Setting goals is what many of us do when the new year kicks off. Materialising them is another story. Jeroen Schoondergang challenges you to look beyond the safe world of trout or other conventional fly fishing species and take your fly gear to places and species that may have slipped from your attention.
If you look at fish-species that might be interested in a fly, the sky - or should I say ocean floor - is the limit. A fish that eats and does that within the zone that can be reached with fly fishing tackle, is basically a target species. Being based in The Netherlands, I don’t have traditional fly species as trout and grayling readily available. So when I started fly fishing in the 1970s, I fished for what was swimming in the canals and ponds near my house. Coarse fish like roach and rudd, were the obvious first choice. Through the years my fishing buddies and I have cast a fly at anything that swims in our waterways. I chose five species out of the many unusual suspects, that will get you through the year in a less than conservative way.
Winter roach
Roach is the perfect fish to start your fly fishing year with. When water temperatures drop, roach congregate in places where the flow of the river stops, like dead-end tributaries, marinas in small harbours. As the water temperature is slightly higher here, roach will find an abundance of food and grow fat and healthy. A well placed weighted nymph under an indicator is a perfect method to find the roach and tempt them to bite.
My typical gear for winter roach consists of a 9’ aftma 2 or 3 rod with an easy casting floating WF-line. The leader starts off as a standard 9’ 4X, on which I put a long 6 or 7X tippet, measuring anything between four to seven feet. I attach an adjustable indicator on the tippet. The nymphs are simple patterns with some glitter and fluorescent reds or orange, weighted with a tungsten bead, in hook sizes 18 to 12. I sometimes fish a dropper with a bloodworm pattern. Especially in schools of large roach, big bloodworm flies can be deadly effective.
Fishing for winter roach isn’t difficult, but it does take concentration. Takes can be extremely subtle and the fish can be anywhere from the surface to the bottom. On very cold days a dead drift in the right water column can be effective. If the sun warms the water surface, a subtle retrieve works better.
Roach aren’t as glamorous as brown trout and grayling. They do however offer a very accessible fishery that will hone your skills spotting and cash in on subtle takes. Besides, a foot-long blueish-silver roach is a fun and even impressive fish to hook, fight and land.
Perch XL
Another humble river and lake dweller is the common perch. If ever there was a fish pursued by kids, using a wooden pole and cork bobber, it must be Perca fluviatilus. But the perch is a serious game fish, growing to well over five pounds. These specimen fish can be excellent targets for fly fishers who want to invest time and energy in getting to know their fishing spots.
(Image courtesy of Floris van den Berg)
Springtime is one of the periods when large perch get together, prior to spawning. This is the moment that massive stacked brick-sized fish aggressively attack lures. And they will attack flies as well, as long as you manage to get your fly to where the fish are. Springtime perch seem to hunt in small packs along drop-offs in large rivers and lakes. Finding the right depth is often the key to success. Fishing from a boat with a decent fish finder is a big help. If you find the fish, it is very likely that they are of similar size.
The best fishing tactic starts with acquiring a number of waypoints with likely spots. Fish from an anchored boat and try to keep noise or vibration to a minimum. Weapon of choice could be a fast 9’ rod aftma 5 or 6, combined with a fast sinking shooting taper and a small (hook size 8 to 4) clouser minnow in white or white and chartreuse. Take your time to let the fly sink to the bottom. A big perch will hit your fly like a brick. After having landed an ‘extra-large’ perch on the fly, you will never mistake this striped predator for a fish only suited for kids with bamboo poles.
Zander gone mad
Early summer is an exciting time on our lakes and streams. Most fish species have spawned and are busy reaping the benefits of an abundance of food. The zander isn’t one of them. Here’s a fish taking ‘raising the kids’ very seriously. Knowing that zander are sluggish, sometimes even lethargic ambush predators, you could mistake their summer behaviour for temporary insanity. But they haven’t gone mad, they are protecting their spawn with courage and vigour.
(Image courtesy of Floris van den Berg)
If ever there is a time to catch a zander on a fly rod without having to dredge for them, this is it. Lakes with extensive reed beds are extremely well suited for a heart stopping surface fishery. A six or seven weight rod, with a short bellied floating line is the perfect weapon to battle the keepers of the spawn. Big flies with some flash and a lot of water displacement will seal the deal. Sometimes, especially around dusk and dawn, surface lures work well. More than often the bite is initiated by a wake or sometimes even a ‘jaws-like’ dorsal fin behind your fly.
As with springtime perch, early summer zander are in a very important phase of their year, caring for their offspring. So be as gentle as possible with the fish you catch and release them to carry on protecting their offspring.
Aspius the immigrant
If ever an immigrant received a hearty welcome in The Netherlands, it was the asp. This predatory cyprinid originated from the Danube basin, but migrated to the Rhine system when the Rhine-Main-Danube channel was finished in the early 1990s. Only two decades later this pelagic predator is a force to be reckoned with in our rivers. The fish is absent in the UK, but is certainly worthy of looking into as the target species for a late summer fly fishing holiday.
The asp is a sight hunter. Its eyesight is in fact among the very best of any fish species found in European fresh water. This makes them a very exciting species to hone your fly fishing skills on. Asp hunt fast and ferocious. You often see them smashing into baitfish with large swirls and splashes. Their take is just as impressive; they hammer your fly and take line like a tropic saltwater speedster.
Depending on the water type, current and light conditions, a floating, intermediate or fast sinking line is needed to get to the fish. A medium sized clouser minnow can be a good starting point. But changing flies can be the ticket to a take. Baitfish patterns that ‘match the hatch’ are sometimes the only way to connect to an angry asp, that can grow to a metre in length.
Landing your first asp can be a pleasant surprise, as where most of our freshwater predators are equipped with nasty teeth and spiny fins, the asp has the feel of a big ide or carp. They are easy to handle. However handle them with great care and support the fish to protect their internal organs.
Potantial asp travellers find a very good starting point at www.fishingguidesholland.nl Several guides on this website are more than happy to help you find your asp of a lifetime.
Shad, the tiny North Sea tarpon
When the water is at its warmest, in summer and autumn, many North Sea estuaries are visited by schools of twaite shad on their way to the spawning grounds. These shad like to hang around breakwaters and can be very interesting fly targets.
If ever Lefty Kreh’s line “It ain’t no use if it ain’t chartreuse” was true, it is with fly fishing for shad. These fish go crazy over sparsely tied chartreuse streamers fished with a fast sinking shooting line and a very short 25” leader. Tactics are easy: make a long blind cast diagonally upstream. Then let the fly sink to the bottom and retrieve like crazy. If there are any shad around, they will be all over the fly. Shad aren’t very tough fighters, but their jumping ability make them fun to catch and rightfully earned them the nickname North Sea mini tarpon. When landed, try to avoid direct contact with the body of the shad, as they shed their scales easily.
Shad are a perfect species to end the warmer months with. Like the other species mentioned they will provide you with new insights to our wonderful pastime.
Read more from Jeroen HERE