Chasing White Bass, with Jim Weatherwax

Tired of crowded trout streams?  Looking for a new fish to catch on a fly rod that will give you a tussle and challenge your skills?  Look no further than the white bass, which is a common fish in many parts of the US, from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi drainage and has even been introduced into some western lakes.  My friend Jim Weatherwax is a white bass fanatic (he also fishes for wipers in the same waters, which are a freshwater sterile hybrid of a white bass and a striped bass) and offers solid advice on where to find these great fish, what tackle to use, and best techniques to catch them.  Warmwater fish like this are great ways to spread out the fishing pressure that we all experience from time to time.

 

We have a long fly box this week, with lots of interesting questions and tips from listeners, including:

What does it mean when a fly rod is rated for more than one line size, like 5/6? Should I use a full fluorocarbon leader when fishing with indicators? A suggestion on looking for blue cheeks and clean halos when trying to tell if a brown trout is wild. What is the difference between the new Recon 2 and the Helios 3 rods?  Should I buy a wading shoe one size larger than my shoe size when buying wading bots online? What do you think of using 2X short hooks for small nymphs? I am not able to catch fish on streamers during the winter in a tailwater.  What am I doing wrong? Are fluorescent hot spots on nymphs effective? Is it ethical to trim small tree branches in trout streams? Why do trout only take big attractor dry flies right after they land on the water? Are UV resins really effective? Why am I losing so many trout when fishing small nymphs?  Am I setting the hook wrong? Do you have some suggestions for catching American shad? Is it worth it to tie your own leaders?  And if I do, how can I attach them to my fly line without a loop-to-loop connection? Why do small brown trout attack huge streamers? Should I get a Helios 3 D or F version for fishing UK chalk streams? A suggestion for wearing nitrile gloves for winter fishing.