I love fishing for course fish,and have done so for many years. A couple of years ago a friend introduced me to fly fishing, which I said I would never do, I had a go and I have to say it is realy good! I miss my course fish though, and want to fly fish my local river. I have caught a pike on the fly, but I would like to catch other fish like perch, roach, barbel and bream. I know chub can be caught on the fly but they are very few. Which rod rating, flies, lines and techniques would be best, would I need a bite indicator? I enjoy using a fly rod, but am I wasting my time?
Fly fishing for coarse fish
- Thread starter Paul T
- Start date
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Grant Lever
Guest
in a word .yes.
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)
Guest
They are called Coarse fish by the way Paul.
You have opened up a can of worms with questions like this.
Buy a book on the basics of fly fishing.
You have opened up a can of worms with questions like this.
Buy a book on the basics of fly fishing.
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)
Guest
Grant, could you please set out in detail why Paul is wasting his time?
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nick hodgkinson
Guest
perch are very easy on lures - anything that represents fry - eg Jersey Herd/Baby Doll will catch
dace will take nymphs freely - also drys in warmer weather
barbel - not a clue!!
bream - chomper or a white fly/lure that looks like bread - ditto carp - best 'on the drop'!
roach/rudd will take buzzers or nymph patterns
i once had an eel of a small blue charm on the floating line whilst salmon fishing on the Tay
mind you have also caught several eels on a Toby when salmon spinning!!!
dace will take nymphs freely - also drys in warmer weather
barbel - not a clue!!
bream - chomper or a white fly/lure that looks like bread - ditto carp - best 'on the drop'!
roach/rudd will take buzzers or nymph patterns
i once had an eel of a small blue charm on the floating line whilst salmon fishing on the Tay
mind you have also caught several eels on a Toby when salmon spinning!!!
Emmo (Angling Trust)
Well-known member
I used to work with a chap that fly fished for trout in a lake and was always catching really nice roach, some over a pound!
Not sure about the others you mention but certainly roach will take a fly, don't know what patterns best as I am not a fly fisher.............yet.
Not sure about the others you mention but certainly roach will take a fly, don't know what patterns best as I am not a fly fisher.............yet.
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nick hodgkinson
Guest
Ron - talking of obscure patterns you must remember ****'s Fagendus Vulgaris!!
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Grant Lever
Guest
Basically there are easier ways to catch coarse fish,i have done a bit of fly fishing for chub and dace and very pleasant it was too on a nice summer day on the Trent years ago.i fished a bit with dave smalley who was the adopted son of the trent otter.and he ( t.o.)was very keen on fly fishing for chub.by all means give it a go,after all fishing is for enjoyment.
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)
Guest
Yes Nick, and his Pelletus vulgaris.
And that is fishing exactly, for enjoyment.
Get a copy of "Mr. Crabtree Goes Fishing" the basics of coarse angling with a fly rod are explained very well.
And that is fishing exactly, for enjoyment.
Get a copy of "Mr. Crabtree Goes Fishing" the basics of coarse angling with a fly rod are explained very well.
Oh dear I have opened a can of worms haven't I? I have fly fished for trout before but the waters round here are few and far between and it is getting expensive. I love to fish running water, roving the banks with a spinning rod, many fish can be caught this way on roving tactics. Coarse fish must live on natural food supplies so why is it so hard to catch them on the fly? I don't know. A lot of satisfaction can be gained using a fly rod, from the skill of the cast to the working of the fly and the best thing is hardly any gear is needed enabling you to walk miles. This was a really hard question and thanks to everyone who replied. The quest goes on!
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Sean Meeghan
Guest
Most coarse fish will take a fly. Remember that their natural diet is much the same as the trout's. Perch love buzzers drifted round on the breeze. I can remember Dave Tipping catching a 2lb plus roach on a dour day at Grafham when he'd given up and was fishing a black booby.
I'd suggest the best bet id to fish a size 14 or 16 superglue buzzer or Diawl Bach on a bung or just drifted round on a floating line. Keep your rod tip about 6 inches ablove the surface and watch the bow of line between the tip and the water. If it twitches or straightens strike - just imagine you're swing tipping.
I'd suggest the best bet id to fish a size 14 or 16 superglue buzzer or Diawl Bach on a bung or just drifted round on a floating line. Keep your rod tip about 6 inches ablove the surface and watch the bow of line between the tip and the water. If it twitches or straightens strike - just imagine you're swing tipping.
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Sean Meeghan
Guest
Dunno. Try a 5/6 or a 6/7. I've got a 9ft 6/7 which seems to be about the most versatile rod I've got.
Peter Bishop
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I once caught a sheep in the field behind me on a fly, and had to chase it in my wellies to get the hook out out of its wool. That was par for the course for me.
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)
Guest
Chasing a sheep in your Wellies.
You're not Welsh are you?
You're not Welsh are you?
Peter Bishop
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Most definately not. I'm with Anne Robinson on that front!
Worst thing was trying to explain to a couple watching from a bridge what I was doing.
Worst thing was trying to explain to a couple watching from a bridge what I was doing.
Emmo (Angling Trust)
Well-known member
"Worst thing was trying to explain to a couple watching from a bridge what I was doing."
Why bother they probably didn't believe you anyway!
Why bother they probably didn't believe you anyway!
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Sean Meeghan
Guest
A 6/7 is pushing it with certain fry patterns - you might have to learn the dog nobbler duck. Its fine for gold heads and leaded nymphs though, at least in the generally used river sizes.