Walleye on the fly

Daceminnow · #1 04-05-2011, 08:07 PM

one of this years open water goals for myself is to fish for a few non-traditional fly fished species. with walleye being one of my favorites and they fact i've never tossed fur or feathers at one, i plan to start with them first. i figure leech patterns, minnow imitations, maybe even the dreaded SJ. what about dry stuff? will i ever find walleye high enough anywhere looking up? possibly in the NSR or SSR. anyone ever done it?

Dace

Doc · #2 04-05-2011, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daceminnow

one of this years open water goals for myself is to fish for a few non-traditional fly fished species. with walleye being one of my favorites and they fact i've never tossed fur or feathers at one, i plan to start with them first. i figure leech patterns, minnow imitations, maybe even the dreaded SJ. what about dry stuff? will i ever find walleye high enough anywhere looking up? possibly in the NSR or SSR. anyone ever done it?

Dace

I've flied for eyes a few times now. When Phil and I were out at Lac St.Anne, had more than a few guys start asking us about how we were catching them on flies as we were out fishing them. Trick is to watch your line as you're retrieving looking for subtle takes, sometimes just the fly line straightens but you don't feel anything. other times we just had a hunch. Either way, set the hook. Large wooly buggers and Popsicle leeches work well stripped up a drop off.

chubbdarter · #3 04-05-2011, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daceminnow

one of this years open water goals for myself is to fish for a few non-traditional fly fished species. with walleye being one of my favorites and they fact i've never tossed fur or feathers at one, i plan to start with them first. i figure leech patterns, minnow imitations, maybe even the dreaded SJ. what about dry stuff? will i ever find walleye high enough anywhere looking up? possibly in the NSR or SSR. anyone ever done it?

Dace

when the cicadas hatch the walleyes in the mouth of beaver creek on the columbia surface rise to eat the ones that hit the water

npauls · #4 04-05-2011, 08:24 PM

Hey Dace,

I will meet you at pcr and we can chuck some sink tip lines with buggers at them. It is a good place to start when trying to read the way they take a fly. After that we could try a typical walleye lake like macgregor or travers and see how we do out there. It is also one of my goals this open water season.

Dust1n · #5 04-05-2011, 08:27 PM

sylvan lake and pigeon are best for walleye and i like using a 6wt 9 fot for agood hookset and using a pink zonker. with a red glass bead. on sink tip

Daceminnow · #6 04-05-2011, 09:14 PM

thanks for the input guys. doc i spent a lot of time on st.anne. that lake has some good rock. nate, will have to get practiced up and have chubb take us to the columbia. may need a lesson or two from FH7 in front of the waterslides first!

chubbdarter · #7 04-05-2011, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daceminnow

thanks for the input guys. doc i spent a lot of time on st.anne. that lake has some good rock. nate, will have to get practiced up and have chubb take us to the columbia. may need a lesson or two from FH7 in front of the waterslides first!

with you 2 in my boat...i'll just stick the flies in the back of my head at the ramp to temper the pain factor

npauls · #8 04-05-2011, 09:26 PM

Hahahaha Darter, I have never hit anyone except myself with a fly yet. There is always a first time though. I wonder if they will let you take a fly rod down the slides to get at those fish hanging around the bottom.

Daceminnow · #9 04-05-2011, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chubbdarter

with you 2 in my boat...i'll just stick the flies in the back of my head at the ramp to temper the pain factor

i caught one of my little girls about 6 yrs. ago right under the chin. she took it a lot better than i did. don't stand behind me.

chubbdarter · #10 04-05-2011, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daceminnow

i caught one of my little girls about 6 yrs. ago right under the chin. she took it a lot better than i did. don't stand behind me.

ya i'll wear my tella tubby suit and Dace - Vader helmet

BobLoblaw · #11 04-05-2011, 09:55 PM

At PCR, when the 'eyes are on the feed- they'll eat any streamer.
Sometimes the takes are subtle, especially if they are hitting on the pause between strips. On a day when they didn't seem to want to chase down a stripped fly, I fished a little green jig under an indicator...

...couldn't keep 'em off the hook; they loved it!

Daceminnow · #12 04-05-2011, 10:05 PM

[QUOTE=BobLoblaw;895563]At PCR, when the 'eyes are on the feed- they'll eat any streamer.
Sometimes the takes are subtle, especially if they are hitting on the pause between strips. On a day when they didn't seem to want to chase down a stripped fly, I fished a little green jig under an indicator...

what color and streamer patterns do you use? i'm not real big on fly fishing with a bobber, but i think a weighted black leech pattern would work really well under one. especially with a little chop.

BobLoblaw · #13 04-05-2011, 11:05 PM

[QUOTE=Daceminnow;895590]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobLoblaw

At PCR, when the 'eyes are on the feed- they'll eat any streamer.
Sometimes the takes are subtle, especially if they are hitting on the pause between strips. On a day when they didn't seem to want to chase down a stripped fly, I fished a little green jig under an indicator...

what color and streamer patterns do you use? i'm not real big on fly fishing with a bobber, but i think a weighted black leech pattern would work really well under one. especially with a little chop.

Y'know, if you refer to it as an "indicator" instead of a "bobber", it doesn't seem so bad...

On that day, my buddy stuck to his streamer for a while after I switched to the jig/indicator set-up; after my 10th fish (to his 1), he joined in the fun.

When those 'eyes are hitting streamers, they ain't fussy. Clousers work really well in a variety of color combos; got 'em on lots of other streamers, as well...

Even got one on a scud pattern...

Lotsa fun!

Kingfisher · #14 04-05-2011, 11:14 PM

I have also had good luck fly fishing for walleye with clousers. I tried many colors and found black and white to be the best combination.

Rob

Daceminnow · #15 04-05-2011, 11:19 PM

[QUOTE=BobLoblaw;895723]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daceminnow

Y'know, if you refer to it as an "indicator" instead of a "bobber", it doesn't seem so bad...

On that day, my buddy stuck to his streamer for a while after I switched to the jig/indicator set-up; after my 10th fish (to his 1), he joined in the fun.

When those 'eyes are hitting streamers, they ain't fussy. Clousers work really well in a variety of color combos; got 'em on lots of other streamers, as well...

Lotsa fun!

cool bob. those are great pics. gonna give it a go for sure. PCR is less than an hour from the house. i purposely refer to indys as bobbers all the time. thanks again.

Dace

Gust · #16 04-05-2011, 11:21 PM

A bit off topic but Bob? You need to seriously consider becoming an outdoorsmen photographer, always stunning photographs.

dave99 · #17 04-06-2011, 07:36 AM

I just got into fly-fishing for walleye last spring at Lac Ste Anne. Caught them on Clouser's Minnows retrieved slowly. Super fun action, with the odd big pike thrown in to keep things interesting!

nicemustang · #18 04-06-2011, 08:58 AM

Using minnow immitations also works in the 12-14 foot mid lake humps at pigeon as well, although I still outfished my buddy 5-1 with a jig and minnow. Although...he isn't the best fly fisherman LOL.

But x2 to PCR. All summer long is easy pickens. Should be able to get that boy into some as well.

Pudelpointer · #19 04-06-2011, 09:34 AM

Only picked them up in rivers so far.

greylynx · #20 04-06-2011, 10:47 AM

Lesser Slave caddis hatches when the water is calm.

Like Doc said the take is a straightening of the line.

This is a skill I will have to work more on.

Stuarty · #21 04-06-2011, 12:37 PM

Thanks for this thread guys, I am desperate to do some fluff chucking for walleye this season as I have been mostly targeting pike up till now. Nothing to add otherwise, just reading and learning.

Daceminnow · #22 04-06-2011, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greylynx

Lesser Slave caddis hatches when the water is calm.

Like Doc said the take is a straightening of the line.

This is a skill I will have to work more on.

so you've caught them rising to caddis @ slave lynx? up off shallow weed beds? would you not be able to see the fish taking the drys, or are they real subtle sippers? taking them off the top would be the ultimate. thanks.

Dace

greylynx · #23 04-06-2011, 06:04 PM

I use a perch imitation for walleye during calm hot days on Lesser Slave.

The perch schools go nuts in the caddis hatches, and the perch schools seem to head into shore where the major caddis hatches occur.

Well, guess who else heads in close to shore to feed on some perch?

The take between a pike and a Walleye is quite different.

goldscud · #24 04-06-2011, 08:32 PM

Do they fight like a wet sock on the fly rod as well?

Dust1n · #25 04-06-2011, 08:34 PM

kinda they dont run and if thy doits like 2-4 feet and i usaly use a 4/ or 5wt fly rod and its not fight i know others are going to disagree.
flies: a bead on a hook
wooly bugger,
leech,
Pink ZONKER!

greylynx · #26 04-06-2011, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldscud

Do they fight like a wet sock on the fly rod as well?

A walleye is a walleye, What can a guy say. Be careful of your rod tip though.

That sudden burst to twelve feet might have you mailing your rod back to Sage on Monday morning.

Also:

That subtle touch at the end of your perch imitation may also be Festus the Sabre Tooth Salmon, and that is when you look out for your rod tip.

To this very day you will be looked at like some sort of a crazy person when you go fly fishing for pike and walleye on Lesser Slave. Old habits die hard.

Dust1n · #27 04-06-2011, 09:13 PM

Tons of walleye like this one the fly. and all about this size aswell.
you can outfifh people using bait by using leech imatations

Muskeg · #28 04-07-2011, 08:36 PM

Check my link.. I haven't updated my site in awhile but its something to look at until you get out to fish. I have a preference for surface fishing walleye in the evening after 9pm in rivers mainly and find clousers near the bottom to be most effective.. really can't wait to get out again and get that sight updated.
Nice pics guys!

Daceminnow · #29 04-07-2011, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muskeg

Check my link.. I haven't updated my site in awhile but its something to look at until you get out to fish. I have a preference for surface fishing walleye in the evening after 9pm in rivers mainly and find clousers near the bottom to be most effective.. really can't wait to get out again and get that sight updated.
Nice pics guys!

cool skeg. the mighty peace, beautiful country. what were those fish surfacing for? i seen you mentioned modifying one of you patterns to imitate a stonefly. what you were using looked nothing like the stones i've ever thrown.

Dace

Muskeg · #30 04-07-2011, 09:55 PM

For Stones I never really used any particular pattern, I've always had a bad habit of improvising with materials and creating my own, so long as it resembles what they're feeding on. Humpties are very effective as well.
I've seen them rise for mayflies also but usually stick with a little larger wake making fly, I use foam a fair bit to create little gurglers, frogs.
In the video I used the Popovich Hollow Fleye style in chartreuse and black and fish the bottom until it got near and would slide it across the surface. as you can see in the vid on my blog the Walleye are surfacing like mad and are often mistaken as goldeye or chub.
When I come to the city this summer we'll have to hook up on the NSR for some top water action and a beer.