Master Class Smallie for Mike

Mike's biggest smallmouth bass ever and his first Master Angler fish to be entered!

So Mike approached me about getting his Vermont Master Angler pin for this year. It has been tough to coordinate getting time on the water (he is a busy guy with a great wife and two awesome kids) but we got out yesterday. The original quarry was carp but they were being, well, carp. Fortunately there are a lot of nice smallies to play with in the location that we were at so sight fishing for big smallies was the name of the game. 

I call it "Hex Fiend"

We had some fish that came up and teased us. The Hexagenia hatch is in full swing on Lake Champlain right now and we were using flies that were very similar in size and color (I now have really good imitations for those carp though...). 

The release

I spotted a big smallmouth sitting on a rock pile. Because of the sun angle Mike could not see the fish well. I told him where to cast and he put the fly perfectly where it needed to be. I watched that bass zip right over to the fly and inhale it. It went airborne fast!  That fish put one serious bend in a 9 weight rod. It went on three good runs before we got it in the net. It taped out to be 21.5", well over the 19" needed for Master Class.

Mike will be working with me for the rest of the summer to earn his Vermont Master Angler pin... would you like to do the same?  Hit me up muskyflies@gmail.com