Hi all, I'm new to this forum and need your expert advice. I have a Elkhorn fly rod, four piece, nine foot, seven weight rod, model ET907-4 traveler. I would like to fish in the BWCA for Smallmouth Bass or Northern Pike. My questions are what line should I use and what flies do I need? I have some Bassbug taper floating line #7 weight that is still in good shape, do I need some other line? If you could list what flies or poppers work it would help.
Thanks for your help.

Well depending on how much you want to spend, I would add a clear intermediate line like the Scientific Anglers Stillwater line, and also a full sinking line. If you could only pick one of those, I'd take the stillwater line. This is my go to choice for lakes in spring and summer (lakers, smallies, pike). Its also good for walleyes slow trolling over the top of the deep weed edge (very slow paddle). You can change lines quickly by putting loops on your backing and the ends of all your lines. You can then loop to loop connect the lines really quickly and not have to bring additional reels. I also put a loop on the end of my leader and then loop to loop connect the tippet - mono or fluoro. Makes it fast and easy, esp. when dealing with an area with lots of pike. Use 30-40lb fluorocarbon leaders. I like Maxima and Seagaur.

For flies, most anything will work and everyone has their favorites. Clousers and deceivers, woolly buggers, dragonflies and damsel flies. Deer hair bugs as well as foam flies for floaters like Crease flies and the Moorish mouse.

Hope this helps.

Moonman.

Thanks Moonman, good info. You also confirmed the flies that I thought of bringing. I bought Clouser WFF line for my reel because my old line was cracking in spots after I looked at it closer.

That Rio Clouser line is a good one. Some buddies use it. It loads nicely. Good luck on your trip.

Moonman.

I like Rio Clouser line too. If your rod is very fast action, you might try over-weighting by using 8 weight line. That can help with big flies. I find a 7-wt on the light side for big pike flies but very nice for smallies.

The line can depend on when you fish and the weather. I go in June and the topwater action is excellent. But sometimes if it is cold and overcast, the fish won't come up so having the clear intermediate line with deceivers, Clousers, Murdoch minnows, Clouser darters work well. For poppers, everyone has a favorite. Mine is a Clouser Crippled Minnow which is a deer hair fly that rides a little low in the water and seems wounded when you twitch it. Not the mst noisy popper but it is a great small mouth fly.

I have always taken way too many flies. This coming year, I am going to take a dozen crippled Clousers, a dozen subsurface flies and that's it. Well, maybe I will double that. But anyway, I will scale back.

If you like to troll, you might do well with intermediate line and a big half and half. They are not too hard to tie, but I just buy mine directly from Bob Clouser. I like big 3/0 half and haltf's in virtually any color for trolling for pike. They just slam it. That is good fun for September pike fishing. I let the entire fly line out and troll a huge half and half. I don't recommend casting that with a 7-wt unless you wear a helmet or hate you canoe partner.

I would recommend that you bring what you are comfortable with. I do smallie trip in early june every year. I love to fish top water and will do that even when it the not most effective presentation to make. This past year, I had a new guy on the trip that is a huge stealhead fisher. He fished exclusively with nymphs. We caught the exact same number of fish over the 3 days! So, bring the set up that you are comfortable with and enjoy being in the woods!

Jerold,

I resemble that comment about bringing too many flies! I tie my flies and I have....thousands. Just fun trying different material combos and colours, new patterns etc etc. Sitting at the bench in Jan or Feb. you tie something up, look at the profile and imagined movement in the water and laugh as you say to yourself, this will slay!!! Every year its the same thing, you want to reduce the amount of flies you take, you start with your old standby's, add some colour variations, various sizes and then new patterns and then oh oh, full boxes and hundreds of flies once again. I think its the 'I don't want to be stuck way out here, on a trip planed all year and not have the one fly that will do it!'

Also, you troll exactly the same way as I do. Sometimes to get my intermediate line deeper, I'll even let out half my backing. I put my reel over the rear thwart in front of me and point the rod tip straight back out the stern. Better hook sets that way.

Moonman.

Yes about winter fly tying fantasies. However my experience with June smallmouth fishing in Quetico is that almost anything that floats will work. This year I am taking only 3 popper types: Clouser Crippled Minnows, Todd's Wiggle Minnow, and a foam popper thati buy locally.

For trolling, sometime s a little split shot helps. For pike, I really rip the rod hard to 90 degrees from the boat, and then let it fall abruptly until the rod is pointed as far back as comfortable and the line goes taught again. It can be tiring/awkward at times but really effective.

Agree completely that a lot of times anything will work, especially early season. Hard to beat a deceiver and a clouser, for all around effectiveness. The fun for me though is trying different flies, even though I know a simple deceiver is all I really need.

Your pike technique would work great on lakers as well. Notorious followers, I get a lot of hits with a 90 degree change of direction while trolling, with the fish hitting as the line straightens out again and the fly increasing speed.

Moonman.

I have never caught a lake trout. That would be great to do. I would love to go way up north to get the big lakers when they are shallow. That is on my list.

Also, I rarely troll in BWCA because the casting is so effective. I do more trolling by boat in the fall when the weather is nasty and the pike are fewer but bigger. This year I might bring a rod holder and just drag a big fly behind to see if I hook up.

Partner and I go for an"opener" trip every year. 3 out of 10 years we have caught Lakers on a flyrod. it takes a late ice-out for them to still be shallow enough for a flyrod. Clouser minnow in any dull olive greeny sorta color will take them down to 10ft(not weighted), and a split shot or 2 will get you 12ft. or so. the water is so clear they will travel many feet in the water column to get a lure. I take an 8wt., more for casting power than anything else.

Jerold, do you tie those crippled clousers or buy them? Haven't seen a good tying video yet...

quote agrippando: "Jerold, do you tie those crippled clousers or buy them? Haven't seen a good tying video yet..."

I buy them directly from Clouser's fly fishing website. They are a custom item so I email him and ask if he will have some tied. He always says yes, although it takes several weeks. I usually order just after Christmas if I recall. He has never made me order a minimum but I usually order at least 2 dozen. The nice thing is that you can specify any color combinations you want. My personal favorite for Quetico is natural/tan deer hair with copper flashabou.

A nice aspect to the Crippled Couser is that it is subtle. It makes a soft gurgle and some bubbles but it is not a loud popper. I think the soft agitation is sometimes more effective. A downside if the flies is that the deer hair is not packed super tight so they get beat up and lose here buoyancy. After a dozen or more fish, they can be shot - especially if some little pike tear into them.

My new favorite is a Whitlock swimming frog. It is also a deer hair fly, but the deer hair is packed very tightly. They are very buoyant and very durable. Although they are expensive, they are worth it in terms of durability. It is hard to wear one out. I keep them well lubed with floatant. You can fish it softly or not so it is versatile. Plus they are buoyant enough for dropper flies.

You have to be a very good fly tyer to tie these so I buy them.