Flyfishing for Catfish

[Bear Coat 0]

I was wondering if anyone here Flyfished for Catfish? I have caught them during the daytime using a Mickey Finns and on some small ones on Dryflies. This time I plan to be out just at Sunset and working it past twilight.

 

I am thinking about trying my hand at it this year using an unweighted leech pattern and crawling it just off of the bottom.

 

The beach that I am planning on working has a max. depth of 5 feet with a very slow tapered bottom and it is usually windy on that side. This is a lake environment.

 

I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on the type of flyline to be used. I have always used floating lines before and I know very little about sinking lines. I will be using a 6 or 7 weight rod. (still undecided here but this will be a personal preference.)

 

Does anyone have any suggestions or experiences that they wish to share?

[dabalone 0]

Bear, I have caught several catfish on my flyrod while fishing for bass in Lake Oroville, CA. In the early spring we get a lot of wind and that is what turns the lakes over, it also creates a mudline along the shore. Bass, both largemouth and spotted move in and out of this mudline and it allows them to get close to the bank to feed while giving them some cover with the dirty water. It is well known to the bassers here, but it apparently attracts other fish because I have hooked the cats while fishing for bass. All have been hooked on dark wooly boogers, I use a sink tip line with a slow retrieve along the bottom and I guess the cats like it too. Early spring in this lake with the water still cool and the threadfin shad all over you never know what your going to hook, could be largemouth, smallmouth, spot, catfish, rainbow, brown, or even a silver salmon. Wooly booger will get them all.

[Guest]

Not being versed in cats, but seeing you're fishing 5 fow I wouldn't bother with sinkers.

The wind's gonna screw you up and weighting the flies would help. Also some lead in the form of splitshot would hurt. Stir up bottom. They're cats. They like that. I would even go large. Make a profile and move some water. Maybe even a skunk type pattern (blk and wht)

 

[Guest]

I do target cats every now and then and my best fly has been a streamer on a #2 hook. Black over gray fishfuzz with black krstyal flash as a lateral line and red krystal flash at the throat. I have had limited success with black woolly buggers and white woolly buggers.

Usually I use my 7wt for I have nailed some decent size channels and they are strong. As far as floating line vs sinking it depends on the time of year and type of water I'm fishing.

[Gregor 0]

I have fished for our, Europe catfish (siluris glanis). I do not know how many trips did I had before I hooked up one. But then it was like to catch a train! It took me half an hour to get it out. It was exactly 100cm long.Released... It came on Sculpin pattern.

I have used an #6 rod (I do not use rods stronger than #6)

 

I think every fish can be caught when flyfishing, you yust have to be patient and use right techniques.

[mitch 0]

I accidently caught an #8 cat while slowly retrieving a #2 yellow wooly bugger for LMB. I made the mistake of leaving the fish on the lawn/bank to go get the kids/relatives to show them. Came back to no fish, but my rod moving on the ground. The line was off the reel and backing continued to pay out of the reel towards the nearby woods.

Dog took off with my fish.

[Bear Coat 0]

QUOTE (mitch @ Mar 15 2004, 07:46 PM)

Dog took off with my fish.

Mitch,

 

I take it your dog doesn't like cats?

 

Thanks for your stories and recommendations. I will surely take them into account.

[Guest]

BC,

 

at the risk of sounding like a hillbilly yahoo...I fish for cats all summer with the longrod...my go to bait, that's right, BAIT....can't you just hear the purists cringing???, is a live hellgrammite....I deaddrift it with no weight...have taken literally thousands of cats with this method...in creeks and flows where helgies are a staple, catfish feed on them almost exclusively during the summer....especially the channels and yellow cats.....artuficials....i would have to stick with leech patterns, big, bottom bumped buggers, craw patterns, and minnow streamers....Good luck!

[Bear Coat 0]

I have about always fished for Channels with live bait, mainly leeches. I have caught some accidently caught some while Flyfishing too. Just the thought of me catching them while trying for them just got me excited.

 

The Lake that I fish has a lot of mud leeches, dragonfly nymphs and damselfly nymphs and probably anything else you can name in Western Ohio. It is nearly a 200 acre lake and Motors of any kind are not permitted.

[Guest]

sweet....definately try deaddrifting some live bait....hell of a good time!!!

 

I wish you luck.....gonna try a few rabbit strip hellgrammites for the smooth skins this spring...I'll let you know the results!