We refer to our favorite summertime smallmouth technique as the” Pop-and-Drop.” This deadly tactic pairs a fly rod with a spinning outfit for the freshwater version of bait-and-switch. The premise is to entice smallmouth into action with the disturbance of a popper, then serve up a soft plastic. Summertime is prime time for the pop and drop In the window between July and September, river smallmouth activity from the Pacific Northwest to the North Woods reaches its apex. The arrival of the dog days coincide with popper season. Few spectacles in fly fishing beat a smallie blowing up a topwater popper. However, all too often, a fish investigates a popper but won’t partake. Or, the schoolie smallmouth bum rush the…