Book Review: Smallmouth Bass Flies- Top to Bottom
If you spend enough time chasing smallmouth, you start realizing there’s always more to learn. New flies, new water, new ways fish behave depending on the conditions. That’s exactly why I picked up Smallmouth Bass Flies- Top to Bottom by Jake Villwock– to see how someone who lives and breathes smallmouth approaches the game.
This book is a full system for thinking about smallmouth fishing from the surface down, combining tactics, fly selection, and fish behavior into something you can actually apply on the water.
About the Author: Jake Villwock
Jake Villwock is owner and head guide of Relentless Fly Fishing based out of Central Pennsylvania. He grew up in Maryland’s Eastern Shore and after some time guiding in Alaska, he returned to his home waters.
In addition to being a full time guide, Villwock also contributes as a blog writer, author, YouTube creator, and fly tyer. He is a trusted voice in the fly fishing community and a go-to source for smallmouth bass fishing.
Check out Relentless Fly Fishing
Check out Jake Villwock’s Instagram
Smallmouth Bass Flies- Top to Bottom Review
First off, I really liked this book. It’s packed with helpful information, ranging from seasonal tactics, fly recommendations, and tying instructions.
What makes this book different is how all that information is presented.
Villwock’s chapters are broken down logically. Starting at the surface, he talks about topwater pattern tactics and how they can be fished in every season, followed by tying instructions for some of his favorite patterns. To end the chapter, he then offers visuals and recipes for dozens of other effective flies.
He follows this structure with mid-column flies, then finishes with bottom-bouncing flies. Each section is filled with tons of useful, practical information that helps anglers understand smallmouth behavior and how to consistently catch them on the fly rod.
Another standout feature of this book that I enjoyed was the introduction entitled “An All-American Fish” that outlines the history of smallmouth bass. It’s a quick overview of smallies, including their native ranges, habitat requirements, and general behavior patterns.
Within this section, Villwock also mixes in some science-y information that can be a little dense and overwhelming to total beginners. But fascinating for anyone that really wants to dive in with the species.
I didn’t think I’d find myself reading terms like “ectothermic” or “heterotrophic” and I certainly didn’t expect to enjoy that kind of stuff. However, Villwock makes that information approachable and useful. I found myself nerding out on the biological information just as much as the fishing advice. I think that’s a testament to his writing style and passion for smallmouth bass.
Actionable Advice from Smallmouth Bass Flies- Top to Bottom
Villwock’s book is packed with information- years of experience all condensed into a single book. Some of this stuff you might already know. However, getting confirmation from an expert like Villwock gives that much more confidence in each cast you make on the water.
While there is far too much to talk about here, there were a handful of ideas (some old, some new) that will stick with me and hopefully lead to more fish.
Match the Hatch?
We’ve all heard the famous saying of “Match the Hatch” when it comes to trout fishing. Essentially your fly should closely mimic the natural forage of the water, not try to stand out from it. But matching the hatch for smallmouth fishing? Pffft. These fish eat anything!
Villwock makes it very clear how important matching the hatch can be for smallmouth bass. Are smallies opportunistic and less picky about what they eat compared to trout? Sure, sometimes they are. But to catch big, wary smallmouth consistently, matching the hatch can be vital according to Villwock.
This idea of mimicking natural forage will become more important to me, especially when the bite is tough. Learning what fish are feeding on in my local rivers can and will lead to more and larger fish.
Will I still throw big, bright, gaudy flies that look like nothing in particular other than something for the fish to eat? No doubt. Will I throw realistic patterns that closely resemble the baitfish, hoppers, crayfish, or even dry flies in my local waters? After reading this book, absolutely- probably more so than I ever have.
Sizing Up and Down
Throughout the book, Villwock emphasizes the importance of sizing flies and leaders up and down according to the conditions. This idea is certainly not new, but the role it plays is often overlooked by anglers (definitely including myself here).
For example, I’m guilty of throwing confidence patterns (like Wooly Buggers) somewhat regardless of the conditions. Low water, high water, dark, clear, whatever- I’ll throw what I think will work without considering what the fish are seeing.
Let’s take a low, clear water situation. Villwock takes you into the fish’s mind- it’s probably skittish, wary of all its surroundings. Larger, attention grabbing patterns will likely spook a fish that’s (swimming) on eggshells. In order to catch that fish, we need to size down our fly, lengthen our leader, and probably slow down our presentation.
But that same fly in dark, deep water? The fish is probably less cognizant of its environment and will probably not see that sized down fly. In these situations, Villwock would recommend bigger, more prominent flies. That way, the fish can actually see or sense in order to get a bite.
This method is not new to anyone, but the stress Villwock puts on it reminds all anglers that we need to be conscious of the conditions. He says he’ll even lengthen his leader to 10+ feet and go down to 6 lb tippet in some of those clear water situations- a stark contrast of what I would typically do.
This actionable advice- recognizing scenarios when it’s important to size up or down your presentation- will certainly stick with me when I am smallmouth bass fishing.
Sinking Lines Issue
Typically when I want to get flies down deep, I throw on the fastest sinking line I have (~7 inches per second). That way, I know that I’m getting the fly down to where the fish with confidence.
However, Villwock brings up an excellent point. The faster sinking lines we have, the bigger belly it creates and we lose connection with our fly. Essentially with some sinking lines (or polyleaders), there are sections of line that sink much faster than other sections. This disrupts the straight-line connection we have with our fly. This significantly impacts our ability to feel bites, which will result in fewer fish.
I’ve never really thought of this and how many fish I’ve lost by going straight to fast sinking lines. I’ve definitely seen the belly happen, but didn’t really consider how detrimental it can be.
To combat this, Villwock fishes intermediate or slower sinking lines with heavier flies. This way, we maintain the connection to our fly while still getting it to the right depth.
Moving forward, I’m going to be more conscious of the sinking line element. Less belly in the line means a more direct connection to the fly, which will lead to more fish. It’s as simple as that!
Seasonal Strategies
Throughout the book, Villwock gives in-depth advice depending on the season. With the way the book is broken down, it covers seasonal strategies for topwater flies, mid-column flies, and finally bottom-bouncing flies.
So whatever season you happen to be in (or want to prepare for), simply flip to each section and you’ll have tons of tips on how to fish each type of fly during that season. Or, if you just want to learn a ton about each style of fly, go through the book in order and learn a ton along the way.
There’s too much information to dive into, but the layout of the book makes it very easy to follow along. Villwock does an excellent job laying out how and why each strategy is effective in the given season. I really like how he incorporates fish behavior, prey behavior, and seasonal conditions all together to create interpretable, actionable advice.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, this book does exactly what a good fishing book should do- it makes you want to go fish, but more importantly, it makes you fish smarter.
There’s a ton of information packed into it, but it never feels overwhelming. The structure makes it easy to follow, and the advice is practical enough to actually use the next time you hit the river. Whether it’s rethinking how you match the hatch or adjusting fly size to conditions, there are plenty of takeaways that can lead to more fish.
If you’re serious about getting better at smallmouth on the fly (or just want to understand why certain things work) this is a book worth having on your shelf.
Pick up your copy of Jake Villwock’s Smallmouth Bass Flies- Top to Bottom