Hooked a very powerful sea trout this morning while fishing for Mullet. I saw a fish jump a few moments before connecting with it. From a distance it appeared to be around 20lb in weight. It took my fly in shallow water and then headed for the deeps at an alarming rate of knots, stopping to leap high above the water on the way. From 80m away it looked to be a good 15 to 20lb and gleaming silver, probably the same fish as viewed earlier. The speed and power of the fish left me in awe. After stripping well over 100m of line and backing, the fish broke free. Large Mullet are fast and powerful but this beast was in a class of its own. Can't imagine how long it would have taken to control it on a 7wt. Still, it was a pleasure just to connect with such a magnificent fish.

No Luck Timmy, well you could disagree and say you were lucky to hook it and get a buzz from it. What fly did it take? This should inspire you to go back and try again.

Cheers
Kevin

Hi Kevin,
The fly was a Bann Special, size 14. I would dearly love to land one of these buggers. Connected with many over the past few years but nothing close to the size of yesterdays escapee. The fly they usually go for is a red flexi-floss bloodworm, in 12 to 18" of water. They typically jump once struck, throwing the hook in the process. Any tips on getting them to stay on?
Colin

i know the feeling timmy. i hooked a few big sea trout this year, lost a clonker last monday evening. double figure fish that just gave me the fingers and headed out to sea,

Sorry Colin, can't help with tips to keep them on. It's hard enough to keep them on with a treble hook on a spinner . I haven't yet tried for them on the fly yet, I finally took the plunge and wet my first fly last night at a local stillwater. I didn't catch or get any takes, but loved it ... when I am comfy with this I will hit the rivers in search of a sea trout.


The wideopen.dk site might give you some useful tips too.

Good luck.... as this is needed with Sea Trout.
Kevin

I fish all winter/spring over here for sea trout in the sea. After the multiple fish I've taken, find the larger fish to be real buggers to get to stay on the hook. As soon as they get hook they tear off at an alarming rate. When they slow and you turn them, they start what I like to call 'the death roll'. The roll and roll and roll. I find keeping a tight line on them works.

Most of my flies are either tied on tubes or trebles, size 12. Some may say that's it's not very catch and release friendly, but very few of my fish get damaged by them and those that do, make a glorious dinner.

Try maybe larger hooks, a different shape/type or trebles.

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

Forrest Gump 1994

Hi Wiggy,
Have you ever tried or have any knowledge of the bombarda float when the fly rod isn't possible. That honey shrimp fly they use on wideopen looks deadly.



Thanks
Kevin

I have a few of those floats, though I've never actually tried them myself. I'm more of a traditionalist when it comes to the use of flies.

Though with that said, over here in Norway, it's a very popular technique. Very effective too. If you had the opportunity to get hold of one of those floats, try it. Personally I like the feel of a fresh sea sea trout on the fly rod, the feeling's just not the same on a spinning rod.

The honey fly works pretty well, but personally I swap the honey coloured dubbing for pink ice dub and the nylon eyes for small chain beads. Have had countless fish on these.

There's three flies that I generally use, and almost always catch. The fly mentioned above, a black zonker tube tied with black ice dub and a pink francis fly size 12. One of those on a fast glass line or a casting float if you wish will get you fish in the colder months. Now it's all about surf candys or other sandeel imitations.

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

Forrest Gump 1994

Cheers Wiggy, food for thought.