“If, when you pull a fly out you don’t hear drums and can’t smell chicken blood in the air, put it back in the box, for if it is evil you seek, then it can only be conjured with the same.”
- Author Unknown
Each year that passes an ever increasing number of fly-fishers are putting warmwater species of gamefish on their bucket list, adding to the core of already die-hard “Brownlining” fly guys. Each one has their own reason why they love chasing these fighting machines on the fly. As for all species that we target on the fly, each one presents its unique set of challenges. This rings true with predatory gamefish; we are always fine tuning our techniques to become better anglers.
Still one of the hottest questions is what's the best fly to use for trophy gamefish? To answer this question best, you have to be standing on your boat or in the water ready to cast! Because the variables are so numerous, it's foolish to become single-minded when it comes to fly selection. We all have our old faithful flies that worked last time. However, the Branks’ Blade will give you an advantage. This is a perfect "heavy metal" fly for coaxing big Bass, Walleye, Pike and Musky off the bottom since it goes deep very fast with the addition of a weighted ‘fish skull’. I can't give you an answer as to what a bass, walleye, or a 'toothy critter’ thinks it is, but they attack it with the obvious intention of totally destroying it.
The Branks' Blade in action on the West Branch Susquehanna River!
Predatory fish target zero in on vibrations made by injured or swimming prey long before they have visual contact. Crank-bait fishermen have been attracting gamefish using vibration in the form of swimming crank-baits and spinner-baits that incorporate blades. All achieve the same goals; vibration and movement. Capitalizing on this point will increase your chances of attracting interest from a nearby trophy sized gamefish.
The Branks’ Blade incorporates a light weight tailing Colorado spinner blade that is paired up with the appropriate sized swivel and split ring. The blade sends out vibrations, picked up by the lateral lines of fish in murky waters and the flash of the tiny blade is a powerful attractant. It is this style of-fly-lure however that makes it castable, retrievable and fishable. It has a big profile in the water and is much bigger than standard streamers topping out at six inches in length. However, it still maintains a light weight so one can cast this fly with a 5-weight flyrod. It has tons of action, flowing materials, a hint of flash, and strike-triggering rubber legs. It doesn’t foul on the hook since the point rides up for less snags The Branks' Blade is tied on a size #2 6XL Long Shank Mustad 94720 Hollow Point Streamer Hook.
It isn't always that I manage to hook them and land them, because some of my best encounters were the ones that left me shaking thinking… “Wow! I CANNOT believe the size of that fish, it looked like a submarine!” You better believe a twelve inch smallmouth bass WILL hit a six inch fly! The Branks’ Blade is one of those patterns that I have completely fallen in love with. If you give it the same attention that I have, you too can experience the thrill of a 20-inch angry smallmouth thrashing its head and making your line scream out. Be sure to take a nice photo to put on your desk at work and let him go for another battle another day.
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The fly to use for the "jig n' pig" style of bass fishing.$2.50
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A supersized streamer fly that is as close to a "sure thing" as it gets.$2.50
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My original design. A pattern that should be in every smallmouth fly fisher's fly box.$3.25
