Fallfish, better than No Fish

JakesLeakyWaders

JakesLeakyWaders

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York County Pa
There's a small silted slow moving stream behind my mothers property. Its the size of a small trout stream but it is entirely warm water. It is mostly low and wide with not many holes deeper than 18 inches.

I started fishing the stream shortly after buying my two weight rod. Having an ultra lightweight fly rod really opens up fishing opportunities. You find yourself fishing waters others wouldn't think to fish,..... and enjoying yourself.

Caught this guy today after taking a little hike and scouting a few spots. Put up a really nice fight on the fly rod.

P.S. not only are larger fallfish good fighters, they are also very selective feeders and spook easy.

 

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Cool report. I'm a confirmed Fallfish fan too...that's a nice one. They pull hard...harder than a Trout of equal size IMO, and have pretty good endurance to their fight too.

They're tough fish...I caught a 15"er this Spring on my 4wt that a had a huge, snelled, barbed bait hook in its lip. It look me about 90 seconds to work it out without doing any more damage to the fish. Even after the fight, and the minor surgery to remove the hook, the fish gave me a bath as I returned it to the water and it bolted away.

 
It is a well known fact that the only thing that Sasquatch fear are chubs and fallfish.
 

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I keep telling myself, "its just a fish. They aren't that bad..." but then look at that bloody picture!
 
looks like someone sewed a turtle head onto a fish

yuck
 
Turtle head. Yeah, that's it. :lol:
 
Fallfish are a blast on the fly rod. I have had a lot of fun this summer catching fallfish while I was fishing for SMB on various streams.

This one was one of my biggest fallfish of the year. He smashed a size 4 deep Clouser minnow and I estimated that he was about 16" long. There is a lot of fight in these fish, I would put them up against many of the targeted species (pound per pound or inch per inch).
 

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I'd bet they eat good too. maybe smoked.
 
Dear Jake,

Ah, the old Binghamton Bonefish. I used to catch them up to about 16 -18 inches with consistency in the Susquehanna River. They'd hit poppers, streamers, even Rapalas and Tiny Torpedoes.

When I caught more than two in a stretch of river I'd move because when they are biting nothing else gets a chance.

Personally, I hold them in only slightly higher regard than lamprey eels.

Regards,

Tim Murphy :)
 
Jake,

Nice fallfish report - I stopped by a stream yesterday on my way home from a client - that Patapsco river. Some really cool looking water that is a put and take section for rainbows in the spring and fall. It's not cold enough to hold over trout, but it is not totally warm by any stretch, or at least it wasn't after a few nights near 60 degrees. In about 40 minutes I caught 2 big fallfish and 1 smallmouth. The fallfish actually jumped, twice, and for a second I thought maybe a rainbow HAD held over. They are very aggressive indeed, and I don't mind catching them - as the salt guys say - pullage is pullage!
 
I've caught some large ones in the delaware river that were in the 18 inch range. Give me quite a fight for sure. I really thought I had a trout until I got them close.

I don't like that grunting noise they make when you remove the fly though.
 
Hey, they put a bend in the rod. :roll:

If targeting them, white buggers just slay them.
 
Believe it or not, if you are skilled at canning, fall fish as well as suckers are quite delicious canned.
 
"The fallfish actually jumped, twice"

I've had this happen for me too - and fallfish are not only wild but also native species. They can be picky on the dry, and like Rocky Mountain whitefish, I have to adjust my striking technique for successful hookups.

tl
les
 
dryflyguy wrote:I don't like that grunting noise they make when you remove the fly though.

yeah, that always freaked me out a little too, but they are fun, though a little creepy.
 
Was out last night on a piece of the wiconisco and had a blast with my tenkara rod, 1st cast caught a fallfish and it just continued! They were rising to flies. Here is a pic of one of the nicer ones that gave a great fight and even jumped 2-3 times for me.

 

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Fallfish provide some decent action between trout and when you catch an 18'er, you may want another one instead of a trout!
 
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