On a recent canoe/camping trip we saw a lot of Gar. They would hit a firetiger lure, but failed to get any in the boat.
Would like to try getting one on the fly rod. Saw references to a “rope fly”, but no directions on tying one up. Anyone have a suggestion and any recommended colors.
The rope fly is just that. Tie a length of nylon or poly rope to the hook and fray the end of it. The gar’s teeth get tangled in the frayed strands of rope. Gar have very bony mouths so it is hard to get a good hook-set. I caught this one on a 1/0 Clouser Minnow tied on a stainles steel hook, but I missed about as many I hooked
Steve
I have never done it but have read about gar flies. Apparently you tie a length of nylon rope to a hook and then use a comb or brush to unravel the rope to yield a mass loose fibers. When you are done you have a length of intact rope whipped to the shank of the hook with the unravelled fibers from the rope sticking out behind like the marabou tail on a wooly bugger. The final design is a very simple streamer with a length of a few inches. The idea is that the gar strike it like a streamer and their teeth get entangled in the strands of rope fibers and they can not let go. It sounds like the hook is only there to give you something to attach the rope to and to tie on the leader. I guess you could rig one up without a hook which might make it easier to release the fish. John Gierach talked about the fly in one of his books.
Sounds like a kick.
David
Bill
Have you seen this website? Found it last year when I discovered 3’ spotted gar in a local lake.
http://www.flyfishga.com/gar.htm
Greg
Greg,
Took a look at the Gar site, the pictures answer my questions. Going to get some rope this weekend and tie up a few flies for my next trip. Hoping to get one of those things on a fly rod, it has to be a blast!!
Here in Florida Gar is the favored fish of the Seminole Indians. There are two strips of meat much like a back strap on either side of the spine that are said to be quit good.
Rusty <><
Amazing bit of information. I have been trying for years to land a James River Gar. Now that I no longer reside there, I have this info! I have hooked, or should I say had strike, several gars but they were never on longer than a second. Bill, let us know when this works for you, I would love to hear the story!
Cheli38,
Actually, that is where I plan on going - down the James.
A group of friends do several trip a year down the James. Usually starting from Bent Creek or further down stream towards Scottsville. The farthest down stream I have been on a float trip is Bremo Bluff. Really like these trips - getting away from it all and just fishing and camping.
Plan on going to the hardware store and getting some nylon rope. Maybe coloring some in the firetiger pattern to see how that works.
There are a couple of creeks in the area that have good populations of Gar, but there is to much overhang to get a good cast with a fly rod.
You and I had talked last year about the downtown fishing as well off the pipeline. The Gar are everywhere down there. Usually find them in the shallows off weedbeds, sitting in about 10" of water waiting to ambush something. Of course, this is where you usually wade too. They camoflauge well, so all of a sudden a 3 foot long fish swims right between your legs and scares the **** out of you. Unfortunately I didnt have the chance to do the float down from Scottsville, but I have heard wonderful things about the trip…even Muskies in that stretch.
The behavior described in on that Gar website, where they sit on the top of the water like a log jam, saw two do that this spring. I threw everything I had at them and they wouldnt budge, so I thought it may have been a spawning behavior.
They say this is a prehistoric fish, sure would make an interesting mount!
Good luck!
You and the “Noles” are welcome to all the rough fish you can catch, Rusty. 
I can’t stand the Gars or the Pickerels. I usually have enough trouble with Mudfish (Bowfin) and I don’t like them either. Yes all those rough fish do fight hard but are a royal pain to land and unhook with all the teeth. 
Thanks for sharing that web site about Gar. I have had the luck a year ago to hook one on a rope fly. I am sure it was only out of luck because the fish was likely wondering what the heck that crazy looking piece of rope was doing in the water. Although tied quite different from the ones on that site, I was really only experimenting with gar for the very first time.
A local water I regularly fish has numbers of large Gar that can be seen during the early spring (May-June). I have seen many large fish that have always seemed to be sunning themselves in the warm spring sunshine and wondered what it would be like to catch one on a fly. Those fish had always been unco-operative to take baits using other rod types. My morning with that rope fly produced a small fish (approx 3lb) of which came from out of nowhere, but the fight was unbeleavable. I must say that the tail walking and agressive jumps were quite spectacular. I was impressed with the strength of that fish, for it certainly gave my 7wt a workout.
As I am always over-prepared with gear, I had the tools needed for the job and was able to glove that toothy jaw to untangle what was left of the nylon flie. It truly was quite an experience for a fly rodder fishing alone, for it took quite some time before the fish gave in to the glove. The glove is an absolute must!
For those looking for something different, try to catch a Gar. You certainly need the gear to unhook one if you catch one, but likely more patience than anything else. 8)
You might try this one too: http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytyin … 8fotw.html
The ‘rope’ is pantyhose.
I know when I was a young-un in Texas… you could not help but catch gar using a minnow below a bobber. Especially a deceased minnow… Gar magnet.
Gift Of The Gar – Tangling With Tough Longnose
This article from the March 2007 issue of In-Fisherman should be of some help to you. It’s not available online, but your local library should have a copy for you!