Tue, 05 May 2026 15:41:42 +0000

How One Rare Smallmouth Bass Changed the Game for Local Throwers
Mastering Angling: The Legacy of a Legendary Bait Catch In the world of freshwater fishing, few tales resonate quite like the story of one rare smallmouth bass that altered local angling culture and inspired a generation of throwers. While smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) have long trapped the imagination of fly and spey casters nationwide, one particularly distinctive specimen—earlier dubbed the “Golden Haul Bass”—shook up technique, community, and passion across river and lake communities. ### A Rare Catch with Unmatched Presence Hailing from a tranquil tributary near the Vermont-New York border, this one-of-a-kind smallmouth stood out not just for its size—reaching 16.2 inches—but for its vibrant, unusually golden-tinged scales that glimmered under dawn light. Though smallmouth bass are typically bronze or greenish, this individual’s rare chromatic anomaly captivated local anglers on social media and fishing forums, sparking a wave of interest around unpredictable genetic mutations in game fish.