In pursuit of the Channel cat on a fly

[gene goss]

When the temp. hit 101...I told my wife that we need to go cool off at Folsom Lake for a couple of days. We loaded up the sailboat, tied on the kayaks, and stuffed the floatube into the boat. The first day i pick a small cove next to a flat....when the sun went down i blew the tube up and started fishing....after 45 mins of fishing (no grabs) the wind change direction, and was blowing about 15 mph....the wind and waves pushed the back of the boat very close to the rocks and shallow water....so i got back on the sailboat, and had to do a anchor watch all night. The next day i decided to look for a safer place to anchor the sailboat....we took the kayaks looking for a new place to fish, and anchor the boat....with the sailboat anchor in a new cove, and sun going down i started fish again....after 2hrs of tubing, i had zippppp to show for it. (no grabs)....got back on the sailboat....got the chickin liver out and my spinning rod....with in a hour i had a 7lbs channel cat on the stringer...hmmmm...there was someone home...took a nap while the wind was doing some strange things...at 2am i through out another glob of chickin liver and hooked 8lbs channel cat, and called it a night....So how can i get these channel cat to grab my fly ????????
I found this web. site on fly fishing for channel cat
http://www.fishexplorer.com/articles...ion=det&aid=32
My wife sailing the boat



beach art

[Hairstacker]

Hey Gene, nice report! Enjoyed the pictures. Smart thinking teaching your wife how to pilot a boat . . . wonder if I can teach my wife to "man" a trolling motor?

If you are really interested in targeting catfish on the fly, I would highly recommend you join the board (aka forum) at www.warmfly.com. This is a warmwater board -- just do a search on the word "catfish" and read through the threads that come up. You'll get some great advice and see some great fly patterns, as there are a few very accomplished catfish fly fishermen on that board.

Anyway, good luck! Hope you get a really nice one like the one you pictured above.

[wjorg]

Got one on an elk hair caddis once, by accident, at Lake Del Valle, the old inlet.

I think it was on the first Elk Hair Caddis I ever tied...

And BTW, why isnt Kienes board good enough for ya'll?

[john]

I don't know west coast channels. In the upper missippissi drainage, channel cats that size are silver/blue/grey and damn good eats. Throwing livers, or any other dead baits, will get you mudcats. Channels up here are live bait minnow eaters--read clousers.

[gene goss]

I don't know west coast channels. In the upper missippissi drainage, channel cats that size are silver/blue/grey and damn good eats. Throwing livers, or any other dead baits, will get you mudcats. Channels up here are live bait minnow eaters--read clousers.

Hey John.....Fresh chickin or beef liver the kind you eat with onions.....no stink bait....its the fresh blood scent that attracts them.

[Hairstacker]

And BTW, why isnt Kienes board good enough for ya'll?

It is but do a search on this board to come up with fly fishing-dedicated threads on catfish and see what you come up with.

[Tracy Chimenti]

I went to Shasta on a house boat adventure over 10-years ago. Big channels are a given at dusk on the lake. I caught a half-dozen or so at night flipping gitzits and pig 'n jigs into steep rocky areas. Most cats would bite the jig in a 2- to 4-feet of water.

I think that a nice, slower-falling crayfish imitation on a floating line would do wonders up here. The cats really battle and run 2- to 6-pounds.

Tracy

[Gulicemo]

I think you just have to get lucky... this guy ate a 2/0 whistler.

I've been lead to believe that in smaller waters, where the fish are more concentrated, a dark colored, deep offering can do the trick.

[john]

Hey Gene, appreciate that. Most people menus around here, have liver 'n onions on them. All I'm sayin' is flatheads eat dead stuff, Channel cats eat live stuff, at least 'round here.

[gene goss]

Hey Gene, appreciate that. Most people menus around here, have liver 'n onions on them. All I'm sayin' is flatheads eat dead stuff, Channel cats eat live stuff, at least 'round here.

Your right John.....Channel cats are built to chase down there food (small head)....the channel cats that i caught were well feed....I think if i could put a fly in front of a channel cat....they would grab it....Finding them is the hard part...at dark they move up in the shallow flats and bays....but you can't see them....so how do you fish for a fish you can't see????