Fly Fishing: A beginner's experience

When it comes to fly fishing, bass isn’t exactly the number one species of fish that anglers target. It is not unheard of, and there are many people who fly fish for bass, but it remains relatively unpopular. In my personal experience, it almost seems like half the time I tell another angler that I like fly fishing for bass, they are surprised or even confused. This is completely understandable! but, I hope this post changes the perspective of someone who believes that fly fishing for bass is “weird” or ineffective.

While I enjoy fishing for trout, catching bass can be just as fun sometimes. In fact, the first fish I ever caught on a fly rod was a largemouth bass! He wasn’t huge, but he put up a decent fight. I was using a black bass popper, which is probably the most effective fly to use for bass. It displaces water when twitched, which creates vibrations that often trigger aggressive strikes from bass.

When trout fishing gets tough, sometimes I’ll simply just resort to my favorite bass spot. Because in my personal experience, bass have been an easier fish to catch overall. Most of the time they are not as easily spooked compared to trout, especially wild trout. Also, bass are often located in relatively easy to reach locations, and are more commonly found in warmer water. This allows for a closer alternative for fisherman who live in regularly warm climates. Trout are more commonly found in much colder water than bass.

The moral of the story is that fly fishing doesn’t always have to be strictly about those fish that live in beautiful, cold-water streams. Bass are an aggressive, easy to reach, and fun to catch fish that can create an exciting experience for beginner fly fishers, contrary to popular belief.