When runoff starts on the main watersheds of Alberta, many anglers turn to central Alberta’s spring-influenced creeks that often run high, but clear. This adds a lot of extra pressure on some pretty small streams. Then add the news that brown drakes are hatching, and things can get downright crazy for traffic on otherwise quiet creeks. It was a day just like that this spring that made me scratch my head and re-think my springtime fly fishing strategies. The very next weekend I found myself on Pigeon Lake with few others around, catching 2-3lb walleye all day long. The few other anglers I did see on the water raised a quizzical eyebrow when I pulled out a fly rod.
Truth be told, fly fishing for walleye is actually quite easy for much of the season. There are countless articles geared towards spin fishers on what water to find walleye in at what time of the year. All a fly fisher has to do is read these to understand where the fish might be hanging out, and translate the spin fishing method into a tactic appropriate for a fly rod. For example, translate “minnow tipped jig” into “balanced leech under an indicator,” or “pulling crankbaits” to “stripping streamers.”
One of the easiest ways to catch walleye on the fly is to mimic one of the most common methods spin fishers use: suspended bait. Rig up a 15 foot 1X leader on any old floating line (weight forward lines make life a little easier), grab a handful of balanced leeches in various sizes, a few indicators, and you’re ready to roll. Walleye are just like every other fish in that they like to have some sort of structure to base themselves around. This could be a drop-off, a weedline, submerged trees, or a rocky outcrop amidst a sand or mud bottom. I’ll usually start shallow looking for the obvious structure (visible drop-offs and weedlines). A fish finder helps in locating bottom features and depth a little further off shore. Set your indicator to keep your leech a foot or so off the bottom (you can easily test this by attaching your forceps to your fly and feeling when they touch bottom). This method is great when there is a little bit of chop to add some action to your fly; if it’s dead calm, perhaps give the fly a few twitches every minute. If you’re not into fish within 15 minutes or so, move to a different piece of structure or try a different searching tactic until you find the fish. If you’re having no luck finding fish in under 15’ of water, you may need to employ a few of the tactics created by stillwater chironomid anglers to get that leech to the bottom in deeper water (think: quick release indicators and long leaders with a barrel swivel).
WALLEYE on the FLY
---The REALITY CHECK on KEEPING IT SIMPLE---