Catfish with a flyrod

[wsender]

Is it possible? If so, how is it done? I always thought catfishing was primarily a bait game but was wondering if anybody knows if it can be done w/ a fly?

 

[wrangler412]

Yes, I have caught a channel cat on the fly. I was fishing a streamer and he hit it just like a bass would

 

[pete41]

I never caught a freshwater one on a fly but the saltwater ones will hit plastics[shads] fished on the bottom readily-unfortunately as they give a new meaning to the word slime.lol
I am sure they would be easily caught on bonefish type flies but not much fight and they are not the clean fish freshwater ones are.

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear wsender,

I had channel cats in my pond when I lived in NY State.

They were partial to Clouser minnows, yellow with the rubber curly tail worked best.

They are frequently caught on the Susquehanna on dryflies during the whitefly hatch. A size 12 white wulff or even a similar sized white panfish popper or foam spider will work too.

The biggest problem during the whitefly is getting the fish to pick your fly out of the millions of naturals that are on the water. Channel cats will swim at the surface with their mouths wide open sucking in everything in the drift.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

 

[Fishidiot]

From time to time I'll get one but, considering how much time I spend FFing warm water rivers where catties are numerous, it's perhaps worth noting that I consider a catfish on a fly a rare event. I see good sized catties frequently and usually give 'em a cast but they rarely eat my flies. Once in awhile, it seems like they'll go on a tear and if you time it right they'll eagerly hit flies (usually dark streamers) but I consider this uncommon.
They're an opportunity fly rod target but I don't deliberately seek them out. If you intend to do so, I'd recommend large, dark marabou streamers fished low and slow under low light conditions or at night in or just below riffle areas.

(Thread moved here from General Forum)

 

[wgmiller]

It's absolutely possible! I hooked into a channel cat on the Sinnemahoning in July of last year. My 8wt took a dump on the reservoir, so all I had was my 5wt. Water conditions were low and clear and I drifted a variegated olive bugger in front of him. It was an impressive fight and the thing really pulled hard for his size. I was able to sight fish to him as well which was even more enjoyable...

Check out his pic in the thread

 

[dann]

I caught a flat head last year in the Susque with a chrt/ grn with gold flash 1/0 Clouser fishing for small mouth below Red Hill dam. I thought I had the smalli of my life and instead ended up with a 20+ Flathead. I thought I caught a burbot or something at first, till I got home and looked it up. I had never seen a flat head till then.Since that experiance I had seen pictures in Susquehanna tackle of 60lb flats that were caught on bluegills in the Foulmouth area.

 

[Maurice]

I target them during the whitefly on the susky since the bass have gone away. I typically get a couple to a half dozen in the evening right at dark once they start cruising the spinners. It can be quite exhilerating to see a pod cruising inthe lights from a bridge or a plant and casting blindly to the area and have them explode if they rin into the fly. Pick up and hold on.

It can also be creepy when they cruise too close to you and explode. It can get unnerving when they come by you a few feet away, with their eyes glowing in the dim light of night time solitude.

 

[sniperfreak223]

Yes, it's doable...I've caught channel cats, flatheads, brown, yellow and spotted bullheads on flies. For some reason I've found them to be partial to carp flies, like the backstabber and headstand, and chartreuse Sparkle Grubs.

 

[McSneek]

Like Mo said, you can catch plenty of channel cats on a dry fly during the white fly hatch on the Susky. I have also caught them pretty regularly on brown and black woolly buggers and have even sight fished to pods of them in the shallows. If they're around, you should be able to catch them. A 15" + fish will put up quite a fight on a 6 weight.

 

[David]

Put up a good fight, too!

 

[FlyBuff]

Right now Im catching them about once a week...in the summer I have caught up to 6 in one day...before you start thinking this is a fish story let me tell you that we have a pond... The only thing in this pond are channels and minnows. Usually I tie up a new steelie streamer and then give it a try in the pond. Our cats love big headed black streamers with the best being a troths bullhead tied with a rattle and instead of deer hair head I use Senyos Lazor dub tied really thick. I have also caught them on my craw flies for smallies. If you have a pond and feed your cats with floating food I tied up a fly that actually holds a piece of food in a foam loop that fly is a killer for "raising cats"! it is a blast going to try them on my new 4wt when it warms!

 

[FlyBuff]

Here is the pick of the last one I caught...I was trying out my new switch and a skagit flight head not really expecting to hook one in the cold water when wham!

 

[Pittflyguy]

Without a doubt! and it's not as hard as most people think. Chanel Cat's are predatory fish and will chase a fly. Other species are a bit harder, but can absolutely be done. Your best bet for channel's is sunset or night fishing. They are typically nocturnal predators but can also be coaxed during the day as well. Typical leech or bugger patterns in black, brown, green, all are pretty sure bets.

This channel was caught on a black wooly bugger about an hour after sunset... he was crashing bait in an eddy.

This flat head chased a size 4 chartreuse crystal bugger... go figure! (12lbs of unhappy whiskers!)

 

[Fredrick]

I catch them all the time when I fish the lower susky they like black woolly buggers and leach patterns I find that casting your fly directly down stream and stripping it to you works best .

 

[1wt]

[color=0000FF]Maurice
I target them during the whitefly on the susky since the bass have gone away. I typically get a couple to a half dozen in the evening right at dark once they start cruising the spinners.[/color]

Same here!! I think I might have bumped into you when I was fly fishing after dark last year?

[color=0000CC]by Fredrick
I catch them all the time when I fish the lower susky they like black woolly buggers and leach patterns[/color]

Or maybe it was you?

The small channel cats are abundant in the lower Susquehanna and they will smack a woolybugger with gusto!!
Ten years ago the white fly hatch would have hundreds of nice smallmouth sipping the bugs at dusk...... but now it's catfish. Still lot's of fun, you have to play the cards you're dealt!!
And all the bats on the backcast!!! LOL It makes things exciting!

 

[njk3395]

I fished the susky for flatheads every weekend last summer, plan to try and get one on the fly this year. Bit scary though, fish are getting enormous, pretty sure the state record will be caught this year.

 

[BPS]

I bet if you used a little scent/blood on your fly you would slay them.

 

[JasonS]

I've never fished for catfish with the fly rod. However this summer I'm making it my goal to catch a 30lb flathead on the fly. If anyones interested in some night fishing on the skuke let me know.

 

[njk3395]

I go every weekend starting in June, so I'll let you know