Originally Posted by mrl0004 (Post 3933965)

Oh they do hit on the surface. The guy I was fishing with caught several that day on a foam spider. This is the first time I have even fished rock bass water and had a completely different bug. There are tons of spiders on this creek, hence the reason my friend has success with them

As for the fly fishing thing, I have caught almost everything under the sun on gear. It's just no longer fun to me. I would say you can be just as effective with a fly rod as you can with standard gear. The two major exceptions being saltwater and big deep lakes. For me, it's not about just catching the fish. It's catching them the way I want to. Which sadly results in some no fish days, or some days when my intended target doesn't play along. Regardless, when it does happen, there is a satisfaction and enjoyment in fishing that I have not had by ANY other method!

Originally Posted by NEK (Post 3934107)

Thanks for the surface feeding info. As to the fly fishing - Man - if you find a method that is so satisfying to you - then by all means, go for it. Personally - I prefer a bait caster - one of the older Abu Garcia round reels. I get my satisfaction from being an accurate caster, but I still use them all on occasion. Just being on the water, with some kind of fishing rod in my hand is all I ask.
The pics you show are outstanding and those streams are beautiful - I envy you having those wonderful little rivers to fish.