It is currently 28 Mar 2024, 12:59


1, 2  Next New Topic Add Reply
Author Message
Channel Cats -- on flies
Post 20 Aug 2017, 12:02 • #1 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/23/08
Posts: 944
Location: US-MT
Image


http://flies.montana-riverboats.com/ind ... -on-flies/

Caught this one on a Lyle Special, which is a brown and yellow Yuk Bug of sorts--a Big Hole River brown trout fly, a fly designed by Lyle Reynolds of Melrose Montana. It's not clear pattern matters much. Anything big and fat that looks like it's alive will get an insepection. Channel Catfish are predators. They want to know about anything and everything drifting by.

Channel cats are often rumored to be in the deep fast roily water below an irrigation diversion, or at any natural place were a riffle drops off into a deeper run.

We also found them in slowly moving water two to three feet deep, but not at all off deep boiling banks on the strong side of the river. In other words we found them on the weak side of the river in places were there was still a slow current and moderate depth.

Weak side of the river places that taper off to nothing over gravel exposed since higher flows produced almost nothing. But deeper, slowly moving banks did.

This one was the strongest fresh water fish I've ever encountered. Carp can be strong too but they don't last more than one or two runs. This catfish nearly broke my six weight rod and was still pulling line off the reel 1000 yards down river. If we hadn't been following in a boat I never would have landed him.


Top
  
Quote
Post 20 Aug 2017, 13:33 • #2 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 03/30/09
Posts: 1525
Location: Hamilton,Ontario,Canada
Youre right channel cats dont get the respect they deserve.They are one of the strongest freshwater fish there are.I used to fish the Grand river here in Ontario(I cant wade anymore).I dont think I fished it late enough in the day.The Ephoron comes off in the late summer and everything in the river is taking them,including cats.I wish that I was on the river when that happened.Channel cats on a dry fly would be a blast.


Top
  
Quote
Post 20 Aug 2017, 14:26 • #3 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/21/06
Posts: 3080
Location: Orygun
sweet report! I had hopes of targeting those guys out here this year, but the Musky bug has bitten me too hard...


Top
  
Quote
Post 20 Aug 2017, 15:32 • #4 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/18/14
Posts: 1367
Location: Pleasant Garden, North Carolina
Very cool!


Top
  
Quote
Post 20 Aug 2017, 16:03 • #5 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 07/22/11
Posts: 1720
Location: US-TX
Yes very nice!


Top
  
Quote
Post 20 Aug 2017, 17:18 • #6 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/23/08
Posts: 944
Location: US-MT
I don't have a photo of a Lyle Special. But this fly seemed to be just as good.

Image


Top
  
Quote
Post 20 Aug 2017, 18:04 • #7 
Master Guide
Joined: 07/04/15
Posts: 388
Location: Coppell, TX
That's a huge channel. Great catch and on a 6 wt terrific. Thanks for the post.


Top
  
Quote
Post 20 Aug 2017, 22:02 • #8 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 07/22/11
Posts: 1720
Location: US-TX
Neat fly. How do you make the tail?


Top
  
Quote
Post 20 Aug 2017, 22:11 • #9 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/23/08
Posts: 944
Location: US-MT
Its a long story. I had some written text explaining it but it's lost now. I'll try to find it.


http://flies.montana-riverboats.com/?pa ... cles/lathe


Top
  
Quote
Post 21 Aug 2017, 06:55 • #10 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 07/22/11
Posts: 1720
Location: US-TX
Ah I remember now. Really cool. Are they durable?


Top
  
Quote
Post 21 Aug 2017, 09:42 • #11 
Guide
Joined: 06/25/16
Posts: 298
Location: US-SC
Sounds like a blast on a 6 weight, pound for pound one of the hardest fighting fish that swims.
Have you ever seen the catfish tournaments? Blues dominate mostly but they reel in some whoppers


Top
  
Quote
Post 21 Aug 2017, 14:37 • #12 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 12/14/11
Posts: 1018
Location: Chicago Western Suburbs
I usually catch them in slower riffle areas. Normally an incidental catch when I'm fishing for smallmouth bass. Nice fish though. I usually catch mine on gray and white clouser minnows.


Last edited by softhackle on 23 Aug 2017, 11:34, edited 1 time in total.

Top
  
Quote
Post 21 Aug 2017, 20:25 • #13 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/27/16
Posts: 2327
Location: US-IL
pitt do you use scent on those flies?i would not have a problem with it for catfish.ditto on the clousers.my only real good day catching cats with a fly rod,channels and blues.was fishing a nuke cooling lake in very early spring.was trying to catch smallies from the boat throwing clousers into shore boulders gray/white and olive/white,not many bass but 1 to 3 lb cats on every third cast or so.i think a blue cat is even stronger and a flat head stronger yet,


Top
  
Quote
Post 21 Aug 2017, 21:31 • #14 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/23/08
Posts: 944
Location: US-MT
RE> "Are they durable"
I've been making these flies for ..... 4 or 5 years now. Good flies but durability has been a problem. But I seem to have it solved, by wetting the underbody with Aleene's Flexible Stretchable fabric cement just prior to winding the hackle (by spinning the fly lathe)

RE> "Scent" I caught that 25" incher on a not scented fly. I did take a jar of bacon grease, which gets melted and liquid clear in the sun. We dipped a few flies in the grease ( we're hunting cat fish for ... sake). Drop that fly in the cold water and it instantly looks like a white popsicle. Scent helps. No doubt about it. But it isn't required and I did catch the biggest of the trip on a not-scented fly.

The Montana State record Channel Cat is 38 pounds I think.


Top
  
Quote
Post 22 Aug 2017, 07:30 • #15 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19077
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
I've caught many on cats whiskers, especially at the bank top during rising water.
My favorite American Angler editorial, written by Ed Engle, was about tying bread flies, and chumming up channel cats to fish with his father.
We swapped letters (before internet) about vegetable flies, including my cottonwood seed for carp.


Top
  
Quote
Post 22 Aug 2017, 19:27 • #16 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/27/16
Posts: 2327
Location: US-IL
ahh the cottonwood seed.made some clusters out of white cdc? and green foam.they ate em just couldn't hook them.kind of gave up on them ,choke cherry flower pod stringy things get scarfed up by carp in the ponds i target them in.very delicate takes,about 10 years ago i threw everything i had in front of them.then said screw it.stripped the dressings off a mangled fly and wove some pods on the hook.still considered it fly fishing as there would have been no other way to present this offering.i hooked up with a massive grass carp on a 6wt.he never left the little cove he was in so after a half hour and much praying i beached this beast.at least its head.eyes the size of golf balls.at least 50 lbs.we just stared at each other and i unhooked him and helped on his way.i was stunned and the 5 or 6 people who watched were too.biggest fresh water fish i ever got to shore.the whole incident was completely ridicules in hind sight.


Top
  
Quote
Post 26 Aug 2017, 09:21 • #17 
Guide
Joined: 01/20/16
Posts: 297
Location: Pershing, Missouri
Catching catfish in our local ponds and lakes is always a blast, seems like clousers (orange/white, yellow/white) have been a consistent producer for both bass and catfish so we fish them regularly. When the strike comes, it is heavy and hard. The bass will dance you all over the lake and the catfish will hold you in a tug of war, great fun after a long hot day in the Midwest.


Top
  
Quote
Post 27 Aug 2017, 19:59 • #18 
Guide
Joined: 11/27/14
Posts: 330
Location: US-NC
Very nice channel cat! I have caught them using punch bait and they will wrap around sunken timber if the brakes aren't put on them in a hurry. Haven't pursued them with a fly rod but that has to be a blast. Do you all use a sink tip line?


Top
  
Quote
Post 28 Aug 2017, 07:48 • #19 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/23/08
Posts: 944
Location: US-MT
Looooong leader heavy flies. Floating line. I'm sure sink tips are good stuff. But I've never managed to work them into my act.

I have a few fast sinking shooting heads. It's amazing. They're ten years old and still look brand new.


Top
  
Quote
Post 28 Aug 2017, 18:28 • #20 
Sport
Joined: 07/17/12
Posts: 92
Location: US-OK
Channel Cats are often confused with bottom feeding carp and suckers. Actually, they are active feeders and compete with bass and walleye for food, and quite often for spinnerbaits and jig and pig. I've not had them on a fly rod except when fishing bait (yeah, I know) and they were a ball. I've heard the Mickey Finn is a top cat bait and will have to try in some of the ponds I've caught them on regular tackle.


Top
  
Quote
Post 29 Aug 2017, 09:07 • #21 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/23/08
Posts: 944
Location: US-MT
Here's another photo of the same fish taken a few hours later.

Image

.......filleted, rolled in egg, dipped in crushed potato chips and fried in oil, two days downriver from the put in. The potatoes were cooked before we left and only needed a tin-foil heat up. The fresh corn took a little longer.

These are the best boat camping stoves you buy, by the way.
http://partnersteel.com/prod01.htm


Top
  
Quote
Post 30 Aug 2017, 11:29 • #22 
Guide
Joined: 06/25/16
Posts: 298
Location: US-SC
Yum


Top
  
Quote
Post 19 Sep 2017, 20:34 • #23 
Guide
Joined: 04/29/16
Posts: 188
Location: Hoot Owl Yards, ATX
bulldog1935 wrote:
I've caught many on cats whiskers, especially at the bank top during rising water.
My favorite American Angler editorial, written by Ed Engle, was about tying bread flies, and chumming up channel cats to fish with his father.
We swapped letters (before internet) about vegetable flies, including my cottonwood seed for carp.

I always liked Ed Engle's writing. I was using "popcorn" flies to catch carp on top while in college working at a Orvis store in Southfield MI.
I've caught caught small Channel Cats on Shad-type flies as well on a damsel gurgler on top. Great fun. I am often daydreaming about swinging big flies with a two-hander for big cats on some brawling Texas river.


Top
  
Quote
Post 22 Sep 2017, 21:57 • #24 
Master Guide
Joined: 02/04/12
Posts: 705
Location: SE Pa
Quote:
Here's another photo of the same fish taken a few hours later.
LoL - I love that - funny stuff !!


Top
  
Quote
Post 08 Oct 2017, 12:09 • #25 
Master Guide
Joined: 12/23/15
Posts: 654
Location: Texas bound
Man Sandy, I'd love to fish with you and be able to pick your brain in person. Those cats sure look fun. I have only caught one cat on a fly, but it really doesn't cought because it was in a fish tank and done as a stunt as part of a rod giveaway contest... and that cat on a plate looks almost as good as it does in the boat.


Top
  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  

1, 2  Next New Topic Add Reply



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Jump to:  
Google
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group