Fishing for trout over the weekend came across a bunch of suckers - some of the pretty big.
I just started to wonder: Can you catch these on a fly? If so what pattern and presentation. This was in a fast moving water - in a stream?
Does anyone eat them? If so how do they taste?
I’ve caught 'em. Usually nymphing, and by accident. They usually feed on insects in the water they live in. Sometimes in the fast water, sometimes in the slower backwaters. They can be quite fun to catch.
My uncle used to smoke them. I never could keep them lit. 
Yup !
Lots of fun on the fly rod.
I have caught them on small egg pattern, especially when they are holding behind spawning fish. Durning the perch spawning season arround here.
Catfish also seem to do the same thing behind spawning fish.
Also caught them on small nymphs, and even on a small clouser minnow (mickey finn colors ).
They put up a great fight; use a light rod for them, 3 or 4 wt.
Have a great day,
chris
I catch them all the time. They’re actually not bad to eat. They taste a little like carp, only a litle drier.
Longnose Sucker from Alberta.
They are okay to eat if caught in cold water and cooked right… but most people throw them back (alot through them on the bank).
Different sucker species live in different environments, but they are often associated with cool and warm water as opposed to cold water of trout. There are some really cool species that share mountain streams with trout, though.
They eat the same nymphs, but because how they eat, they have a softer take and I find they are more picky. Best to get them by sneaking and drifting a nymph on the bottom… like I said they are picky and hard to feel. They can be solid fish and can put up a good pull… not the same jumping as rainbows but fun.
I catch a few every year when fishing deep for smallmouth in the summer months.
Wolley buggers, nymphs the usual SM flies.
Regards,
FK
You should’t do that. It’s unsanitary.
You might give that fish a disease.:)
I used to catch them all the time when I lived in northern MN and fished the Straight River. Never kept them when I caught them fly fishing but MN used to allow spearing in the spring when they were spawning. We speared lots of them and used to make canned suckers and smoked them too. If you want the recipe for the canned version send me a PM. It is quite good.
Rick
I remember going for steehead in the spring and catching a sucker on a nymph…
believe it or not, made my day!
Anything’s possible in fishing. Don’t be afraid to give it a try.
Cheers,
Bad Luck Larry