Walleye Flies?

[Deleted]

Hey all, an introductory posts of sorts.

My name's Aaron and I'm a fly fishing addict. There, I said it. Admitting it is half the battle.

I'm from the wet coast (New Westminster to be exact) and I've been at this a few years, flyfishing, tying, competing, blogging, moderating a forum, yada, yada. I'm a small stream guy, but I get around.

Anyway. I'm probably heading to Manitoba sometime in the upcoming year and I was a bit curious about walleye fishing and flies. Like the man says, "Walleye are not my people." I've done a bit of trolling on the net and have come up with the odd reference to fly fishing for walleye and a few patterns, but I'm game to find out more.

If someone has any basic info I'd appreciate the help. I'll return the favour if I can with respect to species in BC (and Hawaii of all places), or point you to someone that can help if I can't. PM or post, either works.

Aaron

[Deleted]

ALWAYS have had the best luck with white. White woolly bugger, white DDH leech... hair wing streamers with white wings. In fact, I can only recall a couple of times I have caught walleye on other colours.... white is in! Heavy full sink lines and weighted flies to get down to where the walters are (if the are deep).
Good luck!

[wellman]

DDH leech works for me Still can't believe that a 26 " Walleye didn't snap my rod.

[RickL]

Most of the walleye I have caught in smaller MB rivers were on bucktail streamers, predominantly white or a puple crystal leech with a black marabou tail and a flourescent cone head ( this has been especially deadly). While fishing in lakes, a white #4 zonker has worked well, too, fished modestly deep.

I cannot really speak for anyone else, but here in Manitoba I really only target walleye in rivers.

Where were you heading to ?

[Deleted]

Nov 16, 2009 13:08:25 GMT -6 @skunkaroo said:

Hey all, an introductory posts of sorts.

My name's Aaron and I'm a fly fishing addict. There, I said it. Admitting it is half the battle.

I'm from the wet coast (New Westminster to be exact) and I've been at this a few years, flyfishing, tying, competing, blogging, moderating a forum, yada, yada. I'm a small stream guy, but I get around.

Anyway. I'm probably heading to Manitoba sometime in the upcoming year and I was a bit curious about walleye fishing and flies. Like the man says, "Walleye are not my people." I've done a bit of trolling on the net and have come up with the odd reference to fly fishing for walleye and a few patterns, but I'm game to find out more.

If someone has any basic info I'd appreciate the help. I'll return the favour if I can with respect to species in BC (and Hawaii of all places), or point you to someone that can help if I can't. PM or post, either works.

Aaron

Hey Aaron, where and when you going? It's still up in the air for me but hopefully I'll be fishing The Parklands mid June.

[Robert Burton]

Most Walleye 'flies' serve as other flies (my best fly are EP's)
So the real trick is how to target this notorious mid lake semi deep water suspending fish with tackle made for rivers and shallow water.

As Rick pointed out finding fly rod friendly water that holds walleye is one solution (one that has worked wonders for me)

In lakes it is trickier and most of us get them early and late in the season (definitely NOT typical vacation times of the year)

On a fly rod the walleye puts up a decent fight so it can be done.

[flyfisheranonymous]

If you fly fish trout in rivers you can catch Walleye. If you catch trout in lakes you can catch Walleye. The two species have so many similarities it is amazing. They both eat aquatic insects, baitfish, leeches, and everything else that lives in the water. I have taken them on midges, mayflies, stoneflies and caddis flies in all stages. I have used Clouser minnows and attractor patterns but my best fly for the last couple of years has been a DDH Leech. Brown is the number one color followed by yellow, white, black and then olive. Walleye will feed on the surface when there is a mayfly hatch going on but most of the time they will be taken at certain depths depending on the time of year so if you want to effectively fish Walleye a locator is very important, especially on lakes. On rivers fish the current seams or if there are rapids fish the back eddies and if there is any weed cover along the back eddies that is the ideal place.
One of my favorite Walleye rivers, this is what to look for and it is not that much different than a trout river.

[Deleted]

Hey, thanks for the quick replies.

Walleye are on my bucket list (as are Tigers and Splake (sp?)), and I'm looking forward to checking some off when I come. I've got some white marabou baitfish streamers using a #6 TMC 9395 that I've been tying based on my research to this point: some with a grey overwing as shad imitations, some with yellow and ginger as perch, and some with olive just because I trust olive . I'll look at going a bit larger and put some of the above info into play, as well as smaller if I get a chance to try for them on the rivers.

Thanks for the fishing tips as well. I figured deep would be the order of the day, but I guess it will depend on timing. I've got most bases covered, but I'm always looking for an excuse to get a new rod, shiny reels and expensive lines--if anyone has any good arguments I can make to the wife for buying more gear I would appreciate it. ;D

John: I haven't a clue exactly where I'll be going but I'll let you know when I do, it looks like it will be earlier rather than later.

Thanks again, and I look forward to helping out where I can in return.

Aaron

[Deleted]

I am from Brandon and have fished the Assinaboine around here when I cannot go too far from home. First, I found out that I can wade the river if I am careful and choose my sites wisely. Secondly, I found out that Walleye can be caught on the fly and this is very exciting. Although Walleye are a soft touch, they put up quite the fight on a fly rod. I use a 6 weight so I have to work at it to bring in anything over 18 inches.

When I use spinning gear, I almost always use in-line spinners. When I started fly fishing, this translated into streamer patterns. I have had some success with the good old Mickey Finn and Black-Nosed Dace. I also tried some Aztecs, an attractor pattern that worked very well in chartruse type wool or yellow (bright). In spring and early summer, i have also been successfull with nymph patterns, fishing eddies and back-currents where there are rapids. My nymphs included hares ear, pheasant tail, zug bug and teeny. Have yet to try chironomids (but in mid summer river is loaded with them) or boatman (in fall river is loaded with them). We also get a big Hexagenia hatch in late summer and early fall that might be worth a try if you like topwater fishing. I have seen many walleye sipping the hexes, but have not found a pattern that I can tie for them yet.

Hope that helps,

Mike

[Deleted]

Nov 17, 2009 23:48:15 GMT -6 @mikey said:

My nymphs included hares ear, pheasant tail, zug bug and teeny. Have yet to try chironomids (but in mid summer river is loaded with them) or boatman (in fall river is loaded with them). We also get a big Hexagenia hatch in late summer and early fall that might be worth a try if you like topwater fishing. I have seen many walleye sipping the hexes, but have not found a pattern that I can tie for them yet.

Thanks Mike.

Sounds like great water (I'm drooling at the thought of a big hex hatch). I have a big emerger/cripple mayfly pattern that's not too difficult to tie. I use it for Brown and Western Green Drakes, but I bet it could be adapted for hex--although you might need to move to a slightly larger light wire hook.



Aaron