White Fly Action

[HenryDavid]

Monday evening I was hoping to catch the tail end of the white fly hatch on the Susquehanna North Branch in the Harding - Apple Tree boat launch area. I got to the river around 5pm and struggled to get any bites on the spinning gear until one smallie hit my jig and ended the drought, that would be it until the white flies came around. It was a light to medium hatch but enough to get the bass interested. I had a small white popper with rubber legs and a feather tail that I wanted to try early on and a few smaller bass took it. Once the white flies were on the water and bass were rising I hooked a nice 14 inch smallie on the same small popper and thought I had it all figured out, but after the smallie chewed on the popper no more legs or feathers, just a small white pill and the bass were not taking it. So I tied on a white popper that Melvin P had made, it was a slight bit larger and had a hackle tail that resembled the long tail of the naturals on the water, no wings, no rubber legs, just the body and tail. Well it proved to be just the ticket and I got 2 bombers on it before the action ended.

 

[Solitario Lupo]

I should get into popper fishing but I’ve tried a couple times with not much success. I’m starting to think there’s probably better times to use one. Night would be one of them.

How that bass do. Did it make it. Could of hit some rocks on the way in. Sometimes they do that to me. I think that size they’re older so could be more stressful on them.

 

[HenryDavid]

I should get into popper fishing but I’ve tried a couple times with not much success. I’m starting to think there’s probably better times to use one. Night would be one of them.

How that bass do. Did it make it. Could of hit some rocks on the way in. Sometimes they do that to me. I think that size they’re older so could be more stressful on them.

He hung out in the shallows for awhile, then he was gone. Both those bigger bass acted the same way, awesome fighters then a slow recovery. I throw poppers all day, some days it's really on. I was dead drifting it last night right along with the naturals. The thing is after you catch a smallie on a dry fly they can really mess it up and get it slimely and soaked. With the popper you can just go right back after them, no struggling to get it to float.

 

[Solitario Lupo]

Maybe I'll tie me up some. What colors do you prefer.

 

[HenryDavid]

Daytime in bright sunlight yellow and white have been productive. On overcast days the darker green or black work pretty well. I think river smallies prefer a slimmer torpedo shape. Any type of cupped shape or straight edged front can produce a gurgle. Rubber legs are nice but no necessary, the feathers seem to slip easily. We would have to ask Melvin P how he attached the hackle to his popper, that stayed on well, not sure if it was hackle or what that he used.