A River 1st

[big musk411]

Both my fishing buddies wimped out on me tonight, but I decided to head out to the river anyways. We were planning on doing some catfishing. I didn't really feel like making a mess cutting up the Redhorse I had ready, so I just brought some crawlers and a fly rod. Yesterday, I saw Carp going like crazy on the surface so I thought I would give it a go in the fly. Unfortunaly the Carp wanted nothing to do with my flies. I soaked a crawler for a while and got a deacent cat and lost another one. Not fast an furious like I was hoping for.

And then it happend, the biggest hatch I have ever seen . I looked up the river as the sun was setting and it looked like fog. There were bugs all around me. As the sun went down, the fish came up. They were rising everywhere splashing around, within feet of my boat. I realized that the Cats wanted nothing to due with my crawlers, they were keyed in on surface feeding. Just floating down the river slightly slower than the current with thier mouths open . Hundreds of them .

I reeled in the crawler and busted out the 9wt. I have caught a variety of spiecies on the fly befor, but this was some of the best flyfishing I have ever had. The Channel Catfish will really give you a run for your money on a flyrod. I ended up having to grab the tippet[20lb] on half the fish because I couldn't move them in the current. I caught one after another for about an hour untill I had to go home.

[Ralph Wiggum]

That sounds like an awesome experience! I would love to come chase some kitties your way if you've ever got an open seat!

[EBass]

FLY Rod for Cats?!?! Kewl Last year they nailed spinnerbaits for some reason.

[big musk411]

Ralph, after a night like that you can bet I'll be right back out there tonight. You are welcome to tag along if your interested.

[Ralph Wiggum]

The week is pretty much shot for me, but some other time, I would love to! My e-mail is in my profile.

[rushing]

Sounds like a blast! Saw a picture of a nice flathead caught last year on a "bread" fly while flyfishing a pond for carp.

[big musk411]

The channels were about all my flyrod could handle, can't imagine a Flathead

[toughguy]

Simply awesome!!! I can't imagine how much fun that was for you. For me the best part of fishing is figuring out what the fish want and catching them some way you have never caught them before. It's even better when you’re by yourself!! Brings a smile to your face and boosts your ego. I ran into a situation like that a few years back while fishing Lake Pepin. I was trolling for eyes and noticed that the stripe bass were going crazy on a may fly hatch. We headed to shore, caught a whole mess of the mayflies and hooked them on a plain hook with a bobber a few feet back for weight to cast. As soon as they hit the water we would have to set the hook!!! Between my buddy and we must have caught over 200 in an afternoon. We just couldn't stop. It was so much fun catching something if not every cast, then every other cast. What made it even better is that there were a few other boats near by that could see us catch them but weren't close enough to see how. They must have tried everything they had in their boar under a bobber and didn't catch a thing. For us it was an arcade game for them probably one of the most frustrating days of fishing that summer. You gotta love it.

[Sartell Angler]

sounds fun man! I just discovered fly fishing last summer (sunnies and smallmouth) and can't wait to get back at it this year. Just bought some more flys today and am gonna give Whitewater State Park a try in a coupla weeks.

We've been out after the cats two nights now fishing chicken livers in our favorite spot and the action has been fast and furious! Unfortunately we left the camera at home both times but nothing beats 6-10 pound carp all night long! Throw in a nice campfire on the riverbank a some cold ones and it doesn't get much better!

Good luck if you make it out again!

~SA/wdw

[big musk411]

Same action last night as well! I have caught lots of fish on the fly, but I have to say that the cats is one of the most if not the most fun I have had.

I am not looking forward heading up north this weekend, I want to keep fishing the river!

[Trouthunter]

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