Yesterday I was fishing in Massachusetts (Padanaram) and caught a fish that I am not familiar with. I think it might be a needle fish, but would like some ID help. There were schools of them, about 8" long, very slender and fast. It had 2 dorsal fins and a forked tail. There was a green upper and white lower seperated by a single horozontal line that went the length of the fish. It had a long mouth (pike like) except the lower jaw extended beyond the upper jaw and it sported a sharp set of teeth.
you’re right on the money…needlefish. I had a big problem wit them over the weekend. I was casting a clouser to some small blues but there were so many needles around that they would just gang up, charge the fly and the blues couldn’t get to it. The needles hang right on the surface. Problem is, as I’m sure you know, its almost impossible to hook themin that super-slender mouth. Not that I even cared to, but i only hooked 1 out the the 3 billion that attacked the fly.
Joe C.
“Drift: If you saw a
piece of steak moving
unnaturally on your
plate, would you eat it?”
Nick Lyons
[This message has been edited by Copper Dropper (edited 15 September 2005).]
Joe, Mdram,
Thanks for the confirmation. I had one go flying when I started a backcast, but it came right off (in mid air). The other one was foul hooked in the gills They were al over the surface, in great quantity. When we move out of the more sheltered areas they were not there.
I’ve hooked them on fly before. But I also had one hit on a backcast and fall off. Unfortunately I was in my kayak and he fell off in my lap! That was decidedly unpleasant. I did find out I have good reflexes though.
They were al over the surface, in great quantity. When we move out of the more sheltered areas they were not there.
![http://hometown.aol.com/zolie102/images/zo%20needlefish.jpg[/url:3a0e5]](http://hometown.aol.com/zolie102/images/zo%20needlefish.jpg%5B/url:3a0e5%5D){kind=link}