Flicking feathers

  This muddler pattern will work for just about any species that eats a baitfish in fresh or saltwater. It can be tied in almost any size and fished on any line to suit your waters. To support the channel, get access to the monthly tying classes and enter the giveaways, head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and sign up or donate at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/flickingfeathers Materials list Hook: Gamakatus B10s size 10 to 2/0 or SL12 size 2 to 4/0 Thread: White Danville's flat waxed nylon Tail: Marabou blood quill Rib: 20lb Fluorescent yellow nylon Body: Sybai Angel dubbing pearl Head: Spun deer belly hair Book of the Month 7; The practical angler is available here: https://amzn.to/3kLyBSW Amazon UK https://amzn.to/3EZxneY Amazon.com Bookmarking or using my link will help support my channel.

I took advantage of a break in the weather to head to a river on the outskirts of Tokyo that I hadn't fished for a couple of years because of some major construction works including a new road bridge. The fishing still hasn't recovered but there were some encouraging signs. To support my channel, join the online tying classes and enter the giveaways, head to https://www.patreon.com/flickingfeathers and sign up or donate at https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/flickingfeathers Book Of The Month 6 https://amzn.to/3zwgkyc Amazon.co.uk https://amzn.to/2WyiuiE Amazon.com BOTM 1, Smallmouth is available here https://amzn.to/3wSaJAC   https://amzn.to/3vHUANX  

 Another old one I wrote for www.sexyloops.com  Although smallmouth bass are generally thought of as a warm water species, February and March offer some of the best fishing here and it's certainly not warm. I usually switch between big streamers of 12-15cm and small crayfish depending on the water I'm fishing-a few of the rivers are just big long riffles that flow too quickly for presenting a crayfish imitation slowly on the bottom. Received wisdom is that the bass key on crayfish and don't chase bait till the water warms up a bit, but actually this is very river dependent in my experience and some of my biggest smallmouth have come on big baitfish patterns in the early part of February. It pays not to be too fixed on what's "right" sometimes! That said, on the rivers here that have more sedate flows I will always have crayfish flies ready, especially early in the year. Bass like them, and numbers of fish always seem higher. There is something of a numbers vs