And the fish isn't much better........................



OK it's not very big but it is BN'S first zander (and therefore a PB...........WHOOPEE). I have to confess that it was taken on a small roach deadbait but it was an exercise in proving to myself that there were sufficient numbers in my local waters to warrant a punt at them on the fly. So here's the question............anybody ever caught a Z on the fly in the UK? I personally have never heard of it but I am sure that somebody, somewhere has. Any clues as to tactics, flys.........you know the usual stuff......................birdsnest

__________________
Fear not if I steal from your side, as of yore, from paradise streams to fish Teifi once more.
BN based in Wolverhampton

I would imagine that a similar approach to pike on the fly would work? I've never caught a zander but hear that they fight like wet lettuce. How did yours go?

Cheers

Andy

Stick to the river bed for zander as they tend to be in the deeper water during daylight hours. Make sure your hooks are sharp and strike really hard as their mouths are extremely hard and bony.
Most patterns used for Pike and Perch will catch Zander but perhaps best to err on the smaller side as their mouths are much smaller than both Pike and Perch by comparable size of fish.
Zander are much easier to handle than pike as they usually go rigid when netted or handled [I did say usually]. Get them back into the water asap especially in warmer weather.
In deep water they are pretty spectacular fighters but as they near the surface [light] they can be lethargic.
Caught quite a few on fly last season. 12lb 10oz being the best.
Some say they are better to eat than Cod, only one thing tastes better than Cod and that's Haddock.
Good luck,

Colin

Lets hope there's no polish reading this......

__________________
Life is like a box of choclates. Ya never know what ya gonna get.

Forrest Gump 1994

Congratulations BN

Look fwd to seeing a fly caught one

__________________
Jim

My only worry is that when I die,my wife sells my fishing gear, for what I said I paid for it

Over on the Pike flyfishing website www.pffa.co.uk under spikey predators there are a few photographs of fly caught zander Birdsnest, it might be worth talking to them if you have an interest in this fish (I have just joined this club as I intend to do a lot more predator fly fishing this year )
Good fishing,
Andy.

You'd go down well on another forum Bud

What do you think .D.?


Cracking fish by the way Andrew- oops - I mean Bird's nest , love to hear how you get on with the fly for z's

FF

I've eaten zander (in France) and it was bloody lovely. Open grained white meat with a delicate taste and texture. Not dissimilar to cod.
As I have stated on another thread it is I understand, an 'illegal immigrant from eastern Europe'.
Discuss...

Andy

Usual trout tactics work quite well, ive had a 6lb Z on a humungous at grafham, my buddy had loads when the pike fishing was on, on pike flies in 50ft of water.

A 6lb Z goes better than a 6lb trout imo, likewise a trout on a wobbled smelt on a pike rod goes like a wet sack too.

J.

Interesting, Colin. You were one of the guys who had a go at me about eating pike on a previous thread. I've never eaten zander, but hear tell its very good. It is an illegal, and although most places its found in the UK it seems to have found a balance with the natural species, on some canals in the West Midlands its massacred the local populations of fish. Therefore I say "Get 'em ate!" Tellingly, in the Thames Region, the EA puts no bag limit on zander, which it certainly does on all other coarse fish (except eels).
Dave.