Tim’s Trusty Twelve

With a weight-forward design (1/50th oz barbell eyes) these 3 flies all sink well, so they’re able to get to the bottom and stay down on the retrieve. All three are perfect for doing the “Crayfish Hop” (that deadly with-the-current bottom-bouncing retrieve that suckers smallies even when they’re in a bottom-hugging mood).

To fish these flies, use a floating line and a long (9 or 10 foot) untapered fluorocarbon leader, a strike indicator pegged at the line-leader junction. With this set-up and some expertise, these three flies will probe the bottom and produce strikes even when the fish seem to have lockjaw.

The Holschlag Hackle Fly (HHF) is especially deadly during the peak of the crayfish season (mid-summer to early fall) but it’s also often extremely effective during the spawn when fished with a drag-and-pause retrieve.

The sleek Golden Minnow (with its custom-dyed belly) is also an absolute killer during the crayfish season and will stay closer to the bottom in current than the bulkier HHF.

The Albino Minnow is superb as a bottom-bouncer from spring into fall. Plus, it often works well as a mid-depth search pattern in lakes when using a faster retrieve.

My 3 mid-depth fly picks for smallmouth bass are all Holschlag Hares— 1 white Hare and 2 black Hares. That’s how good this pattern is.

We now offer the Hares in four great colors. All of them have the same terrific fish-catching action, but white and black are my two favorite colors. White is often excellent in the early and late seasons, and black is quite consistent during the summer.

The Hares have produced tremendous catches for guiding clients the past 5 years. This pattern has also been my personal favorite subsurface pattern for a while.

Here are two reasons that the Hare is superb: First, the rabbit strip tail undulates like almost nothing else can. Secondly, the blunt deer-hair head combined with weighted eyes make the pattern push water and dodge and dart exceptionally well in current. In fact, the Hare darts as well as the Shenks Streamer, but the Hare’s metal eyes make it sink much better than the Shenks Streamer. This makes the Hare an ideal mid-depth fly for smallmouth bass.

You can fish this fly 3 feet deep on a floating line, even in current. And in slacker water or with a sinking line, it can be worked extremely well near the bottom. It is also one of my favorite flies to “twitch-in-place.” (Fish against the current without retrieving line. Instead, use rod-tip twitches to animate the fly.)

Don’t leave home without your Hares.

Lightly weighed (and shallow-running) patterns have several major attributes. They are easy to cast. They don’t snag as much as faster sinking flies, and they can often be sight-fished. I’ve used these three flies for years and have seen them catch thousands of fish.

I’ve raved about the Shenks Streamer in many different articles, books and talks and Why? Because with proper rod tip, action this fly will flutter, dodge and dart in an extremely appealing way. White is probably the most consistent color, but in the spring and in stained water the yellow Shenks is often even better. So don’t hesitate to try yellow. If you sometimes use a sinking line, you can twitch the Shenks Streamer right along the bottom or at mid-depth against the current… deadly.

The final pattern is my subsurface line-up is the Murdich Minnow. This extremely bright and flashy pattern that often produces stunning numbers of fish. This silver and white Murdich is a killer in clear water. You can cover a lot of water with the pattern, and even when it’s retrieved fast, fish will charge out and nail it hard. Like the Shenks Streamer, the Murdich can also be worked deeper on a sinking line. Additionally, minnow-loving species like white bass and wipers love the Murdich Minnow.

There’s nothing better than catching smallies on the top, and these flies will bring them up. They are all made of lightweight, extremely durable closed-cell foam. This makes them easy to cast, plus they “pop” better and last longer than any other type of popper.

To fish these flies, use a sharp twitch of the rod tip to make them “pop.” In our new DVD, you can see me demonstrate the 3 best topwater retrieves.

The Original blockhead is the most versatile popper ever made. The foam head’s precisely-designed angles make it light enough to cast with a 5-wt rod, yet it easily produces plenty of “pop.” This popular pattern has caught thousands of big smallmouth bass in rivers and lakes across the US and Canada.

In calm or clear water, the Bitty Blockhead‘s smaller “pop” is perfect. Don’t underestimate this fly– the “Bitty” is mighty. Its beefy-sized hook, extra bushy tail, durable foam, and flat face make it an excellent smallmouth producer. This easy-to-cast fly has landed hordes of big bronzebacks, including 20-inchers.

The Big Foamy Pete version of the Sneaky Pete lasts much longer and performs much better than a cork Sneaky Pete. This quiet, bullet-headed “slider”-type topwater makes a subtle “plup,” and creates an enticing bubble trail– exactly what the smallies want in low water or clear water. Our original-size Big Pete is the undisputed winner for targeting big fish, and has caught countless fish over 14 inches, including some exceeding 20 inches.