BIG catfish on the fly AKA catching catfish on purpose :)

[Harold Ray 0]

What size hooks did you use for those flies when fishing for big catfish?

[Nomad77 0]

I was told nothing less than an 8/0 hook would be appropriate...that is only if you are preparing for an encounter with a 50+ lb fish (or bigger). I am going off of data from a guy who gets after big cats with live bait and he said you have to put a lot of pressure on them right away so they cannot get into brush piles and break you off...The hookset and fight would need to be a very direct effort and a short of a fight as possible...Thoeretically, anyway.

[J.Z 0]

I'm going to be living in Vietnam for a couple of years. Gonna try to fish as much as I can and who knows, mabye hook into one of those mekong beasts. Not sure if they are fishable or what they would take to, but you can bet ill put my time in.

[Nomad77 0]

JZ- Please post pics, regardless of the outcome!

[J.Z 0]

I head out in about 8 months, i will certainly post pictures the whole while I am there.

[mikechell 0]

JZ What are you going to be doing in Vietnam? Why are you going there ... if I may ask?

[Nomad77 0]

This is my first go at a big catfish fly, or actually a fly for any big freshwater predator. It's a musky fly called a 'Swim Jimmy' by Brad Bohen and I tied this on an 8/0 Owner 5130-181"Beast Twistlock"..It's not a fly hook, but it was quite right for creating a 'hook point up' fly that might better surrvive being pulled in and around heavy cover:

 

[mikechell 0]

I strongly recommend mono or steel wire weed guards. Even if it does "ride" hook point up, if it slides over a stick, it can cam over and precisely catch the stick. I've watched hooks do this ... even jig hooks will cam over.

[Nomad77 0]

Good Point...I had one do that just the other day on a 3/0 hook similar to this one...Thanks Mike!