A few strips, a pause, more strips. Nothing. He was in this area. He’s feeding. Where there’s one smallie, there’s another. A few more casts as you work your way upstream, careful not to get too close to the other side of the creek. Your back cast is angled low to get under the maple trees that hang close to the water. The forward cast rockets upwards just a bit. You’re not feeling it. You switch to a sidearm presentation to make it easier. Stopping your cast a hair short and cocking your wrist the popper drops over grass upstream of the rest of the pool. That’s the money shot. The tippet isn’t on the water yet. A quick twitch and the popper slides into the water just like a frog would. You let it sit for a second or two. Two quick pops a pause and all hell breaks loose. The previously calm water in the back of the pool explodes with violence. You wait just a second before setting the hook. Going tight the fish moves off to the right heading downstream a bit. You lose sight of the white popper but you got a look at the bronze colored back and it was a good one. You give some line and put the slack on the reel. This is a small creek and this is one of those rare fish that it rarely gives up. You can feel it. You direct the head of the fish as much as you can. A bit of pressure on the right to angle him towards the rocks. It’s shallow there and you can control him once he’s out of the deeper water. As soon as the fish feels this he switches directions and heads upstream right at you. Glad you’re on your reel you raise your arm to make up for that slack as you pull the rest of the line down towards the creek. It’s all one fluid motion, you’ve danced this dance before. As long as that hook stays put, you know how it’s going to play out now. The shallow sand near the rocks on your left is where he’ll go. There’s deep water past that where he’s headed. You cut him off with some pressure. He jumps once. Twice. Three times. Each jump was smaller. You strip in more line and end this quickly. It’s only been a minute but it feels like ten. Later, you’ll say it was a long fight. Time is funny like that. You slide your hand under the belly of the fish and lift him just out of the water. Your hook is barbless and slides right out of the corner of his jaw. Setting him back in the water you let him rest in your hand to rest if he needs it. There’s a feeling like electricity that goes through him right as he’s about to take off back to the safer parts of the creek. That tail pushes off and you get splashed in the face. It’s the smallmouth equivalent of a middle finger salute and it’s well deserved.