walleye fly fishing.

[rockriver]

What weight do you recommend for walleye useing a single handed rod? What type of line, floating, sink tip, or what? I appriciate any info you can give.

[Diver Dan]

Originally Posted by rockriver

What weight do you recommend for walleye useing a single handed rod? What type of line, floating, sink tip, or what? I appriciate any info you can give.

Sorry I missed your post for a few days. A six weight is fine in most cases. You are aware I'm sure, you can cast heavier flies better on a heavier rod, plus you can cast farther. There are situations where a 10wt. would not be out of line. I tend not to look at rods as a 'this fish = this weight rod' idea. I look at it as I need to deliver a specific fly a certain distance and that's how I decide what to use. The waters, the prevailing location of the fish at the time, all play a role in what rod you should use. So when I say a six weight rod will be fine in most cases, that's probably a fair statement, but don't go out a buy a six weight based on that. If you were going to go out and buy just one rod to fish Walleye, an eight weight might be better for the days where you need the bigger flies and longer casts. Let me ask you a quick question or three. What rods do you have now? Where are you planning to fish? Do you tie flies?

As for the line, again this is a thing that changes. Most of the time when I used a single hand rod for them I used an intermediate line. Now that I'm using a Spey Rod, I use a floating line virtually all the time. I have however, when I needed to get deeper, gone to a longer leader. Early this last summer I was casting a 20' leader. Before you freak out on that one, I never use less than a 15' leader anyway, so it's not that much of an adjustment. You would have a lot of trouble casting a leader that long on a single hand rod but the longer leader thing may still help you one of these days.

I want to toss a couple things into this real quick. I do fish with regular gear, on what may be one of the best Walleye lakes on Earth. I am good at it, but since I started going after them with fly rods, I have changed my mind about alot of what Walleye do. Especially big Walleye. My Canadian friend that I fish with and I have in three years only managed to get about a half dozen Walleye under the 19 1/2" slot we have here. When I say about, it's because Bill got one that was right about the 19 1/2" and we let it go without slapping a tape on it. Between the two of us this Fall never got a Walleye smaller than 24 1/2". I seriously don't think there is a better way to get big Walleye than fly fishing. Bill by the way, fishes with a single hand rod. You don't need to flinging flies into the next county with a 15' Spey Rod most of the time. I do think you have an advantage with a Spey Rod though. Late this last Fall was one of those times where it was an advantage. Bill is a world class distance caster, but you can cast farther with a big Spey Rod. Most of the fish were way way out. Someday I will make him start using a Spey Rod. By the way, I'm building a 17' 11wt. Spey Rod, and I wish I had it last Fall. I would have caught more fish, but keep in mind this is big water here. Your mileage may vary.

By the way it would help me a lot if I could google Earth the waters you plan to fish. That would give me some basis for advice.

[rockriver]

I have a 4, 6, and 8 weight, 9 ft. Z-Axis and a Fenwick 7 ft. 5 wt, so I'm set there. As for lakes, there are just too many to fish them all seriously. I'm looking at a 4 county area with hundreds of known walleye lakes. I'll get it down to a handful and send you the info by p.m. Thanks for the help.

[Diver Dan]

Originally Posted by rockriver

I'll get it down to a handful and send you the info by p.m. Thanks for the help.

That would be great and you are welcome. When you send the PM include your phone number and time that would be good to call. I'll shoot mine back. I'd like to see you get into Walleye. It's fun, it's not a common target species with a fly rod, and it's fun. I know I mentioned fun twice, because it's fun.

[rockriver]

[QUOTE=Diver Dan;408981] Do you tie flies?

So far no I don't. I got a nice vice for Christmas; but, I haven't picked up any tools or materials yet. Soon .

[gfig19]

Hello Diver Dan,

I'm a fly fisherman from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I keep hearing our local rivers have walleye. But most of the fishermen use a traditional rod with bait and so on....my question is....do you have any tips for southeastern PA. I mostly fish for trout pretty much all year long and do well enough. I also catch small mouth bass and among other types of warm water fish. But this walleye has really caught my attention and I'd like to try and get me one via fly fishing. I would greatly appreciate any help on this matter, Good day to your sir.

gfig

[theboz]

Dan will be able to give you alot of good info on fly fishing for walleye.I can give you a little Pa info. I fish the Susquehanna and Delaware rivers as well as Lake Wallenpaupak . I've found that the same shoreline spots that I consistently catch SMs during the day are the best spots at dusk and nighttime for Walleye. Clousers and crayfish patterns are my go to flies but occasionally during evening mayfly hatches I get them on drys. Sometimes during the summer the Walleyes hit within a few feet of shore in the rivers.
Hope this helps and like I said I'm sure Dan can fill in any other info you need.

[Diver Dan]

Originally Posted by gfig19

Hello Diver Dan,

I'm a fly fisherman from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I keep hearing our local rivers have walleye. But most of the fishermen use a traditional rod with bait and so on....my question is....do you have any tips for southeastern PA. I mostly fish for trout pretty much all year long and do well enough. I also catch small mouth bass and among other types of warm water fish. But this walleye has really caught my attention and I'd like to try and get me one via fly fishing. I would greatly appreciate any help on this matter, Good day to your sir.

gfig

Howdy and welcome to the forum. I have never fished SE PA. but Walleye are Walleye where ever they are. I have found that for Walleye you can't beat the Clouser Minnow. On rare occasions you do get Walleye feeding on top and I have flies for that also. My Canadian fishing buddy and I spent a lot of time last Fall working on top water flies for Walleye and we came up with a few that work pretty well. In the Summer, especially late, like August, in many places Walleye will come shallow into weed edges. I suspect they are looking for leeches, and even if they are not, they will hit a leech pattern pretty well. With the Clousers, it pays to have a lot of color patterns. They do not have to look like native baitfish either. Walleyes are a fish that like odd bright patterns sometimes. Look at the colors they have on Reef Runner lures. I have some tactics for them that work pretty well. If you let me know what kind of area you plan to be fishing I can help tune you into a strategy that will hopefully put you on some Walleye.

As a side note, we have a few years under our belts on the Walleye on a fly thing, and have come to the conclusion, if you want to get big Walleyes, flies work better than any way I have ever tried. The average size we get up here fly fishing, if I told you, you would think I was telling a tall fish story.

P.S. I'm PMing you my phone number. Call me. I stay up pretty late.

[gfig19]

thank you gentlemen for your response. I didn't realize how quickly the replies would come, this is a great forum. I think I'll have re evaluate my fishing equipment....I'm not sure if I'm equipped to handle a fly like a clouser minnow for my rod size and proportions. I'm currently fishing with a LL Bean Quest II 8'6' 5weight. I'm thinking the walleye around here does not fit that rod size. Well anyhow, I'm willing to purchase a rod able to do the job.

The rivers and reservoirs in my area that have walleye population are as follows.....The Conestoga River and its smaller brother, the Little Conestoga, Pequea River/Creek, Octoraro Reservoir, Speedwellforge Lake(currently emptied), and our big boy the Susquehanna River(

Susquehanna River - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Susquehanna River - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Susquehanna River - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

) which is basically the western border of Lancaster County, where I reside.

here is the website....PA Fishing Near You

[whitedice]

got a lot of good information here. When I have some more time I will look through it all. I just got back from Nebraska and while I was up there I went walleye fishing with my uncle. I had never been before and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Plus it tasted way better than the catfish I normally eat. I might look into trying to catch one with a fly rod. I noticed you mentioned you fished in kansas? If you wouldnt mind sending me a pm if there is a major reservoir or state lake that you find works well for walleye. I also live in Kansas and I wasnt even aware that there were walleye in kansas just because I had never heard of anyone catching them. Thanks, just reading this thread makes me want to go try it