Flyfishing for Squirrels
By M. Kelly
The most frequent question I get asked is about on
my website (www.flyfishmammels.com) is how to
catch squirrels on a flyrod. Since our page is
currently down, I thought I'd address that here.
Really, it's not much different that fishing for trout. I
prefer to sight fish, where I see a big gray scurrying
along the ground, or perched on a low limb
obviously looking for food. Others like to lay the fly
out, perhaps conceal themselves behind a bush, and
wait until they get a bite. For me, this is a little too
much like using bait, but to each his own. You try to
lay out the fly gently, so it looks as if it magically
appeared to the squirrel. He may show interest and
refuse the fly, but in many cases he takes it, and then
the fight is on!
Rods and Reels: About any rod will work, although I
can personally recommend the tradition and quality
of fine bamboo, which casts a squirrel fly like no
other. There's just something about the way fine
bamboo feels that you can't possibly get with
graphite. Although there are plenty of very fine
graphite rods, too. Slow actions work better for me,
like a 5 wt. Winston, or a T & T; I like them for roll
casting under heavy cover. You need a good reel,
though; I've had a male gray take me to the backing
on more than one occasion. Usually they head up the
nearest tree, which is entirely the opposite of most
fish, who like to go deep.
Flies: Almost all squirrel flies are tied from deer hair or
elk. My favorite, the Jimmy Carter (Finally, a fly named for a
Democrat) which looks like a peanut, the Pecan
Gordon, self explanatory, and the Reddenbacher
special, tied to resemble a kernel of popcorn. These
work great for Park Squirrels and for the average,
"Front Yard" variety, who are used to seeing these
foods, and will sometimes fool a wild squirrel,
particularly if the presentation is perfect. Those who
fish exclusively for wild squirrels, however, prefer
"Al's Acorn," in various sizes.
Some feel that going after only wild squirrels is a bit
more challenging than fishing for what they call
"tame" squirrels, or "pets", and I must agree. But the
Park Squirrel is abundant, close by most urban
homes, and plenty of fun, too! Still others fish only
for red squirrels, or the big game version, the Fox
squirrel. They take pride in this, and that's OK, too,
but sometimes I wonder if they aren't a bit elitist.
Whatever type you go after, please practice C & R.
It's OK to take an occasional squirrel for the dinner
plate, and they're as tasty as the next rodent, but let's
return these woodland creatures to their natural
habitat with as little disturbance as possible. We owe
them at least that. (Make sure you wear a heavy
glove when releasing them; they've got sharp teeth!)
Hope this is helpful. Right now, while the page is
down, we're working on next month's mammal
fishing installments: "Dabbling for Dachshunds" and
"The Chihuahua Challenge."
~ M. Kelly