UNCONVENTIONAL BUT WHO CARES
It was the winter of 2009, in my second semester of university. I was tucked away in a dark corner of the campus basement, when the urge was starting to resurface. Again, I caught myself flipping through tabs on the internet of all the local fishing forums. And then I came across it, an idea so far-fetched I was destined to fall for it. The thread was titled ‘Fly fishing the Red River.’ Scrolling through the photos of drooping bellied channel catfish was enough to convince me, “I need that!” The better part of me spoke up, “Snap out of it. This computer science assignment is due in 5 minutes!”
SUMMERTIME AND THE LIVING IS EASY
On a warm June afternoon, I was in Kildonan Park relaxing with my at-the-time girlfriend and we bumped into a friend. The conversation quickly transitioned into talking about fishing. He had mentioned something about catching catfish on jigs and twister tails. I always thought that catfishing was a game of bait and wait. But, if artificial lures work, why wouldn’t fly fishing? Once I got home, I rushed to tie up a fly. A bead head to sink the fly, some green hackle, chenille and chartreuse yarn for a Mr. Twister tail resemblance.
It was probably the ugliest looking woolly bugger ever tied, but I had confidence in it. That evening I made it my mission to catch my first cat on a fly I tied myself.
LOCKPORT HERE I COME!
I walked briskly along the east shore down to the spillway mouth. To my surprise a fellow with a fly rod was positioned on a rocky island mid-channel.
I figured I better go strike up a conversation, but he introduced himself, “Hi, I’m Stephen Jay. Take my spot, I am leaving.” “You don’t have to do that,” I insisted. “Yes. Please. I am fished out. Cast across this pool, aim for the next island and slowly hop your fly along the bottom. You’ll get a cat tonight!”
And he was off. Wow, like a money back guarantee. Free catfish for the rookie. Friendly guy, I can’t believe it just handed me his spot! In no time I hooked up with a few scrappy drum.
NOT THAT EASY
Time passed and this idea of catching a catfish was about to fade. The sun started to dip closer to the tree line and it happened. I felt a small tug at first. I stripped down on the fly line and the rod started to load up. Whoa! This is the heaviest fish I ever had on my line. I was a little nervous about it. Minutes dragged on and the fish was still stubbornly glued to the bottom of the pool. Another angler came to look.
HELP IS ON THE WAY
“Hey, do you need help landing this fish?” I replied, “Yeah. If you don’t mind waiting. I think I forgot to change my leader. I’ve only got six-pound line on right now. I’m going to play this fish out.” With my rod tip pointed up high, I slowly made-up ground. The fish was tiring out, so I walked back to pull the fish ashore and the onlooker grabbed the cat’s tail. I stood over the fish, never had I seen such a large head! I popped my fly out and quickly measured this massive creature. It taped out at 35 inches. Ummm… what have I been doing with my life. This fishery is 20 minutes from home. I’m coming back tomorrow!
USE THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT
Looking back now, I am bit embarrassed to share this memory, but we all make mistakes when we first start out. I learned quickly that six-pound line is not right for a cat fight. But, that is the great part of fishing, we can share our experiences, pass along knowledge and learn from it. Fly fishing might be a more active approach compared to bait fishing, but many of the same tactics crossover.
GEAR UP
It is important, use appropriate rods and line. 8 to 10 weight fly rods are most effective for fighting the biggest cats. For fly lines, I made do with a floating line for the first 2 seasons, but a sink tip line is most effective in delivering your fly quickly into the strike zone. For leader, you can simply tie your own. You can taper down your leader or run a 6 foot to 10 foot section of straight fluorocarbon in the range of 10lb – 20lbs.
LOCATION
Lockport is a unique spot along the Red River. The dam was built on a set of rapids. So, there is a good base of rock and gravel bottom making wading possible. Most of the Red River has thick clay bottom that will suck you down past the boot. The extensive shallows and flats make fly fishing much more effective than most of the deeper stretches of the Red River. And the dam, of course, is a barrier to some fish movement, so it is a great area to concentrate fish. The spillway to the north is a similar situation. Don’t stand in one spot too long. The fish might be concentrated. Remember someone may have been fishing in your water before you. Make some moves and find the fish.
TIMING
Spring is the most popular time to get out there, as the river fills up with all species of fish like drum, carp, cats, goldeye and so on. The main channel under St. Andrew’s Dam may not be wadeable some springs when there are high flood waters. If this is the case, most fly fishers will head downstream to the spillway. Mid-summer can be difficult with a fly rod, fish the peak hours at dark for cats. For whatever reason, many fly fishers forget about the Red in the fall. This is the best time of the year to catch the heaviest catfish. They will push back up into the shallows under the locks and by this time water levels are usually stable.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
You don’t need to be an experienced caster to catch a fish. Often there will be fish within a couple rod lengths away. It is perfect for beginning fly fishers to gain confidence with a fly rod and put fish on the end of the line. If you can hone your cast, that additional 10 to 20 feet from a well-executed double haul will make other fly fishers turn heads when all the fish end up on your line. Get into the water when it is safe to do so, the rocks on shore will shred the coating off your fly line if you get tangled.
FISH WITH CONFIDENCE
Don’t be afraid to lose a fish, more will come. Fly rods can be effective tools to fight a cat, when used properly. Plant the butt of your rod down into your hip, and when the fish starts to give way, bend your rod with plenty of side pressure. There is no reason to let a fight last longer than 10 minutes. Don’t give a cat much line, if they take you out into the deep strong currents your chance of landing that stubborn fish drops. A cat in shallow water is a much better fight and easier to win with a fly rod. Some days the fish might be so stacked that your hook might snag fish on the side or back. Learn the difference in feeling between a mouth hooked fish and one that’s foul hooked. Don’t let a foul hooked fish waste your time or energy. Do your best to get that hook out by pointing your rod down to the fish and stripping down hard several times.
LANDING FISH
I have lost track of how many rods I have broken and have seen broken. Beaching fish or grabbing them yourself is a disaster waiting to happen. Cats are powerful, and if a fish is still fresh it will make a last second surge when it is close to your feet. This is when your fly rod will break. Head to shallower water and get a friend to grab the fish, or better yet, bring a net! It’s one more piece of gear to haul around, but it’s better for your gear and respects the fish.
Have fun. Fish with friends and make new ones!