Flies for Goldens / Flats

[Jack_Lives_Here]

Mad keen to chase some goldens on the flast at Hinchy when I go up in Sept. I figure flies like clousers might be the go. Am I on the right track here?? Would appreciate advice on colours and hook size also other pattern that would be the goods.

[Wesley_Pang]

Jack,

The Clouser is the "Go-to" fly for goldens. The important feature of clousers is it get down to the bottom FAST. When the goldens are tailing, they will not touch anything unless its on the sand.

I've used clouser with 1/4 oz lead eyes to get down fast. They tend to make a bit of a splash, so you have to lead the fish by a 3-4 meters and wait till the fly sinks and wait till the fish come up onto the fly.

I tie my golden flies on 2/0 Gamakatus SL12. Bucktail or Kinkyfibre, Yellow/white, Chartreuse/white grey/white. Very Heavy to med size lead eyes.

Another suggestion is to use a fast sinking line like a Striper IV, even when wading. I believe the goldens like the fly to drag along the bottom, rather then jig up and down off the bottom. The intermediates just don't get down fast enough, especially when there is a bit of a current.

Only 3-4 months before the goldens are back on the flats. I'm hoping the coming season is as good as last year.

Wes

[Jack_Lives_Here]

Thanks Wes.

[Steve_Ooi]

I agree with Wes, the clouser has to be one of the best flats flies around, especially when it comes to goldens.
chart /white personally is my favourite colour combo, i don't know if it's the goldens favourite, but most seem to like it.
Have got them on Max garth specials too. White decievers. I always carry a few of these around.

Poony

[Jack_Lives_Here]

Thanks Steve.
Don't know what the water quality will be like this year. We had a few days last year when it was sort of clear on the flood tide, but other days it was like ovaltine. Hopefully early morning run up should be good. I saw fish flats but we were mainly chasing barra - Done that now onto the next species.

[Chris_Dunham]

Dave,

We have flats fishing for goldens year round in WA and have found these flies to be spot on;

Openshaw Deceiver




Mattschoss Squid




We also use very sparsly tied chart over white clousers (lightly weighted).

If clousers are all you use then thats what you'll catch them on.

Cheers,

Chris.

[Steve_Ooi]

Jack don't forget to take some crab flies, you might find a snubbie or two around the Seymour flats.
Nice flies there Chris.
Too right about the fact that you will only catch fish on the flies you use.
Experiment try different things it's amazing what fish will eat at times, something you'll get them on anything other times it match the hatch or nothing.
It's a massive learning curve, fishing.

Poony

I really like the squid..

[Jack_Lives_Here]

Yeh that squid is a bloody ripper. 8)Got a couple of crab flies in the box. I'm trying to cover all angles.

So little time so many fish.

[Wesley_Pang]

Chris,

If the clouser works, why change to another fly. Bob Clouser's masterpiece has rarely failed for me.

The Clouser is more a style of flytying than just a fly pattern. There are so many variations with size, weight, hook patterns, colours and materials. Its dead easy to tie too. I've yet to work out how to tie a tandom billfish clouser yet though(I'll have to stick to the tube FPF).

I believe presentation of the fly may be more important than the exact imatation of a food source. Getting the fly in the right spot at the right time, and you are in with a chance, even if it is just bucktail on a weighted hook.

The flies you posted are beautiful and I'm sure they will catch fish.

Wes

P.S. Jack, you should try and get up to Weipa.

[Chris_Dunham]

Wes,

A valid point of view. Wouldent you be just a little curious to see what happens with a well presented pattern other than a Bob Clousers Deep Minnow - just in case it's right on the money?

For me thats one of the really enjoyable aspects of fly fishing, working out and working on all the angles. Finding new ways to overcome fishy problems. A good example of this is the Openshaw Deceiver which has just the slightest hint of a darker top and no flash at all. It's a solution to small spooky pods of largish trevally (30kg+ GT and 15kg goldnes) at Exmouth that run a mile at a spash or flashy fly.

Regards,

Chris.

PS. Knew a well presented "clouser" post would draw a rise

[Wesley_Pang]

Chris,

Yes, I'll always rise to a post questioning the fish catching ability of a clouser.

I'd love to have the time and opportunity to try different flies and use lighter tippets and rods. Sadly I only get the regulation 4 weeks a year off for holidays. I sneek a few weekends off to chase the Tuna and Trevally within a 4 hour drive. I'd love to have the resources to fish 200 days a year.

I use flies that I know will deliver the goods. I get on the water to land a fish, not to experiment with flies. I'll try different flies when the fly I have on doesn't deliver. Thats after I exhaust all the different variation of the one fly. Only then do I move onto a different type of fly.

I caught a cobia on a clouser that looked like the Openshaw deciever. 4 inches of grey/white kinkyfibre. I basically used only 2 types of flies on that week long trip up to Cape York. The Clouser and the Gurgler.

Thats something to aim for - a golden on a gurgler. I had one follow a hookless surface teaser for a long while. Has anyone caught a golden on a surface fly??

So many places to fish, so little time.

Wes

[Chris_Dunham]

Wes,

I've got a batch of shots from Exmouth going through the drum scanner at the moment (goldens, GT's etc) will post a couple asap. Perhaps we could lure you over here for one weeks fishing out of your four.

All the best,

Chris.

[Wesley_Pang]

Chris,

I'm off to your side of this island in Sept. I'm off to Rowley Schoals with Scotto.

I'd like to fish WA a lot more. I've fished Broome for Threadfin and Sails 2 years ago. Exmouth and the Kimberlies look like great spots.

After watching "Fishing WA" on Foxtel, WA looks a very fishy spot.

Wes

[Chris_Dunham]

Wes,

Sounds like you've been getting your share of fishing in. If you want to fish Exmouth at any stage let me know and will point you in the right direction.

Regards,

Chris.

[Jack_Lives_Here]

Chris,
Certainly a wonderful place over there in the west. Only managed to get up as far as Geraldton in my travels and it's been all work unfortunately. Gunna wangle it one day that I get a few exra days of R&R while there.