Fly Fishing Line
Fly fishing line is not something commonly associated with bass fishing. If you've caught bass on a fly, you know the rush. If you haven't, you need to try it someday. With a fly fishing background, you will have an advantage in any fishing you do. Fly fishing is ALL about observation and patience. These are the very same qualities that will make you a good bass fisherman. A good fly fishing line to start with is a standard double taper line. This is better for shorter casting and smaller flies. You can catch big bass on small flies, but to start off short casts would be best. Learn to play the bass close to you and then go with longer casts. A 40 foot cast that hooks a nice bass will equal a LONG fight sometimes.
When it is time to up size, a weight forward fly fishing line might do the trick for you. Great for longer casts, you can stand off a bit. In rivers, sometimes you need the distance to hit your mark. On a lake from a boat, sometimes you need to stay back to avoid spooking the fish. Either way it means a longer cast. This also means a longer and more challenging fight. With most of the weight in the first 10 ten yards, this fly line will rocket out to hit that log or grass patch. This line is also good for a subsurface presentation. A big deer hair bass bug will keep it floating no problem though. A fly line of 6 or 7 weight should be good for river smallies and 7 to 9 weight for largemouth with a rod to match. Either tapered or weight forward can be purchased in floating or sinking line. For most bass fishing, a weight forward floating line is what you want. Bass will take your fly from the surface or just under the surface most of the time. If you need a little depth, a small pinch on sinker will do. If you do choose a sinking line, they fall into 2 basic categories. They are sinking tip, and full sinking. Full sinking is used in slow moving rivers as well as ponds and lakes. Use this with the strip/pause retrieve. A sinking tip is used for faster current that has a shorter presentation. The weight at the tip allows you to adjust, or mend, your line to remove drag on the fly from current pulling your line.
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