I love to catch trout. I’ve only been fly fishing for three years, but trout quickly earned the top spot on my list when it comes to my most enjoyable catches.
Second only to trout, is the small mouth bass (especially on the fly). In many ways trout and smallies give similar fights, both fish being strong and aggressive. Both can be downright stubborn when it comes to coaxing them towards you, you have to wear them down enough to drag them in your direction.
A friend of mine posted this video in a YakAngler.com forum that I frequent. In the video, a diver happens upon some bedding bass and the reaction is pretty astounding. After seeing this I realize how much of a fighter the small mouth is, and why I owe no apologies for their being such a close second on my freshwater fishing list.
Smallmouth Bass Attack from John Flynn on Vimeo.