Fly
fishing for smallmouth bass on the New River can be simply fantastic!
From mid-river feeding flats to shady bank cover to rocky-cobbled
runs, the New River has ample structure to target big, mature
(18"+) smallmouth effectively on the fly.
Our
raft frames are custom-designed with the fly fisherman in mind.
With few add-ons that fly lines can catch on and stable floors,
our rafts are very comfortable to cast from on an all-day adventure.
Late-April
through early-October is typically the best time for fly anglers
(with mid-July through mid-September being the optimal time for
the "big fish" top water bite). The spring and early-summer
usually finds us hunting for the big ones with sub-surface flies
such as streamers and crayfish imitations. With the warmer water
of summer comes some fantastic top water action on bugs, poppers,
sliders, and divers. The cooler waters of fall will find us targeting
hungry smallmouth feeding heavily for winter with sub-surface
flies and bait fish imitations.
We suggest a 7-wt or 8-wt
rod with a 0X to 2X tapered leader and 8 to 12-pound tippet (depending
on conditions). Please see our setup
page for more details on fly gear. In addition to landing
some big smallmouth, our fly anglers have also been known to land
the occasional muskie and carp as well.