Flathead Catfish on a Fly Rod?

[Gigmaster]

Those look good! Are they weighted? Or do you fish them on sinking lines?

I wrap non-lead wire around the hook shank. I use them mostly behind tailraces, with a shooting taper.

[cycler68]

Awesome pictures FishnDave and MrFishingToughGuy. I've only caught two small flatheads and one was while I was snagging for paddlefish. And by small I do mean small, probably around a pound in size.
There are some big flatheads in the Missouri & Big Sioux River around here but I've never really taken the time to pursue them. This year that just might change if I can shoehorn them in between bass, crappies, bluegill, northerns, musky & anything else I can find that might bite a fly.
So many fish so little time.

[Whitefish]

Since no one from Manitoba has chimed in yet, I'll give it a go. Up here on the Red River, we have a regular crew of folks who fly fish for channel cats. These fish can run over 30# and fish over 20# are common. Most fish caught are over 10#. What's really neat is that, with the right conditions and some knowledge of the water, folks can catch half a dozen in a good morning.

The best area is below a dam where cats congregate in riffles that run 3' to 6" deep. Shiner immitations (tied clauser style) work well, as do crayfish patterns. The water is muddy so I like visible flies. One of my most successful flies, which I fish as a dropper, is a #6 San Juan worm, tied in florescent yellow (go figure). Gummy minnows have also worked for me.

I use dead drifts across and down stream, mending the line to create drag-free drifts. The main reason to avoid drag is to keep the fly swimming as close to the bottom. Sink tips are used and I like to have various densities, depending on current and depth. Fly fishing for Red River cats is one of the more exciting fly fishing opportunities that we have up here, and we have many.

To the gent that's coming up from North Dakota this June, that's a peak time. I think you'll have a ball. Bear in mind that the Red River is not the most pristine - far from it - but the fishing experience is absolutely unique...TIM

[RG/AR]

Joe, the biggest flatheads push 100 pounds. I believe a muskie would swim away screaming for its life.

[FishnDave]

One of my co-workers caught a 123 lb flathead on our local river when he was a kid. That's a HUGE fish, and I was skeptical of his story....until he pulled out a photocopy of the old newspaper article that had the picture and caption attached.

He and his brother caught it on a bank line or trot line...which at the time was not eligible for entry as the state record. They've since changed the rules and allow flatheads caught on stationary lines, but the current record is only around 80 lbs. The fish he caught was taken to a local bait shop, and the DNR verified the weight, and then had the flathead mounted at a taxidermist. The mount was then displayed in the bait shop for years, and then the DNR took possession of it when the bait shop eventually closed. My co-worker has since lost track of where the mounted fish is, but suspects its at one of the state DNR offices somewhere.

That is a HUGE flathead!!!

[cycler68]

FishnDave wrote:

One of my co-workers caught a 123 lb flathead on our local river

I think I'll get a 12 wt & some 14 in. streamers ties on 9/0 hooks for those. Seriously thought I wonder how or if it would even be possible to catch one of those with a fly rod of any weight.
Whitefish, it sounds like you have some great sport on the Red River. I have known about the great catfishing you have but never dreamed you could catch them on the fly rod.

[FishnDave]

For a fish that big....my co-worker buddy told me they caught a lot of fish over 50 lbs. I don't quite know how they did it exactly, but he told me they somehow rigged up two 5-gallon buckets on the line as a "float". They could tell if a fish was on by the bobbing of the buckets.
The day they caught that big one, both buckets were completely underwater!!
Do you know how much strength/weight it takes to push even just one 5-gallon bucket completely underwater and hold it there?? Now imagine if you had that kind of strength fighting on the other end of your fly line....

[holdemplyer]

first, let me say this is a great site! I've been lurking for a while, and have fished with a few Nebraska members of FAOL because of my association with some other fishing forums. I got into fly fishing last year and only had about 3 months before the ice hit. So I'm pretty new.

I love to target flatheads, they are THE predator in most waters they inhabit. If I was comfortable using a fly rod to fish for them (I'm not yet), I'd use streamers and other minnow like flies, big lively like flies. When I target with my crane and cable set ups, I use live white perch, the bigger the better. At this particular lake, the white perch are the reason for the flatties, invasive species in Nebraska.

Again, great forum!

Alex

[SKershaw]

When I target with my crane and cable set ups, I use live white perch, the bigger the better.

Crane and Cable set up.... GASP!!! Welcome, Alex!!!

[holdemplyer]

And Skershaw is one of the great FAOL members i've been lucky enough to fish with. He's actually one of the people responsible for getting me into fly fishing. Some times I don't know if I should thank him, or kick him.