Fly for halibut, lings, and/or rockfish

[Moose381]

Hello
Does anyone have a picture of a fly that they have used for halibut, lings, or rockfish? I have been using a fly rod and a nooching reel to catch halibut, lings and rock fish but I have used a small jig or a lead head with a tail and it is working great but I would like to try a fly. Thanks for any help you might have.

Thank you
Moose

[jockomontana]

no pics to upload but try using a long strip of white/cream/flesh bunny... you could even tie it articulated style: thread some 60# braid and secure to front and rear hooks... the longer the better for halibut and lings... maybe even try a circle hook for a trailer...

[SkinnyD]

I've caught several flounder or halibut or something flat in the surf on yarn... plain ol' Chinook fly

[Wyo2AK]

Some rockfish and small lings so far - hoping for some big lings and halibut this year.

Don't think it matters all that much what fly you're using if you can get it down in the zone and hook up. Clousers, deceivers, bunny flies, squid, shrimp, etc.

[ak_powder_monkey]

Half and Halfs, Deceivers, etc. Think BIG and WHITE with some everglow and some other synthetics.

[BrownBear]

I'm fond of 1/0-3/0 Deceivers tied with a mono weedless loop, Rio Leviathin lines.

[akfshklr]

So how does one chase bottom fish which are typically in deeper water with a flyrod? I love my flyfishing, and have heard of folks catching hallies on the fly, but I just don't get it. Full sinking line? Are you casting? What weight rods? How deep are you fishing? Any help would be most appreciated, I would love to give it a shot.

[Moose381]

Hello

Well I guess it is not fly fishing for halibutt but halibut fishing with a fly rod. I have been using a 10wt fly rod and a mooching reel with braided line and bouncing small jigs and small lead heads off of the bottom. What is the kick in the butt is the fight on the fly rod. My largest on the fly rod is about 60 pounds. If you get into a good place where there are alot of halibut it is a blast until you hook a skate. I have brought up a few of them to the boat (that sucks, and you know when you have one because it is just dead weight). I carry two or three of the fly rod set-ups on the boat everytime the boat leaves the dock. The best place to use the fly rod has been Homer for me. I did catche some nice Lings and Yellow eyes out of Seward the last two years. I hope this helps with your questions, if you have any more PM me.

Thanks
Moose

[kenaibow fan]

So how does one chase bottom fish which are typically in deeper water with a flyrod? I love my flyfishing, and have heard of folks catching hallies on the fly, but I just don't get it. Full sinking line? Are you casting? What weight rods? How deep are you fishing? Any help would be most appreciated, I would love to give it a shot.

You could try a down rigger........I have seen people use fly rods with these in homer and seward, I think they were chasing salmon mostly but I don't see why you couldn't use it for bottom fishing???????????

[BrownBear]

So how does one chase bottom fish which are typically in deeper water with a flyrod? I love my flyfishing, and have heard of folks catching hallies on the fly, but I just don't get it. Full sinking line? Are you casting? What weight rods? How deep are you fishing? Any help would be most appreciated, I would love to give it a shot.

Check out the RIO Leviathin lines- sink rates of something around 9 inches per second. We use them in eddies and around the tide change in water to around 60 feet, depending on the current. That's the point of the weedless Deceivers- in 60 feet and less you're still in kelp country. The weedless helps in generally keeping it off other snags too. We anchor with a chum bag, then cast "up current" some distance depending on water depth and current speed, then let it sink as it drifts. Most fish come as it swings below us, just like kings in deeper holes in rivers. My usual rods are 12's and 14's, but 10's are fine for fish in the 40-50# range. My rule of thumb is 20# leader on 14 wts, 16# leader on the 12 wts, and 12# leader on 10 wts. You're fooling yourself if you think heavier than 12# on a 10 or 16# on a 12 weight is going to let you lift bigger fish. They just don't have the backbone to lift as big a fish.
I put a 1' leader with a loop in the end of the line, then pre-rig all my flies on stretchers just like for tarpon with a 15" class leader double looped on the back end (from a bimini), bimini on the front of the class double nail-knotted to a short shock tippet of 80-100# P-line leader.

[akfshklr]

Well you guys have definately aroused my interest. I guess I thought initially that to get to the depth the fish were I would be already into my backing. I've got to change gears and get a reel to spool braid, or I will also check out the suggested Leviathin lines. I have heard stories of schools of halibut near Flat Island that essentially frenzy and come to the surface. I fish mostly out of Seward and Whittier and have never witnessed such activity. I have rarely fished in less than 140'-160' and prefer fishing in 180'-250' becuse of the results I have achieved. In other words, I suck fishing the shallow water for whatever reason. I think it may be time to change everything I do regularly for halibut, to see if I can increase my catch rate of larger than chickens. I am more than happy with any halibut from 40#-100#, and would LOVE to say I caught one on a flyrod of mine. I've got a 10WT Sage Xi2 that I might have to take out this May. Thanks guys, I appreciate your inputs. I'm going to look into it more.

[BrownBear]

Careful about the braid on fly rods. It eats wire guides. In a hurry.

[sthrcave]

I bet you could have a ball out around Fox Island or Pony Cove during silver season with a flyrod! You'd catch butts and maybe even lings too (I know you can't keep lings in the bay). I have caught chickens in 40 feet of water at Pony Cove while mooching. YES! Goodby mooching, hello flyfishing for saltwater silvers! I'm getting antsy just thinking about it! Can't wait to try it out!