What fish are best for fly fishing?

Typically in the UK people think of fly fishing only for Rainbow and Brown Trout, Salmon Fly Fishing and over winter fly fishing for grayling. However depending on the waters and venue there may be lots of different fish that can be targetted providing incredible sport and challenges to the fly fishermen. As soon as we start to venture internationally then the species able to be targetted become enormous from Bonefish to Tarpon, Mahseer (see on the right from the Ramganga in the Lower Himalayas) to Red Fish.

However lets focus on the uk and answer What fish can you fly fish for in the uk? Let us see the types of fish that can be targeted by the fly fisherman.

Sea Trout

Often caught at night Sea Trout can provide amazing sport. On a moonlit night as the sea trout run there is nothing quite as exhilarating as a jambo surface wake fly being hit by these sea run predators.

Carp Fly Fishing

Carp provide superb sport for fly fishing. Found in many stillwaters carp will readily take the fly, from foam based bugs fished floating in the margins where carp cruise taking nymphs and grubs from rushes at the side of a stillwater. Many different types of carp fly can be used from foam bugs, traditional nymphs like grhe to specialist flies like breadcrust flies designed to imitate a piece of floating bread often used by carp fishermen.

Fly Fishing For Roach and Rudd

Found on stillwaters and rivers the common roach can provide great sport with their abundance. Using very lightweight rods and reels with roach flies these beautiful fish can be tempted to the fly.

Pike On The Fly

Pike Fly Fishing provides amazing sport and can be done on everywhere from canals and rivers where Pike abound to stillwaters. Indeed many trout stillwaters have incredible pike which grow on to enormous sizes with an abundance of protein rich trout to feed on. Generally a stiffer rod say #8 to #10 weight  is used with fly lines that are specifically designed to turn over large pike flies.

Catfish

There are some amazing catfish that have been caught on the fly with very heavyweight rods and large lures to attract the Wells Catfish which are found in specialist fisheries.

Other Freshwater Fly Fishing Species

Perch are abundant in stillwaters and rivers and can provide superb sport, bloodworm and grubs work well for perch.  Chub flies can be used to catch the many Chub found in many rivers can always be attracted to the fly, typically they will be caught on hoppers and grubs and sub surface on many flies from grhe to nymphs.

Saltwater Fly Fishing Around The UK

As an island in the UK we are surrounded by water that can provide amazing saltwater fly fishing sport. Whether you want to fish for Mullet, Sea Bass, Pollock, Mackeral or even sharks you will find many saltwater flies that hit the spot from deceivers and clousers to crabs, shrimps, needle fish and sand eel flies.

Deep water marks can provide some great fly fishing. Bass & Pollack are the typical quarries but Mackeral will also be in casting range at certain times of the year. Usually, these marks have deep water at all states of the tide so fish can be resident at all states of tides. With the fly, try and find features such as drop off or shelves to strip your fly back. Areas where Bass and Pollock can lie and ambush their prey. Beaches are more difficult unless you get local advise on good fishing spots. Indeed on the fly you can catch various flat fish and even some of the shark family can be taken on the fly!