Squid?

[Mike Thomas]

Hi Guys, every winter here in Auckland the squid move in very close to the waterfront and are taken on squid jigs cast from the shore. I would like to have a go with a fly rod, does anyone have any "squid secrets" they would like to share?
I think they will hit a glow in the dark fly but not sure on how to get them to stick. A squid jig of course has no hook but a circle of spines that stick in the squids tentacles and I guess a fly will need to somehow have the same?
All the best.
Mike

[dudley]

I catch a squid or two every year, but have never targeted them intentionally. They seem to like a fast moving fly coming up off the bottom as I always get them as I'm about to pick up for the next cast.
I've never actually "hooked" one. They just hold on.

[DonO1]

Use an Octapus hook. lol

What size are the squids (humbolts or sim.)? Are they feeding close to the surface? Some glow-in-the-dark streamer material with a needle sharp treble hook trailing, like a tube-fly arrangement, would work. There are braided body materials in glow-in-the-dark also.
I'd file off the barbs as the squid-jigs don't use them and they'd be easier to back out of whatever they got hooked into, including you.

[Mike Thomas]

I thought about trebles, but was wondering if anyone had any other ideas, the squid are broad squid ranging from about 12 to 20 inches long. They seem to stay close to the bottom and often hit the squid jigs as they flutter down.
All the best.
Mike

[Micropteris]

I am not completely sure about the squid where you are but I fish for them with squid jigs and have caught my fair share by fly as well. I have found that they will hit any bait-fish style fly that matches your local bait, as well as bright attractor patterns. One of my favorite things to do is jig a small bright trout spinner as a dropper from my regular squid jigs.

Around me they come through early in the spring and feed on the glass minnows, juvenile Atlantic herring. Flies are very thin profiled.

If you are not able to see your fly and see any hits, the hits will feel really weird, not like a fish at all. They don't suck your offering in like a fish. They just grab onto it with their tentacles. Make sure your hooks are extremely sharp and take the barbs off them. You don't need trebles just one really, really sharp hook.

I fish at night time and look for lots of light around bridges and piers. The light attracts the bait which intern brings in the squid. Places with good current will usually bring in good bait and with it the squid.

Squid can be very moody. There are times when I have seen huge schools of them and they will not hit anything you throw at them. Get them to change their mood and you can harvest a 5 gallon bucket full in just a matter of minutes. Also depth may or may not be important. Most of the ones I have gotten on the fly have been near the surface where I was able to watch the whole thing go down. Other times if my jig wasn't just off the bottom in 15 feet of water I wasn't catching.

Squidding can be very frustrating but it is one of my favorite ways to fish, and eat.

Good luck!

[Mike Thomas]

Thanks Micropteris, that is all good info. I am going to have a go at making a fly with a hook crown (from the back end of a squid jig) hanging out the back, may take me a while to find the time to fish it but when I do I will post a report.
All the best.
Mike