Milk Fish

[Darian]

Jay,.... Didja see the photo's of the milk Fish caught by Kit over on Blanton's BB :?: :?: The tail on those things is big in proportion to the body. That's gotta be one of the speediest fish in the ocean.... :D I'm gettin' anxious to get down there.... :nod:

[john]

Darian/Jay: Is there a pattern that gives you at least a prayer on them. I remember last year, watching hopelessly as a herd went by, dimpling the surface, casting like a fool/newbie. All the while Jonni is just shaking his head.

[SHigSpeed]

It's called the "Milky Dream" (sounds like a Mikuni sushi roll) and it's tied to supposedly look like drifting algae.

Here's a pic: http://www.completeflyfisherman.co.za/FlyDesk/Saltwater/ArnoMilkyDream.html

You may also want to listen to this podcast: http://www.theflyfisher.co.za/theflyfisher.co.za/podcasts/1-podcasts/14-arno-matthee-delivers-milk

Jealous if you're going!

_SHig

[john]

not leaving 'til friday.....

[Darian]

John,.... Aside from Arno's Milky Dream, I'm working on a couple of my own patterns. One involves using a very light green (almost chartreuse) crystal egg with chartreuse poly yarn as a veil/tail. Total length about 1" and tied on a size 6 hook. It looks kinda like something near a steelhead fly. :cool:

It might be a good idea to tie some patterns using different colors than Chartreuse. I'm thinking that algae comes in a variety of colors. Maybe they're nibbling on Sargasso.... So, maybe brownish yellow/orange :question: :question:

Another I'm going to work on is a chartreuse version of a Crazy Charlie with some veiling. No weights. In my semi-informed opinion, this fly has to be suspended and DRIFTED on an intermediate line. :|

Not sure how the guy (Kit) who reports catching them on Blanton's website retrieves.... He fishes in the Persian Gulf area and according to his prior posts, he uses some un-described bait fish/shrimp patterns. :confused:

Planned on fishing them last June but there was so much action around we didn't try. Planned to try again in October but there weren't any around to try for.... The panguero's don't even try for them down in Baja. :confused:

[Jay Murakoshi]

Darian,

Showed the Captain my milkfish fly and he looked at it and smiled. Bueno. Chartreuse in color and real algae looking. Tied on a Gamakatsu live bait hook 1/0 black. No silver hook this year.

See the report for todays catch.

Jay

[john]

yeah, unweighted bonefish fly is the first thing that came to mind when i saw that milky dream. geez i'd feel silly with a couple of steelhead eggs in the box. (you reading this Phil?) I think I'll just color-up a couple and throw 'em in. I need to do better on what's there, b4 I wander off into the world of "hard to catch".

[mems]

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/HPIM0133.jpg
You can't really cast to them or move the fly. Best bet is to see what they are feeding on and get a floating fly in with the seaweed. The other thing they eat, that no one thinks of is fish eggs. If you could make small fly with floating fish eggs they will eat that. No shinny hooks, they have incredible eye sight. Soft mouth, no teeth and only one gill, really very old species of fish, but what a fight. Good Luck, Mems.

[Jgoding]

I recall them being ideal for aquaculture in Asia as well because of their diet etc...

[SHigSpeed]

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/HPIM0133.jpg
You can't really cast to them or move the fly. Best bet is to see what they are feeding on and get a floating fly in with the seaweed. The other thing they eat, that no one thinks of is fish eggs. If you could make small fly with floating fish eggs they will eat that. No shinny hooks, they have incredible eye sight. Soft mouth, no teeth and only one gill, really very old species of fish, but what a fight. Good Luck, Mems.

One gill!? You mean there's no flap on the right side of their head?

Odd...

_SHig

[Darian]

I think Mems is describing the gills under the gill plate. Most fish I've seen have tow or more of these gills. Apparently Milk Fish have only one.... :neutral: They sure are a good looking fish.... :D :D

[mems]

Awa, milkfish have one continous gill, no break in the neck. It is really weird. I don't know of any other fish like it. They do raise them for aqua culture, but the meat is pretty nasty. Of course I don't really like mullet either, unless it is smoked mullet dip. They are easy to raise in ponds, because they eat the algae. We have some ponds here where they will eat bread, I just wish they would let me take people there to fish for them. Good luck Jay, I hope you get one on the fly, Mems.

[mems]

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/HPIM0138.jpg
Here is a close up. the gill goes all around the fish. Notice the mouth, sorry I don't have it open, totally smooth. Check out the eyes, if they see a hook, no dice. Mems.

[Darian]

Aloha Don,.... What size are the fish eggs that you mentioned :?: What size hook do you recommend for them :?: Milk Fish must be very powerful considering the size of the tail in proportion to the body. :cool:

So, the Gill plate is continuous around the lower body.... I've never seen that before. :confused:

[mems]

Hey Darian, I got that one on a crazy charlie. They come by and suck up algae off the bottom, and he took my fly by mistake. I did make one on a small popper hook, long shank with cork for floatation. I put green chenile and green rabit fur on for undulation. I cast it into a floating patch of algae, and a big one swallowed it and broke the line on a jump. I would think you could use some orange roe and a small octopus hook and have good results if they are feeding with no visible algae around. They suck up the fish eggs suspended on the surface. That is why they like current lines. The mouth is soft, so you need a hook that will bury into the jaw. You could put a bunch of small hooks in a pattern of eggs. You just can't move the fly, you have to wait and be very lucky. Sorry I don't have a fly to show you, I haven't been chasing them lately. I got a 4lb bonefish yesterday, that has been my main inshore target of late. We are scheduled to go off shore on friday and have heard tales of 50lb ahi, so it might be fun. Good luck with the awa, they will drive you nuts. Don.

[Tony Buzolich]

Even though we all know milkfish eat algae, I have to throw this little bit of trivia out there just for fun.
Last year when I took my group down to Isla Cerralvo we had been fishing for skippies and yellowfin with normal sardina baitfish type patterns using standard 2/0 and 3/0 type hooks in standard baitfish type colors of white, pearl, blue, etc.

Patrick Richards got another hook-upwhile dredging the deep and brought up the first ever milkfish taken there.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/BajaJuly200957upload.jpg