Conjuring up a smallmouth fooler

I am still amazed at how thoughts come into my head at 3 o'clock in the morning.

So instead of waiting until I've had three cups of coffee under my belt, I'll get up and head to the basement and start tying flies.

It took a while for me to settle on something I thought would do the job of fooling a smart smallmouth bass. In my book, a smallie is a cunning creature with instincts that far outmatch those of a largemouth bass.

I started with the usual small hook and a clump of chenille, a large wisp of mohair, and a tiny bead weight at the very tip of the fly's head. I added a little flashy material, and voila, I had my Fox River Fooler.

Now, if it only worked and was enough of a teaser for a wary smallmouth to accept as legitimate food.

My usual Fox repertoire consists of 1/16- and 1/8-ounce in-line spinners, tiny Mini-Mite jigs and tails, or a live leech fished Nightcrawler Secrets style. I've scored well with all of those.

On went the chest waders and chest pack, along with my wading staff. I was alone on this day, armed with a 6-weight fly rod, a handful of subtle flies, and the Fooler.

Conditions were favorable in that the river's water level was slightly up without its usual raging current.

I must have beaten the water for over an hour without a single strike. I cast the fly to all the places I believed a bass might be holding. I slipped the Fooler under tree trunks; drainage pipes; huge rocks and boulders; weed edges, and the like. Nothing happened, except for the one hit that came when a small sucker decided it wanted a fast meal.

I was becoming frustrated and thinking I should have tied something that resembled a Quarter Pounder.

I got out of the water and sat on the bank examining my creation. If I was a smallmouth, I would go for this without hesitation. Common sense suggests the big difference between man and a fish is that fish do not hunt, search for, or cast to human beings. I suspect they were put on this earth to frustrate the likes of me and millions of others.

I had another hour to dabble in the dark art of deception, so I got up and walked to another entry point and started the process again.

I wondered why I hadn't noticed this one slackwater pool before on previous outings. Its dark color beckoned. Could this be the spot where the fly's magic could be unleashed?

I backed off and made a 15-foot cast above the pool, giving the fly a chance to sink. I slowly stripped line in in short spurts and waited. Sure enough the fly line went taut and I felt the fish rising to the surface. A beautiful brown bass jumped in to the air with my fly in its mouth. I had been saved and not defeated by own devices.

This fish wasn't one of the river's bruisers I often see, but at 16 inches it was enough for me to know that getting up very early to do foolish things before a single drop of coffee entered my system was more than enough to validate a 3 a.m. wake-up call.

June brings bass fishing

One of the things I like the best about June is the improvement of bass fishing, warmer weather, and the opportunity to see the smiles on kids' faces when they hold a rod and reel in their hands.

All that happens this weekend when the Lake Geneva Fishing Club hosts its annual Kid's Fishing Day at Bigfoot Beach State Park right on Geneva Lake. And I can remember like it was yesterday when club member Ken Abraham donned his chef's hat and prepared a pig roast for the event that was the "end all".

Call Ken at (847) 524-8623 for more information.

Fishing update

So what about fishing? Just how good is it?

Lake Michigan: The lakefront perching is in full swing with good catches coming from the far north as well as from the usual Chicago hot spots. Montrose, Belmont and Cal park are good choices, as is Waukegan Harbor. Also-you can find some of the larger schools near Lake Forest in 50-feet of water. Expect decent coho fishing right at sunrise off Waukegan and Northpoint. Some fish are up as high as fifty feet.

Fox Chain: There's been a rush to the northern lakes after the long holiday weekend. Muskies are being taken right on top of the shallow weeds from Lake Catherine. The same holds true for Channel Lake. Excellent bluegill fishing on Pistakee Lake while the walleye bite is a night affair on Petite Lake.

Fox River: Expect higher and muddier water conditions here, but the smallmouth could be right up on shore.

Bangs Lake-Wauconda: Greatly improve largemouth activity, especially at sunrise. Also, night anglers taking decent fish from the weeds near the docks.

Jackson can be reached via e-mail at angler88@att.net. His radio program is heard 6-7 a.m. Sundays on WSBC, AM-1240.