I was going to post this on the “Fly Fishing Game” post, but they keep comming up with stuff I aint done, so I’ll post it here. Anyone who has ever (purposely) tied a fly specifically for catfish, and caught a catfish (any kind, on purpose) with it, please post a picture, if possible, or at least instructions on the fly.
This isn’t as moronic as it sounds. Where I grew up (Texas and Oklahoma), they get into the water at the tail-races, sometimes neck-deep, and ‘noodle’ for catfish, which means they stick their bare arm in the crevices of the embankments and let a catfish (usually in the 20+ lb. range) grab them, and pull it out and throw it on the bank, providing it doesn’t spin and tear all the skin off their arm , or hold them down until they drown…
I don’t think a catfish fly would be any wierder than this. We’ve all caught catfish on a fly at one time or another (at least, I’m sure most of us warm-water fisherman have). Why don’t we just make it official?
Let’s expand the borders here…
Semper Fi!
[This message has been edited by Gigmaster (edited 26 January 2006).]
Gigmaster,
I do have a fly that looks like a plastic worm. Easy to tye might work. I’m getting ready for work. I’ll post the pattern tonight.
Semper Fi,
"Life’s journey is not to arrive in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, “Shouting …Holy ****…what a ride!”
I haven’t done it myself, but some of the state lakes around here have feeders on them. There are some guys who go out with flies that look suspiciously like a feeder pellet, and catch catfish and carp like crazy. I think they throw minnow imitations and do fine with those also. I might try it this summer sometime if I get bored.
I have caught them on white clousers and squirm worm patterns. I heard a presentation from a Lady who was from Missouri last year at our club’s conclave. She was a catfish specialist. I remember her saying that it was essential to have lots of red on the fly. I’m paraphrasing, but I think she pretty much fished bass and SW flies (clousers, decivers, poppers, etc.), except she fished “catfish water” as opposed to bass water. Stocked ponds, river shoals, sandbars, deep holes, tailwaters, etc.
I have targeted Channel Cats in some of my fly fishing and have enjoyed the best luck with large black leeches or a very large 7-8 inch long streamers tied using black Icelandic Sheep Hair. On the large streamers, I ended up adding a stinger hook to address short strikes. For me, basic black has always worked best.
Channel Cats - specifically targetted up here. Why - why not. If you ever had a 30+ inch channel cat on the end of your line - you’d know why. As the cats being protected (26 inch slot limit in the area), 30inch + cats are not uncommon at all.
They’re chased on single handed rods, and one guy has even started spey fishing for them.
As for flies specifically tied for cats, I just started purr-suing them - devised one fly that seems to have worked on one cat (ran out of trial flies and materials to tie some more - at least I still have a pic of the fly). For more ‘cat-specific-tied’ flies, you could ask the guys at [url=http://www.watersidemb.ca:4a428]www.watersidemb.ca[/url:4a428] - they’re focused more-so on warmwater fish up here. They’d be able to note a more direct answer, might even share some recipees. But flies (maybe modified) such as clousers, wooly buggers, alley shrimp, minnow patterns, a cat even slurped a dry for one of the guys (incidental - but still took it).
There’s more patterns / styles that are useful … all dependant on the taste of the cat.
I have created a pattern for the murky waters of the mighty Red River up here in Manitoba, Canada.
It has worked well for cat fish, and is basically a variation on the wooly bugger. I use a bright yellow/chartreuse marabou with dark crystal chenille body and a grizzly schlappen hackle palmered. I use large bead chain eyes, and because I don’t use lead anymore, I use a double salmon hook (big iron, no need for lead). I believe the grizzly schlappen and chartreuse marabou make for good visibility in murky water, with a bit of flash from the chystal chenille.
Thanx otter. I think one could tie it in a trebble, never tried though. That hook is a Mustad 80525BL, size 8 I believe with large bead chain eyes. I think, however, it is a much more impressive looking fly in the vise than in the water.
I catch quite a few catfish on flies in farm ponds here in southern Iowa. I tie a pink squirrel with bead chain eyes and run the pink chinelle clear up to the hook eye. Fish it under an indicator and will work for about anything in the pond, but you can usually tell if MR Catfish is biting. The float will just start going down and never stop. I have caught cats upto 8lb on a 3 weight and 4x tippet. What a time!
I have caught a few catfish on The Diving Bug. All the fish were small, noting biger than 1 or 2 pounds The best colars are orange and green. The tying steps are in the Intermediate section of this web site(www.flyanglersonline.com)
I rather go fishing than to work and yet to go fishing I must go to work!
When I was a kid we had a trot-line for catfish, which we sold to the local fish-house. (Kept us in gas money S)
We baited the hooks with leeches we gathered.
