Get Started Fly Fishing for Mahi-Mahi

Relying on who you ask, my efforts to catch mahi mahi on the fly was both to problem myself as an angler or an try to get some further room on my father’s small middle console. Regardless of the motive, I’ve realized {that a} fly rod might be key when coping with typically finicky mahi. The power to current a smaller-profile imitation signifies that fly fishing for mahi-mahi can outfish extra conventional strategies. 

Including a fly setup to the small-boat pelagic hunter’s arsenal is a should as a result of there are a lot of instances when the fish are lower than cooperative. When making an attempt lobster pots which have already been hit, a typical incidence for Northeast weekend warriors, each little benefit could make a distinction to entice pressured fish.

Rods and Line

Many anglers could also be overwhelmed by the intricacies of fly fishing, nevertheless it helps to understand that it may be as easy or as complicated as you make it.  I didn’t exit and purchase a brand new setup once I started going after mahi on the fly. I bought an intermediate fly line, matched it to a 9-weight rod that I’d beforehand used for salmon, and commenced my enterprise with a rod I knew would work. Ideally, an 8-weight is the only option for the realm we fish, the inshore to midshore lobster pots, and in case you are dealing solely with chickens on the nearer grounds, you will get away with a 7-weight. Any succesful rod with an appropriately matched fly line works since lengthy casts aren’t vital. I exploit a 9-foot rod, however wherever within the 8.5- to 9.5-foot vary will do, and there are occasions an 8-foot would have been useful on a packed boat.  

Line is what I believe issues most, so guarantee you will have saltwater fly line. I desire an intermediate line in case I wish to fish deeper, however a floating line works as nicely.  I exploit Rio Intermediate Striper and a well-tapered 7- to 8-foot fluorocarbon chief … there isn’t a want for a loopy lengthy chief. The shorter chief makes casting from a ship simpler, in addition to when coping with fish. I typically scale right down to 12-pound check, and once I do, I all the time add a small part of thicker 15- to 20-pound fluoro in entrance of my fly to guard it  from a bigger fish’s sharp enamel. Most instances, nevertheless, it’s not essential to go that gentle, and 15- to 20-pound check does the job. With the shock-absorbing motion of a fly rod, you possibly can successfully battle mahi on lighter line, which may provide the higher hand when fish are chief shy. 

Flies

Much like your rod and reel setup, fly choice might be as difficult as you need, with numerous saltwater patterns accessible to select from, however I strongly advocate maintaining issues easy. When pot-hopping for mahi, I carry simply two patterns in a wide range of colours—Surf Candies and Clouser Minnows. I normally use a 1/0-size hook, however someplace inside that vary is ok. I’ve discovered that brighter colours work nicely, like fluorescent pink and chartreuse. 

If the objective is to maintain my fly nearer to the water’s floor and close to the pot longer, I exploit a neutrally-weighted, epoxy-coated Surf Sweet as a result of the shimmer from its resin affords an additional enticement. When making an attempt to get my fly a bit deeper, and even forged and strip the realm across the pots to see if there are mahi cruising round, I flip to the heavier Clouser Minnow. Its heavy, dumbbell-weighted eyes ship the fly down, and its slick profile cuts via the water with ease, permitting me to fish with an aggressive retrieve in a special water column. 

Casts and Retrieves

When you’re located with a rod, reel, line, and a few flies, now comes the enjoyable half: casting. Buying the fundamentals from working towards in your yard is simple to do, and I like to recommend studying that means as an alternative of on the water. There are a couple of casting changes that may enhance success; for example, capturing out the road together with your back-cast to the pot could make punching via wind simpler. Additionally, make the most of false casts to reposition your self to be able to land the fly subsequent to the lobster pot. 

In contrast to spin fishing, when you see your lure may tangle across the flagpole of a pot’s buoy, take your forged again. I discover this to be a serious benefit contemplating I’ve gifted my fair proportion of lures to lobster fisherman after snagging their ropes. 

If the boat is positioned nicely and I can land my fly proper on high of the construction, I all the time start with a really quick retrieve, typically even skimming the floor of the water. This is identical factor I do with an epoxy jig or different fashionable mahi spinning lures. If there are energetic fish, they virtually all the time react to the lure ripping previous them. If a fish crushes the fly on the preliminary quick retrieve, nice! Strip-set that hook and get the fish within the boat.

As a rule, you’ll discover a swirl or wake behind the fly from a fish that turned its head, otherwise you may see one comply with your lure to the boat. Recast subsequent to the pot, however retrieve slowly this time, with intermittent bursts of velocity. This can assist you to keep shut sufficient to the floor water column, the place most fish are, and in addition close to the pot longer than these utilizing heavier epoxy jigs. Holding the presentation proper subsequent to the pot offers you a lot larger alternative within the strike zone. 

Pot Hopping

Mahi circle lobster-pot buoys as a result of they provide safety from predators and a provide of small bait to eat. If they’ll keep away from leaving the buoy, they’ll, so the longer you retain the fly inside a couple of ft of the pot, the larger the probabilities of hooking up. Typically, once I’m the one angler on board who’s thinking about fly fishing, the opposite anglers will chum the realm and draw the mahi off a pot and across the boat. This makes issues straightforward for me since solely quick casts are wanted and the fish are aggressive as they compete for the chum.

There are occasions once we discover an space with many pots shut collectively and drift entire squid at totally different depths via the realm. When doing so, I forged, benefiting from the intermediate line’s capacity to sink, and let loose line because the boat drifts. I then use the heavier Clouser Minnow to get my lure sinking and fish an erratic retrieve, repeating the method till I hook up. It may be a win-win for each a fly and a spin fisherman as a result of the motion of the fly attracts mahi from surrounding areas to the bait, or the bait attracts the fish to the fly. 

I’m not a fly-fishing purist, so a few of my recommendation, akin to fishing your fly in a pal slick, could also be appeared down upon by some. I obtained into fly fishing years in the past to be able to extra productively fish sure trout streams, after which picked it up for these inshore pelagics in order that I may current a light-weight and pure imitation in the easiest way attainable. If chumming helps your possibilities, I say go for it as a result of the benefits of the fly rod nonetheless apply. You’ll be able to even go a step additional and tip your streamer with slightly strip of squid as a result of it really works. 

Better of all, when hooking a mahi on the fly, the battle is unreal, and the flexibility to current these sensible flies means extra productive journeys. Additionally, relish the additional fishing house you earn on the boat whereas casting your fly to mahi. 

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