really happens when our leaders gather in Washington, D.C., it is! (In my mind�s eye, I can still see a bunch of these assorted weirdo "flutterbies" floating around the room with a flap here, there or another.) I�m damned glad bass addicts still abound in this country. After all, something should be of value � Besides, fly fishing for bass is serious stuff!

If you become yet another of Mr. Bigmouth�s victims, I offer this caution: do not trade your house and car for a pick-up truck and a $45,000.00 bass boat. While it�s true the kids can sleep on the boat's deck and eating lots of fish makes for a healthy diet, the odds are your spouse will ask for a divorce clothes when you further suggest that the clothes can be cleaned by water, rocks and a lot of manual labor.

The discussion continues with Part 3, "The Smallmouth Bass." Until next time, God Bless you and yours�