A Drunk and Disorderly Way To Catching Large Smallmouth Bass on a Fly Rod

Here's how I fished the Niagara River for my best week of smallmouth bass fishing with a fly rod.

The Drunk and Disorderly streamer, created by Tommy Lynch. The light brown with silver flash, tied by Joe Cermele, is what I had most of my success on. | photo by Ken Baldwin

I just wrapped up a week of fly fishing the lower Niagara River alongside the town of Lewiston, NY. My main target species was smallmouth bass, but because of the nature of the Niagara fishery, you can also include steelhead and brown trout in the mix.

In one week's time, I saw only one other angler throwing a fly rod. This is too bad because the Niagara River is a fantastic fishery easily fished with a fly rod.

Getting Dialed In on the Niagara

The first day on the river was slow. It's usually like that for me. If I'm fishing new water, I use the first day to get dialed in. That includes where the fish are, what they're eating, what color and size fly is preferred, what type of retrieve, and at what depth the fish are holding.

Releasing a thick smallmouth caught on the fly back into the Niagara River. | photo by Ken Baldwin

I did bring a few chunky smallmouths to the boat and lost a nice brown trout that came unbuttoned on the jump. The two flies that got me the most bites were a Clouser dragged and hopped on the bottom at a depth of 12 feet and a Game Changer streamer, 4 inches, white and olive.

Day 2 and No Pattern

The next day was more of the same. I knew the fish were there, but I hadn't found a pattern that was consitent. The conventional tackle guys were catching good numbers on a Jerk Bait.

With a Little Help From My Friends

At dinner that night, I got an assist from Joe Cermele, host of the Podcast Cut and Retie. He listened to my struggles finding the right fly for the job and suggested I try throwing a streamer called the Drunk and Disorderly.

The Drunk and Disorderly

Joe Cermele is an excellent fly tier, and it was my luck that he had a few D&Ds that he tied up. I could see why it's called a Drunk and Disorderly. A Frankenstein fly would also be an appropriate moniker. It looked to be made up of bits and pieces of feathers, flash, beads, hair, and whatever else a tyer might spin around a hook. It looked good, but it also looked a mess. I took what he gave me.

The next morning, my second cast, BAM! Fish on, four pounds wouldn't be an exaggeration—fourth cast, BAM!, Another chunk of a fish. The morning was hot, and the rest of the day was consistent, a 5-pound-plus being my biggest of the day. The Drunk and Disorderly also enticed a nice steelhead to bite that I was able to get to the net. Icing on the cake.

This Great Lakes steelhead hit a brown and orange Drunk and Disorderly streamer just off the bank as I was stripping the fly back. | photo by Ken Baldwin

The Niagara River is a great fishery, but come prepared.

It was a good week of fly fishing the Niagara. A big part of my success was because I had the right gear for the job, fished a full sinking line, and took Joe Cermele's advice when he said to try a Drunk and Disorderly.

A smallmouth bass with an aggressive take of the Drunk and Disorderly streamer in light brown and silver. Tied by Joe Cermele | photo by Ken Baldwin

The Gear That Led to Success

Fly Rod: Jesse Simpkins of St. Croix rods, one of the anglers I fished with during the week, provided me with an 8-weight St. Croix Evos fly rod to try. I was skeptical at first. St. Croix makes great conventional rods, but I didn't think of them as a maker of quality fly rods. I was wrong. The fly rod is made in the USA, in Wisconsin, with the same attention to craftsmanship and detail as their conventional rods. I liked it so much that I fished with it all week instead of using the rods I brought.

Fly Reel: I matched an Orvis Mirage III, rated as a 5-7 weight reel, to the Evos 8-weight rod. Peter Kutzer, lead fly fishing instructor at Orvis, turned me on to matching the 5-7 Orvis Mirage to an 8-weight rod. He promised me it would balance better, and he was right. This was a great combination. I like the Orvis Mirage because of the sealed carbon and stainless steel disc drag system. I'm able to use this reel in both freshwater and saltwater fisheries. It's a quality reel that is an absolute pleasure to fish.

Holding a 4-pound-plus Niagara River smallie that crushed a Drunk and Disorderly on the pause. | photo provided by Ken Baldwin

Fly Line: I can't emphasize enough how important a full sinking fly line is for success in this type of fishery. You have to get your streamer down to where the fish are. Don't let a sinking line intimidate you. They are easy to cast and easy to use.

I used the Orvis PRO Depth Charge 3D Fly Line weighing 250 grains. It's first 30' sinks at 6 ips, then the next 20' at 3 ips. The faster sink rate in the first thirty feet that transitions to a slower sink rate gives you better control and feel for your fly. I was able to probe different depths until I found the fish.

I'll say it again. Get familiar with fishing sinking lines, and you will catch more fish.

Niagara River smallmouth are not shy about what streamer they want. | photo by Ken Baldwin

Fish With Someone Who Knows the River

You won't do any better than hiring Frank Campbell as your guide for the Niagara fishery. He is personable and easy to fish with, and his experience and knowledge of the Niagara fishery are extensive. He's considered the best guide service in the area, and it's well earned. Niagara Region Charter Service.

The Niagara River is a heck of a fishery, untapped by the fly angler. In a day, you can target smallmouth bass, steelhead, and brown trout, and have a better than average chance of catching all three. KB

"The gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span the hours spent in fishing.” - Herbert Hoover

The gear reviewed in this article was provided to me at no cost for evaluation. The views and assessments presented are my own.