Fly Fishing Tactics -The how to of Fly Fishing Links Menu
Estuary Flathead
The Estuary Flathead is an exciting fish to target with a fly rod. Here are some basic tactics for catching estuary flathead and a discussion and video of proven techniques that have worked for me.
Clousers : the most productive colour has been pink and white. We have also caught many fish on chartreuse/ white and blue and white.
The Silver Bullet Deceiver: this fly has caught a variety of estuary species and flathead are definitely a fish that will attack these flies.
Deceivers: All our deceivers patterns have caught flathead.
The Equipment
I use an 8wt Sage Fly rod with a Lamson Litespeed 3 fly reel that is loaded with an intermediate 9wt fly line. Any fly rod from a 6wt up with a floating, intermediate or sinking fly line would be suitable. I always use Blue Sky furled leaders ( heavy for saltwater conditions) and a 30lb tippet usually, a Platinum brand. This size tippet prevents the fish biting the line off and the furled leader has no difficulty turning over large saltwater flies.
Locations, Tides and Times
With regard to locations, tides and times experience is the answer. The best practice is to select a likely estuary near you and fish it on a falling tide to low. Cover as much area as possible by walking or wading. This will allow you to search the sand flats for flathead lies often found near yabby holes on the sand flats. Flathead bury themselves in the sand on the edge of small gutters, sloping sand banks and weed beds. Flathead are masters of camouflage and wait to attack small bait fish. They leave an impression in the sand and you can tell if there are fish about by the number of flathead lies in a specific area when the sand bank is exposed at low tide.
Over time you will get to know these areas that are likely to hold fish and you can fish these places at the peak times. Once you can recognise good, likely places that will hold fish you can vary the times that you can fish these locations throughout the day from dawn to dusk. Wading sand flats on rising or falling tides is fantastic fun and can account for quite a variety of fish species that you may catch including bream, whiting, flounder and flathead.
The Strip
The best stripping technique is to bounce the fly across the sandy bottom with a strip of a foot or more then a slight pause. Often flathead will strike and basically hook themselves. Always keep your fly rod tip down towards the water when stripping the fly line. There are many different stripping techniques that you can apply and I recommend that you experiment with different lengths and speed of strips. The stripping technique that I have discussed is a proven performer for me.
The flash movie called The Pumicestone shows the basic techniques and locations to catch flathead. If you look closely you will see that the fish is caught near seagrass beds in very shallow, clear water on a Silver Bullet Deceiver. Flathead Fly fishing is an exciting and productive way of fishing. We practice and promote a catch and release fishery.
We are currently developing information on Bass ,Bream, Trout, Mangrove Jack and Pelagic fishing. Watch this space to see further information on how to catch these species and where possible show video of techniques, flies and fish being caught.
Jeff Cassidy - Fresh and Saltwater Fly Designs - Australia