redhorse

[Troutman]

Yes, it's true, I'll fly fish for anything! The redhorse are spawning on the shoals and will readily take a fly right now. These were caught yesterday swinging a flashback seducer, (a fly I tied at Troutfest), The males are bar striped with engorged red fins and white knots on their snout, I guess that must be very attractive to the females. The larger females seem to fight better and they take on a nice golden color. They are a blast on a light fly rod, just watch your knuckles, cause they will make some reel screaming runs.




an average female with eggs coming out.


males will swipe at the fly and sometimes get foul hooked.

[waterwolf]

Wow, you are the only person other then me and a buddy of mine that I have ever heard of catching those things on flies. IT is awesome, they jumped if I remembered correctly, glad you found them and it is not normal for the redhorse to eat the fly as you know.

[ttas67]

Gary, I caught several of them last weekend on a fly you suggested. There was a window of about an hour where I was getting a strike on nearly every swing, then they got tight lipped after that (maybe because I stuck all the one's willing to strike?) They are a lot of fun, especially in heavy current. being more slender, they almost look like big browns underwater. what's really exciting is seeing these things jump up out of the water

[Troutman]

Originally Posted by waterwolf

Wow, you are the only person other then me and a buddy of mine that I have ever heard of catching those things on flies. IT is awesome, they jumped if I remembered correctly, glad you found them and it is not normal for the redhorse to eat the fly as you know.

Yeah, this is the only time of year that they seem to take a fly. I've tried drifting small nymphs, dragonflies , scuds...etc through pods of them in the rivers, but they are tightlipped to say the least.

They are good practice for fighting big fish in current.
Remembering how to angle the rod, make the fish work against you and use the butt section to pressure a fish seems to go out the window sometimes when you have a good smallmouth or brown trout on the line. I've lost so many good fish by getting over confident with the hookset and not playing the fish properly.