Snake Guides: Summer Days and Smallmouth Bass

If you could pick a summer day to float a big river for smallmouth, today would have been a great choice. Through some electronic chatter, RS confirmed that he was able to steal away from his mounting responsibilities at home (wife, young daughter, new house, etc...) for a morning fish. The original plan was a 5:30 start time at the launch, but I was able eat into 15 minutes of that remembering what I forgot and then speeding to try and make up for my failing memory.

The cool morning and impending hot day, shrouded this stretch of river in a haze that is somewhere between eerie and stunning. In my haste to get my act together and organize the boat, I missed what would have been a good photo opp. Without complaint for waiting dockside for my arrival, RS settled in on the casting deck and we started in. The big river was running a little higher than I would have hoped. RS said it was at 9000 cfs up 5000 from the reports of great fishing the previous week. I seldom check the flows for the same reason I seldom check the weather...if you are gonna go, you just go. I once showed up and launched only to realize that the river was at 17,000 cfs which I thought about while I fished anyway....the movie is still being shown even if the theater is out of popcorn.

The sun was starting to heat the morning air as I feathered the oars and backed us down river left. RS worked the bank thoroughly. I came to appreciate what true guides must feel like when they have a competent caster on board. Basically their job description gets shortened.
We didn't get too far from the vehicle before baitfish erupted followed by a bankside boil.
Dropping the rock to hold us withing casting range we probed the area around the last known location and pulled up a couple of smallmouth. Though not giants, the connection with the target species early on seemed like a good sign.

As we continued down, RS's fly got creamed again and I was thinking bass right up until a nice slab crappie made its way over the gunwale. Check one under "non-target species". A little further down, RS connected again, this time with a smallmouth that reminded us both why an 8 weight isn't exactly overgunning it with these river fish.

Passing below a few eagle's nests on the way, we had a particular piece of water in mind as we slid downstream and we weren't exactly thrilled when we found another boat in the area. I made an attempt to gain a footing on the top end of this section but when the other boat moved up it became obvious that I could either crowd him and be an ass (all in the name of catching fish) or find an alternative.

Our alternative was to motor back upstream to cover some water on river right. We overshot the stretch and RS pitched as I rowed, scanning for feeding bass. I watched RS come tight to a fish that hit hard and then everything went slack. Though we'd slid 40' past the spot, we dropped anchor as RS reeled in a flyless tippet and retied. I was thinking Musky as RS punched a nice loop upstream and redelivered the goods. This time the hook stuck and the line held and he boated a decent smallmouth. Thinking that these fish will oftentimes feed in packs, we repositioned the boat and worked the stretch thoroughly until it was time for RS to hit the road.

I dropped him off at the dock and turned the Jon downstream under full horsepower to see if the "other guy" was still courting my water. I ran the river a little hot given the wood and shifting depths, but when I came around the last bend and could see that the stretch was open I kept on the throttle until I could start to count rocks on the bottom...at which point I hastily cut the motor, tilted it and grabbed the oars.

Sliding into the topside of the run I dropped the anchor and stepped into the river. With the water at 9000, it was a little difficult to locate the sweet spot in the run. Casts long and short were returned unmolested for about 10 minutes until a series of vicious slashes 200' downstream indicated that I was a little too far upstream. Back on the casting deck I pulled the anchor and rowed within range.

High up on the deck, no wind, bright sun and smallmouth blitzing bait.

I didn't move for 3 hours.

My flies got crushed.