Big Fish Big Fly

As the old saying goes bigger is always better.  We as humans like big things.  No matter if we are biggie sizing our food, going for the bigger car, the bigger tv, or wanting the bigger gift for Christmas we are obsessed with bigger things.  This year for me looking back was the year of the big fish.  I caught more citation and bigger fish than I have caught in years past.  

This year I never caught a smallmouth under 15 inches with the biggest being a monster 20 inch Ohio River brute.  I usually enjoy throwing some small poppers and picking up some average size fish and that I'm fine win.  Most of the year was spent throwing flies between the 5 and 10 inch range.  I relied on the 7 and 10wt rods, the Cheeky Mojo with a super smooth drag, big big tippet the biggest possible, and of course big flies.  Upscaled flies can be tough you might not catch tons of numbers but when you do it's more than likely memorable.  When your playing the go big or go home game your bound to be left with some moments you'd like to forget.  Yes there will be moments when the fish spooks because of the 20lb tippet, or loosing huge fish on thrown hooks (unfortunately this happened to many times), or just moments when you blow it under pressure and flat out miss the fish and the hook set.  This year I owe a lot of success to my gear the Sage One 7wt has been an absolute workhorse throwing some big flies match that with some 20lb Rio Tippet and Rio Smallmouth fly line and your ready to go.  Add in a bugger beast box loaded with some bug ugly flies that fits like a dream in e new Vedavoo sling and yor ready for a lot of success.  Speaking of success I can't say enough great things about Pat Cohen's creations his EP Game Changers were far and away magical on big fish.

Throwing a big game changer and watching a smallmouth just come out of cover and inhale it brings a rush to any angler.  The big flies like those game changers just make fish go nuts.  They are like feeding candy to Hybrids having a 25" monster inhale one as it smam through waters of the Ohio was another great moment and big fish memory of the year.  People talk about feeding candy to something and them going nuts the game changers did that for me.  I love throwing streamers especially when you have a visual take nothing beats that rush for me.  The Game Changer has became that big fish bait for me fishing it twitching it like it's an injured baitfish or even just a swim if minnow it does if all and just finds the fish .  Big fish want a big meal so when your wanting to catch the if one it always helps to biggie size.  Whe your throwing steamers try to upscale your fly and go up a few sizes and see if you get any reaction strikes and see if you can land a monster.  Big fish have hungry appetites so why not throw some huge flies and see if you can intice a big brown or smallmouth!  Small flies will catch big fish as well but big flies definitely get the attention of lunker fish and will create some wild reaction strikes!  Go big or go home!!