What rod for John Day smallmouth?

[prmike307]

If we have enough water, a group of us will be floating Service Creek to Clarno on the John Day. What weight fly rod should I bring?

 

[iveofione]

I am catching a lot of river smallmouth on a TFO BVK 10' 5 wt. Is it the best rod for the job? I have no idea, it is so good I haven't lusted for anything better.

 

[clarkman]

5 or 6.

Heavier for Willamette and big C

 

[Rob Allen]

I'd take a 6 just for some added versatility and a 5 won't make the little guys any more fun.

 

[NRC]

I had a lot of fun with a 4wt. Should be plenty for 99% of the fish you catch. I did catch one bruiser that took a while to land but still got er done. If you want to throw streamers as opposed to topwater (boooo) then a 6 is good.

 

[prmike307]

Thanks for all your help.

 

[prmike307]

I am catching a lot of river smallmouth on a TFO BVK 10' 5 wt. Is it the best rod for the job? I have no idea, it is so good I haven't lusted for anything better.

I bought one of those rods for my son and his wife

 

[Yard Sale]

Are you going in spring or summer?

I like to go in the spring wen the flows are up. Makes for a much easier float. The water is usually up and has some color so I like a 7wt so I can chuck a sinking poly leader and a deer hair/rabbit strip style fly.

If going later then a 5wt to throw little poppers. I'll even bust out the 3wt glass to make the little fish fun.

 

[prmike307]

Are you going in spring or summer?

I like to go in the spring wen the flows are up. Makes for a much easier float. The water is usually up and has some color so I like a 7wt so I can chuck a sinking poly leader and a deer hair/rabbit strip style fly.

If going later then a 5wt to throw little poppers. I'll even bust out the 3wt glass to make the little fish fun.

Early June

 

[NRC]

Early June

Just make sure you’ve got a rod you feel enables you to stick a popper or skater into juicy looking pockets on either bank. I’ve done the JD once, and it was in June. My experience was all about drinking boatloads of beer and casting funny flies to exciting pockets hoping for a splash.

The Sooner Schooner was the big hawgz preference bar none until it was lost in a willow. The OKC thunder fly was more of a dink catcher.

This…was no fun to cast on the 4wt. The tail certainly generated interest though.

 

[prmike307]

Just make sure you’ve got a rod you feel enables you to stick a popper or skater into juicy looking pockets on either bank. I’ve done the JD once, and it was in June. My experience was all about drinking boatloads of beer and casting funny flies to exciting pockets hoping for a splash.
View attachment 8441
The Sooner Schooner was the big hawgz preference bar none until it was lost in a willow. The OKC thunder fly was more of a dink catcher.

This…was no fun to cast on the 4wt. The tail certainly generated interest though.
View attachment 8445

Those are definitely creative flies!

 

[Replicant]

Are you going in spring or summer?

I like to go in the spring wen the flows are up. Makes for a much easier float. The water is usually up and has some color so I like a 7wt so I can chuck a sinking poly leader and a deer hair/rabbit strip style fly.

If going later then a 5wt to throw little poppers. I'll even bust out the 3wt glass to make the little fish fun.

Nothing like 3wt glass and little bass.

 

[prmike307]

Nothing like 3wt glass and little bass.

I have a carbon 3wt I might bring. My son and his wife did this trip last June. She really got into casting poppers for the bass!

 

[Eastside]

I don’t think that John Day bass are very large, so that probably will be fine.

 

[prmike307]

I don’t think that John Day bass are very large, so that probably will be fine.

My daughter-in-law said they weren't very large but she sure enjoyed catching them.

 

[Yard Sale]

By June it will be a small fish smorgasbord. Go light and have fun. I would recommend large hooks to get your fly past all the tiny guys to the decent fish. Might be worth it to bring a rod to throw a heavy clouser behind big boulders/basalt cliffs with deep water if you want to find the bigger fish.