The First Flies we are going to focus on are minnow patterns.

In my opinion they are as effective as any other patterns on our river and compared to fishing crayfish streamers, much for easy to use. Since the Smallies are looking up it is not necessary to sink a baitfish fly very deep. Although tradition sink tip lines (eg those for stripping to large browns) can work BEST AT CERTAIN TIMES (Think dredging the bottom with a crawdad pattern) more often or not these flies are best fished better without one, using the 4 following options:

• A LONG LEADER ON A FLOATING LINE:
  • AIRFLO’S GALLOUP’S STREAMER FLOAT, GALLOUP NYMPH, 40+ FLOATIONG, RIDGE STRIPER FLT, OR PIKE MUSKY
  • RIO BIG NASTY AND OUTBOUND SHORT FLT
  • SA FLOATING TITAN, FQEQUENCY MAGNUM
• ADDING A RIO VERSILEADER OR AIRFLO POLYLEADER TO A FLOATING LINE SUCH AS THOSE LISTED ABOVE.
• AN INTERMEDIATE (OR INTERMEDIATE HEAD/TIP) LINE MADE SPECIFICALLY FOR STREAMER FISHING. GREAT EXAMPLES:
  • RIO’S InTOUCH STRIPER INTERMEDIATE, InTOUCH PIKE/MUSKYF/I, InTOUCH OUTBOUND SHORT F/I, InTOUCH OUTBOUND SHORT INT
  • AIRFLO’s  STRIPER fast int., FORTY PLUS fast int.
• DEAD DRIFTING CRAYFISH PATTERNS ALONG THE BOTTOM (AS WELL AS OTHERS: THINK HELLGRAMMITES, MINNOWS, AND MORE). Using A fly rod set up as an indicator rig or a conventional one set to bobber fish, dead drifting can be  deadly technique