Yesterday a friend and I were going to go to any local stream that had not been blown out by the previous nights rainshowers. Our search found none. So we decided to visit his uncles pond and see what was there. Well, let me tell you, we found catfish, large sunnies and bass. The catsfish were not bullheads but the long sleek kind and many were in the 20 - 24 inch range. At times these cats were taking some flies on the surface, but more often below, and when the sun was highest, near the bottom. These big cats would run and then fight on the bottom. They also had a tendency to swim around cat tails and dock pillars which made some fights more interesting than others. Suffice to say that large cats on 4 weight rods, small flies and light leaders/tippets are fun. Catch several of these fish and you might well need some BenGay or other medication for the sore shoulder you’re bound to have. I opted for ‘flexeril’'.
Now this is not something you’d want to make into a steady diet but, if every so often when your nearby waters make trout unavailable, you may want to consider fly fishing a nearby pond for cats as an alternative and think twice before saying ‘no’ or ‘yuck’.
Actually, I do make a steady diet of it in the summer time. Cat’s are a whole lot of fun, the fish get big, and for those of us who don’t live near the trouts and the spring fed streams, it, along with bluegills, crappie, bass, carp and gar, gives us a way to while away time we’d normally spend at home daydreaming about trouts
Anyone who thinks catfish on a flyrod is not fun, just has not been there. A formerly neighbor in Tupelo, MS caught what was a channel catfish state record for a week on a flyrod, it was either 24 lbs. 7 ozs. or 27 lbs 4 ozs. It was a huge catfish to land on a flyrod with a 6# tippet if I remember correctly. The next weekend a lady from the same area broke his record.
I catch Cat on fly (haresear). I bet on a four weight it is a challenge, loose a lot of flies and tippet too I bet. I went for Grass Carp with 6lb fluoro and a 6 wt. rod. Landed a few but lost a bunch as well.
Right tool for the right job A 20" cat put a real nice bend in a 6 wt.
Thanks Deanna for the “answer”. It would have been too much of a coincidence to not be so. Had Allan himself resonded, I would have stated that it’s great to have him back since as I recall, he was no slouch as to posting good stuff.
Mark
PS: Having said THAT, Allan it IS good to see you back here. AND…
ALRIGHT!!!
TO HELL WITH THE FEAR OF HIJACK, Here it is, MY thoughts on the “departed” from FAOL but still breathing). GET THE HELL OVER IT!. This is a forum of/for fly fishers. There can be NO ( sensible) reason to abandon it. I agree that after a while , knot questions, your favorite rod, etc get a bit tedious BUT that being said , I’ve learned to live with it. I have taken my share of abuse by some who “departed”. I once posted a thread , something about a bowl and an old man. I thought it was “touching” and a lesson to the younger generation as to how to treat their elder parents. It must have went WAAYYY over the heads of the “clique” OR, they ( the clique- they know who they are) just were waiting in the weeds to pounce on me. I was SEVERLY wounded BUT, as this post indicates, have survived, BUT they are GONE. I wish they were back and hope when they read THIS , if only to STICK IT TO ME, respond ( I CAN HANDLE IT). The untimely passing of ( HIMSELF) Jim brought a few out of the ether ( heaven knows WHY they waited till…) but there are still many who are out there and not “contributing”. OK, so don’t “contribute” but post SOMETHING ( even yout gripes). Let ( at least) ME know what’s your reason for splitting from this “pastel” web site. Talk about painless, THIS is IT.
Mark
PS: YES, I’m a sentimantalist yearning for things as they once were. AND I do apologise for the diversion ( hijack) from the topic but…
It sounds as if you just got a few long standing demons out of your system although I have no idea what you said has to do with catfish on the fly. No need to pick up the conversation and explain. Leave it where it is.
P.S. Marco, shack nasties in June, I hate that for you. Be careful or someone might doctor your drinks at MIFI with something horrible, like water…
Hope to see you in a couple of weeks.
A 20" cat put a real nice bend in a 6 wt.