In Fly-Fishing for Smallmouth, Bob Clouser shares the extensive knowledge he has developed over a quarter-century of guiding for smallmouth bass on the Susquehanna River. Beyond his native waters, the lessons Bob offers in this book can be directly applied to smallmouth fisheries across the country, from creeks to large rivers. An experienced teacher, Bob anticipates the questions and challenges faced by anglers when they first encounter a smallmouth stream. He explains the natural history of smallmouth—their range, spawning behavior, feeding habits, and seasonal movement patterns—and then introduces the specific flies and techniques he uses when fly-fishing for bass. In sections on casting and presentations, he discusses intermediate to advanced methods of casting with weighted flies and lines as well as various surface and subsurface tactics, with dramatic color photos of the author demonstrating how it's done.
Bob has designed a series of flies especially for smallmouth, and he reveals recipes and fishing tips for these flies and the other bass patterns he regularly uses and carries in his fly box. In the book's final chapter, he invites his friends to write about their favorite local bass streams across North America. These well-known anglers, among them Lefty Kreh, John Randolph, and Mike O'Brien, offer intimate details on the greatest bass waters from California to Ontario.