Favorite Channel Cat fly

[McManus 0]

When you're fishing for channel cats, what's your favorite fly.

[letumgo 0]

My favorite catfish fly is a bunny leech pattern. I tye one that is simply a narrow strip of black rabbit fur (1/8" wide) that is tyed in as a tail and then wound up the hook shank and tyed off (see photo below). I have had great luck with this fly on other species as well (trout, steelhead & smallmouth bass).

 

[Guest rich mc]

i have had success witha craw colored clouser catching some by accident going for smallies

[BigDaddyHub 0]

A local river I haunt is full of craws and BIG hellgrammites. Big black buggers and SmallieHunter's Hellgrammite take channels with almost predictable regularity, especially in deep riffles in the hottest months. An 8 or 10 lb channel on a 7 wt is big fun.

 

Ray, that's a nice cat in your photo....makes me a little envious.

[neoFLYte 0]

My favorite fly is a bunny leech pattern. I tye one that is simply a narrow strip of black rabbit fur (1/8" wide) that is tyed in as a tail and then wound up the hook shank and tyed off (see photo below). I have had great luck with this fly on other species as well.

 

 

Fly fishing for catfish. Interesting idea! I'll have to give it a shot! Do you weight the heck outta that leech to get it on the bottom?

 

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

another great pattern is a conehead muddler minnow

[Fishkill 0]

My favorite fly is a bunny leech pattern. I tye one that is simply a narrow strip of black rabbit fur (1/8" wide) that is tyed in as a tail and then wound up the hook shank and tyed off (see photo below). I have had great luck with this fly on other species as well.

 

That is an elegant example of all it takes to catch anything. I bet you could literaly catch anything on that fly. I have had some luck on a conehead madonna variation fishing for bass and perch in river rapids. Mostly flathead though.

[Arkansas Mike 0]

I don't set out to catch cats "intentionally" when

I'm using my fly rod on my ponds. I guess they

don't see that little sign attached to my line that

says Bass & Crappie Only, however. I've

caught them on size 18 scuds to monstrous hairbugs.

Mine aren't at all picky. If they're moving about,

they're likely to eat a bare hook.

 

 

An 8 or 10 lb channel on a 7 wt is big fun.

 

Ostrich Boy, I'm telling you, you need to come down for a visit one of these

days.

 

Mike

[BigDaddyHub 0]

I ain't letting some 100 lb Arkansas Blue cat smash the shit outta my gear, Mike, so get that outta Oark head right now!

 

 

 

i saw the above post asking about weighting the flies...nvere had to weight mine...contrary to popular belief, bigger channels are almost exclusively predators and will rise up through the water column to smash baitfish and big nymph patterns. Have taken hundreds of channels on Clousers and generic shad patterns in both rivers and lakes. Sure, they are still opportunistic and will eat anything dead, but the mature beasts prefer live meals.

[letumgo 0]

I do not add any weight to the bunny leech pattern shown above. It is simply a hook, tying thread and a rabbit zonker strip. It's very easy to tye and very effective.

 

I have not needed to need to add weight to the fly when fishing my local streams (moderate current/water 4 feet deep or less). 0The unweighted fly is lighter and has more "life". Once the fly is wet, it will sink to the bottom of the stream. I just cast the fly upstream and let it slowly sink to the bottom. The slightest movement of the rod will bring the fly to life. I will occasionally give a few short (3 to 6" long) strips during the drift. Be ready to set the hook if you see any pauses or line movement during the drift. I also recommend using some sort of open loop knot (such as a Duncan loop knot) to give the fly as much movement as possible.

 

BDH - I caught this one on my 5wt. That was a fun fight!

[Crackleback 0]

I've never targeted them but I've caught plenty on accident on all kinds of subsurface bass flies. I've always wanted to see how they would take a popper but haven't been lucky enough yet.

 

 

Mike

[Wellman 0]

Manitoba's Favorite !

 

http://www.flytyingforum.com/pattern5426.html

[BigDaddyHub 0]

a FIVE?!! Nice, Ray!

[oracle 0]

I can say i have been lucky enough to catch one on a bass popper.Whoa and let me tell you i though it was a northern pike hitting it.Smashed it like a ton of bricks.I was fishing from a dock and casting towards shore for gills.Then i saw a big swirl and didnt think anything of it.I i cast and bam!

3lb 6oz cat on a five wt.

[coinman66 0]

My favorite is any crawdad pattern. I caught this 3lb 2oz channel cat on my 5wt rod. What a fight!