“Bass-Bug Humbug”
by William G. Tapply
Adapted for Palmetto Fly N Fish members

August 6, 2018
Fly Fishing

WHEN it comes to bass bugs, I reckon there is a lot of hokum going around. That is to say, a lot of crap is out there. 

Fly-fishing catalogs, fly shops, podcasts, Facebook fly-fishing groups, they are all filled with an endless variety of surface bass bugs.

- Poppers, sliders, divers, moths, mice, and more are everywhere. 
- Materials abound... deer hair, balsa, cork, and foam of every kind.
- There are bugs in every shape, size, design, and color imaginable.

Often, they may represent living creatures, or, they may be like nothing that EVER lived.
They might  have legs, wings, arms, tails, antennae, beards, maybe a few mustaches, and probably eyes. You'll see lips , propellers, spinners, rattles and certainly weedguards.

However, I am not at all afraid to say that, by and large, they catch the fisherman long before they catch bass.

Along comes some poor newcomer, or gullible fly-fishing veteran, and he's gonna want to have every single one of them, in every variation possible.
His logic is that you NEED all that because you never know what bass will want.
Why? Because every book, group, written piece, testimonial, anecdote, tradition and lore... they all assure him that he must have just the right bass bug... or he's doomed to failure. 

And that, dear friends, is plain old hokum.

The truth is, we don't really need most of it - and maybe none of it. 
This is because Mr. Bass resolves the problem for us, in this manner:

If bass have moved into an area, and are there to feed, they will come up to the surface and take most any old bass bug as may come along.

If they won't, it's most likely that you are in the wrong place, i.e., where they AINT, ... or they are there for something else.

Why The Bass Bug?
The First Bass Bug was nothing more than a bottle cork with some turkey feathers stuck in its butt. There was once a popular bass bug that was just spun deer hair on a hook... left untrimmed and as ragged as you might imagine such a thing to be.
Another was made up of nothing more than all the long hackles you could wrap on a hook.
And these crude things caught bass as readily as any of today's Sooper Whopper Popper Slappin' Bass Grabbers.

See, bass are mobile, run-and-gun feeders.
The popular idea that they sit by a log all season waiting for you to show up is mostly bogus.
They may take up a feeding station when it is opportune to do so, but it's usually brief.
Normally, they "live" somewhere removed from the shallow feeding areas suited to fly fishing, and move to them when they are hungry.
As such, when most fly casters encounter them, they are there to feed.

This means they are actively seeking prey that gives the impression of life, food value, vulnerability... an easy meal in other words.
THAT is what a bass bug must represent, and that's all it has to do. All the embellishment we add is window dressing.

Given that, the logical question then becomes,...

“So, what matters in a bass bug?”

I'm glad you asked, because I'm gonna tell you.
Keep in mind, as you read along, this is MY outpouring on the subject.
You may differ with some, or all of it - and I hope you tell me if you do.
But this is how I perceive this business after a lot of casting bugs for bass.

1. Dynamics
A large part of bass-bug fun is casting your bugs to all those "fishy" target zones that we hope bass have moved to. I'm talking about weed pockets, half-submerged wood, overhanging bushes, the areas around boulders, docks, boats ramps, etc..

BUT, a bulky air-resistant bug, with wings, tails, appendages and so on quickly works you overtime, defeats your best efforts at casting accuracy, and drains much of the the fun from the game.
Soon, you're being told on Facebook forums that the solution is to buy a $500 “bass fly rod.”

It's not. 

Instead, you need light, streamlined bugs that you can cast comfortably with a medium-weight (5 – 7 weight) rod.
If all you have are the wrong kind of bug, you can improve the aerodynamics with scissors.

2. Noise 
Here is what convinces bass to strike: 

- The sound of prey at the ceiling of its world
- Maybe shape
- Almost never color (more on that later) 

Foremost is sound, so you should be able to create a variety of lifelike noises with a bug.
First comes the sound of the bug splatting when it hits the surface.
Crashing down too loudly, and it scares the fish away.
Too quiet, and they may not recognize it as prey.
So a fat 'splat' is a good thing thing.

Once down and settled, tug it so it goes 'kaploop.'
Give it a twitch so it chugs, and gurgles. If its a deer hair bug it can be made to 'swish.'
Or, when called for, almost no sound is made.
The sudden absence of sound can be just as deafening as a noisome clatter.

3. Movement
Something should always be moving on a bass bug, even when it is sitting still.
A moderate tail of marabou or pliable hairs like squirrel or bucktail is ideal for this.
And of course, don't forget rubber legs. These all add appealing movement to the bug. 

4. Floatation
You want a good bass bug to float half in the water, and not on top of it.
And you also want it to float reliably, and for a long time, whenever possible.
Leaves float on the surface, but bass prey doesn't - it's in the water.

Thus, bugs that ride too high don't have lifelike motion and sound.
And you don't want your bug sinking when your plan is for it to ride in the surface film.  
This part is tricky; most bugs from balsa and foam float too high.
Cork works best in this regard.

5. Hookability
The gape of the hook should be wide relative to the size of the bug, or you’ll miss a lot of strikes.
Ideally, you should be able to trace an unimpeded line directly from the hook point to the hook eye.
Keep your hook points needle sharp.
Mash down the barbs.

6. Size
Under normal conditions, the size of the bug is not the final factor...

I’ve caught five-pounders on bluegill-sized bugs, and twelve-inchers on bugs the size of sparrows.
But, to give a number to all you tackle junkies out there, something on a 1 to 2/O hook for largemouths, and a little smaller (size 1, say) for smallmouths, is about right.

Nick Lyons writes evocatively about how big, bulky bugs attract big bulky bass at twilight, and they surely do.
Meanwhile, Art Scheck argues that those same bass would probably gobble panfish bugs that you can cast comfortably on a 4-weight trout rod.
I think they’re both right, and I take the middle ground from about 6 through 2/0... and not many in that latter size.
On flat, shallow water, oversize bugs might scare bass.
On choppy water, though, the commotion of a big bug helps to attract them.

8. Shape
Bass guru, Will Ryan, chooses stubby bugs for shoreline fishing, and sleek, tapered bugs for offshore reefs and shoals.

His theory is that bass expect to find wounded and disoriented baitfish offshore, and terrestrial creatures near the banks.*
For this reason, he picks bugs whose shape suggests the predominant bass prey in an area, without duplicating anything in particular.

This is a good theory, and it works for Will, if for no other reason than it gives him confidence in whatever bug he ties on.

When it comes to shape, though, the important criterion is still how well the bug casts.
* One exception to this that comes to mind is when bass are pushing, and feeding on, schools of baitfish against a shallow shore.

9. Appendages
Keep them sparse and soft, both for good castability and quivery motion on the water.
Most commercial bugs are severely over-dressed.
How about eyes and ears? Sorry, they serve no function except to attract the fisherman. Bass can’t see the top of a bug from beneath it.
*I'll have a minor disagreement with this, so long as the eyes are mounted low on the side of the head.

10. Color
OK, here we go, the ol' color game.
Everyone has their pet colors, and the belief that only this color, or that one, will work.
But lets look at this as the bass does.
Frogs, for example, are greenish-brownish.
Baitfish are silvery-whitish.
Moths are greyish.
Mice are brownish-grayish. All of these colors make good bass bugs.

Meanwhile, so do purple and chartreuse and pink and blue.... colors that resemble nothing in Nature.

Why is that?
This alone should tell you that color is more personal, than critical.
But the reason is really kind of simple, and it is this...

From from a bass’s viewpoint, surface bugs are seen while coming up from below. Bass don't live in the surface film – they come up to it.
So what they see when they approach is a blurry silhouette.
Their eyesight isn't great in this realm, as it is designed to focus somewhere well ahead of them, and while BELOW the surface... and even then, its not oriented to microscopic examination.

So, a spot of red on the bug’s “throat” might suggest flared gills and trigger a bass’s predatory impulse... or probably won't.

A pale underside mostly resembles the bottom of most bass prey, generally.
That's probably the one meaningful constant in this whole color game we play.
Otherwise, since it doesn’t matter to the fish, the best bass-bug color is whatever YOU like, and what can be seen on the water.
I like yellow and white.

11. Durability
Bass are generally toothless creatures, in the sense we mean when speaking of, “teeth.”
A good bug, therefore, should be able to survive multiple chomps from the fish. This could be as few as three, or more than a dozen.
I'm happy with three – more is icing on the cake.
I tie my own, after all, and I can make a lot of them.

Other guys insist the bug must withstand the bite-down of a hundred fish, and then go to the grave with them.

Either way, its not just the material the bug is made of, but also how well-made it is.
The cork, foam or balsa bodies of poorly-made bugs can come loose and slide up and down the hook shank or even break off.
Badly-spun deerhair bodies will fray, twist, become waterlogged, and fall out.
If you make your bugs yourself, you can attend to the details that make the difference.
If you buy them, you can’t be sure.

12. Weedless
Bass, especially largemouths, often lurk in and among lily pads, reeds and plenty of other aquatic vegetation.
A bug that slithers around, through, and over weeds and half-submerged tree branches and snags allows you to cast to the places where the big ones might be. This means a weedguard is a serious consideration.
Weed guards are generally made from monofilament or wire.
Bugs tied on keel hooks theoretically ride hook-point up, with the fly's material usually covering the point.
That sounds good in theory, I know. But I’ve never seen a completely weed-proof bass bug, no matter what you may hear. The annoying rule of thumb seems to be:

The better they prevent snagging on weeds, the worse they hook bass.

The expression goes,...“Weed guards are often fish guards.”

I usually avoid weed guards entirely, and take my chances unless casting among dense weeds is my only choice. Then, I use bugs that have monofilament loops tied along the bend of the hook and just behind the eye.
The monofilament is just strong enough to push the fly away from the snag; the loop isn't there to push the weeds away from the fly.
This design style is mostly weed free, and hooks bass pretty well.
It’s the best compromise I’ve found so far.

13. Materials
Spun deer hair, closed-cell foam, or hard stuff (cork, balsa, plastic) - each has its advantages.
I prefer deer hair. It makes delicious ploops and burbles.
I imagine it feels like something alive in the mouth of a bass, it floats low in the water, and, when well made, it endures a day’s worth of chewing and chomping.
I happen to enjoy spinning and trimming deer hair, which is not an inconsiderable factor.
Closed-cell foam is hands-down the easiest material to work with, and tough as nails. I can make a dozen fine foam bass bugs in the time it takes me to make one good deer-hair bug.
If you like cabinet making—carving, sanding, gluing and painting—rather than fly tying, by all means make your bugs from cork or balsa.

Each material has its small advantages and disadvantages, but all are minor compared to what the angler does with his bug—casting it close to shadowy shoreline targets on a soft summer’s evening, imparting enticing sounds and movements to it, and strip-striking hard when the water implodes and a big bass sucks it in.

* * *

Check out these great e-books by William G. Tapply (available on all formats including iPad, Kindle, Mobi, etc.):

• Sportsman’s Legacy: A Rich Memoir of a Man’s Life with His Great Sportsman Father, His Beloved Family, and His Adored Brittany,

• Bitch Creek: A Novel, and

• Death at Charity’s Point (The Brady Coyne Mysteries Book 1).

FEATHER QUILL FLOAT

...Because Man does not live by fly fishing alone
Palmetto Fly N Fish, Jul 2 2022

    If you go by the name of this blog, you might think this is just another fly-fishing article. This blog is part of the Facebook group, "Palmetto Fly N Fish," and we do love our fly fishing. 

BUT, we know there are other ways to catch fish and we embrace that.  

    So if you don't fly fish, don't worry - this will sit easy with you. If you DO fly fish, this may be something you want to add to your repertoire. 

    With that in mind, let me describe an old method of float fishing - the quill float. 

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    Most of you are probably familiar with fishing floats, or "bobbers," and some of you may know about quill floats.
But did you know you can make an excellent float from a goose?



Yes, a goose.

    Quill floats have been around a long time, and became a unique piece of Americana with the first colonists. 

In this country, the quills for these floats came from wild porcupines.

But nowadays, they are mostly sourced from porcupines in Africa. And by all accounts, those prickly critters of the African bush are not something to fool around with... even if you could.

    But, there is an alternative that achieves the same results.
It can normally be obtained locally with little effort, often for FREE, and it has the primary benefit of keeping you away from cranky porcupines.




Why You Want A Quill Float
    So what's the big deal with a quill float?
In short, a quill float is probably the most sensitive type you can use.
    They register the tiniest of bites, the fish normally feel no resistance when taking the bait and they don't detect the float's presence as it slips beneath the water. Few other floats can compete in this regard.

    Even better than that, they are simple to make from common materials. And since African porcupine quill is not exactly an everyday item for most people, an alternative that gives us these qualities is desirable.

    And that is a float made from a feather quill.

Where Do They Come From?
    This is where Mr. Goose gets into the act.
Instead of the hollow, spiky quill of a porcupine, the feather quill float uses the hollow stem of a large bird feather. 

This is normally a primary wing feather from birds like swans, turkeys, and geese…. All of these have the right feathers.

    You can get the quills by picking up shed feathers wherever these large birds congregate. Or, maybe you have hunting friends that can give you some. If all else fails, these primary wing feathers can be purchased in bulk lots of cheap, craft feathers. All that really matters is they have enough size and girth to actually float.

    Here's what you are looking for...



    The quill float I show further down was crafted from a feather very much like this one, a goose plume I literally picked up off the ground.

    I was working with my friend and co-worker, John G., at a site where numerous tame geese were hanging around. 

You've probably seen something similar where you live. 

    Of course, wherever geese congregate, talk eventually turns to their terrible toilet habits. Lets just say that most birds are prodigious poopers, and geese are no exception.  

Plus they are LARGE, and not the least bit concerned about WHERE they leave their droppings.
I'm sure you get the idea.

    While discussing with John the pooping talents of your average goose, I mentioned that I had seen England's fishing great, Graeme Pullen, making floats from their large wing feathers….just like the one I was holding at the time.

    John is what we might call an old-school kind of angler, so this feather quill business was new territory for him.

"England? And what do you mean, making a float from a feather?"

    I described the technique for making, and fishing such a float, and said,...
    "See this feather, here, the one I just picked up? I will show you what I mean. I will make this very feather into a useful fishing float."

    The feather was free, no geese were harmed in the effort,... and I didn't have to go anywhere near irritable porcupines to do the job.

How It's Made
    Nothing could be simpler than making one of these floats. What we are working towards is turning the feathers' quill, or center stem, into a hollow, tapered cylinder that will float in water.

    In short the procedure goes like this:

1. The feather fibers are stripped from the stem with your fingers
2. An eyelet is affixed through which you may run the line
3. The bare quill is sanded, sealed, and painted to your liking

- and you are left with an ultra sensitive, upright fishing float.

    The end result looks like this...





    With proper weighting, these quill floats register the tiniest of bites, and fish aren't even aware they are there.
They are also a fun DIY job, which gives much satisfaction to the angler.

More Details
    The quill used for this float started by having its fibers stripped off - this required nothing more than pulling them from the stem.

    Then the bare quill is sanded smooth, to remove any lumps left behind after stripping the fibers away. This sanding doesn't have to be extensive - I used medium grit emery paper to smooth it up. You can do more, but its not needed.

    Next, I trimmed the float to the desired length. This one is around 8".
    At this point, a small, twisted wire eyelet was fit directly into the lower tip, and glued in with super glue. There are other ways to affix the line, but I will use this mostly as a slip float, and wanted the absolute minimum of weight at the bottom end.
    So I went with the trusty eyelet..... there it is, below.




    Then, the whole thing was sealed along its entire length with super glue.
There is a small hole at the very tip of the quill, where it separates from the bird, and there is the chance that small pinholes may exist elsewhere on the thing.
    Also, when you trim to length, the interior is exposed.
For these reasons, you want to seal it well.
    
    For color, I used a very dark purple for the bottom portion; it might be called dark grape and is almost black.
To complete the markings, I added a bright, fluorescent pink tip with black ledger lines....




All of the painting and coloring was done with nail polish bought at dollar stores. 

This further helps seal the float, and is both inexpensive and tough.

HOW THEY ARE USED, And Other Matters
    By now you understand that these floats are cheap, made from common materials, and are very sensitive. They also tend to defeat the effects of wind, because very little of the float is above the waters surface.
    If these floats have any drawbacks, they are these:

- They are not suitable for heavy tackle

- They are ungainly to cast long-.

- They can be hard to see

    Over the years, I have come to use these floats for their strong points. This means in-close finesse fishing - finesse, with a capital "F."
    I like them on longish, lightweight spinning gear, light lines in the 4-6 lb. test range, and fished no more than 30 or 40 feet away. Closer is better, and dropping them in just out from the rod tip, best of all.
    For finesse float fishing, I generally use a 9’ fly rod, fit up with a small spinning reel, for this work.
I call it a, "Palmetto Ultralight Rig."

    That's right; I said a fly rod with a spinning reel. Hey, I'm a rule breaker.



    The quill floats are lightly weighted, as you might expect, since they can't support much mass on their own. 

Split shot is normally selected for this, the aim being to, "cock" the float upright once weighted.
In this way, it suspends vertically in the water, and is normally used to present the bait just off the bottom.

    You can shot them in one of two ways, as seen in my crude drawings, below:

Option 1
    Place a small locking shot to either side of the eyelet to cock the float and fix the depth. Then, a small amount of weight is spread along the length of the hook link, and keeps the bait down near bottom.




Option 2
    Add a sliding float stop, or stop knot, on the main line, and attach a drop weight below the float on the hook link. In this manner, the weight pulls the float upright when it gets down to depth. This is the slip float option.



    Either way you go, the weight should cock the float upright.
And with some effort expended on precise shotting, you can center the ledger lines at the waters surface and use them to detect even the lightest of LIFT bites!

    Lead split shot is traditional for this job, and it can be had in some tiny sizes specifically for this use. Lead-free shot could be used, and tungsten putty, or wrap on lead weights are other possibilities.

    In the UK, these floats are often used to fish in the margins, that is, close to the shore. A similar float is what the English call a, "waggler" - really just a refinement of these simple quill floats. 

    Along with fishing in the margins, the quill float is also excellent fished in close to cover, from a boat or float tube, and they render a stealthy presentation to wary, tackle shy fish.

    So get yourself some large feather quills, a bit of paint and wire, and have a go at this little project.

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Writers should always strive for a job well done... even half-baked ones like me. So if you found value in this article, please like, comment, and share it. 

Do you have questions, compliments, or suggestions?
If so, email me at...dahutist@gmail.com

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Palmetto Fly n Fish

Thanks so much for reading, and...

Tight Lines,

Dave Hutton

© All rights reserved, David Hutton/Palmetto Fly N Fish 2022/2023 

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