What’s the setup for flylining livies?

[Hoops]

This is more complex than it needs to be. I did it this way in hopes to steer some guests into a different direction than high-grading salmon right up to the last minute at the lodge I work. Take a 15-18lb fish early, and then play around. We can measure out anything larger.



It’s pretty much the same as how party boats fish for tuna.

Except in this case I bought two spare spools that I rigged with 150ft of the heaviest sink tip I could find.

Idea is the same as mooching with live herring, only difference is the flyline carries the 6.8oz, instead of using a fixed or sliding lead.

A rod length of light leader: 12-20lbs

Snap that off before reaching the 25lb mono core of the sink tip.

Tie a loop knot or snell to your hook.

In this case I want to use circles to be better in my catch and release practises.



Throw or cast the livey overboard and continue to strip out line until happy.

 

[Hoops]

@adanac

West side of Haida Gwaii (OP). We have more passing runs than most places.

This is an extension for me this season, in the sense of making this a more consistent offering. With regards to the flyline part that’s getting its maiden test this weekend coming; however, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work well for swinging the bait deep through current seams. I wanted both to eliminate the swinging mooching weight and present as naturally as possible.

What I’ve found most difficult is consistently finding bait balls near shore. Offshore on the banks they can be easily found.

Nevertheless, Haa Nee Naw Lodge looks to have been jigging freshies for years near Dundas, so I’m going to put my preseason learning time into becoming a better herring fisherman, and find places to frequently find bait nearby.

The guests who are open to the experience love going on the adventure; however, if it’s hard to find herring then it can be disheartening.

 

[Dogbreath]

.....if it’s hard to find herring then it can be disheartening.

More than disheartening when paying well over $1,000 day trying to catch bait; congratulations for thinking outside the box in terms of offering a unique fun experience but simple economics may be your undoing.

 

[Hoops]

I agree with you. It really depends on the person. I’ve never invested a great deal of time with those who bring up stories about live bait fishing, and ask if it’s possible.

If we haven’t caught herring in 20-30mins, I’m the one who cuts it off and suggests we stay with our main programs.

Where I get my own fishing time, I am curious to invest it in learning and finding hotspots.

If I can begin to piece together some structure to the experience, then it has the potential to become something more.

In the meantime I’ll just use it as my downtime.

 

[Tighthead]

@adanac

West side of Haida Gwaii (OP). We have more passing runs than most places.

This is an extension for me this season, in the sense of making this a more consistent offering. With regards to the flyline part that’s getting its maiden test this weekend coming; however, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work well for swinging the bait deep through current seams. I wanted both to eliminate the swinging mooching weight and present as naturally as possible.

What I’ve found most difficult is consistently finding bait balls near shore. Offshore on the banks they can be easily found.

Nevertheless, Haa Nee Naw Lodge looks to have been jigging freshies for years near Dundas, so I’m going to put my preseason learning time into becoming a better herring fisherman, and find places to frequently find bait nearby.

The guests who are open to the experience love going on the adventure; however, if it’s hard to find herring then it can be disheartening.

Haa Nee Naw likes to catch freshies, in order to have bright bait with all the scales, but they still mooch them as cut plugs.

 

[Dogbreath]

Haa Nee Naw likes to catch freshies, in order to have bright bait with all the scales, but they still mooch them as cut plugs.

I always make a gawdawful mess cutting/hooking fresh Herring for cutplug.

 

[Derby]

Man do they work

 

[mikep]

Used to occasionally get nice concentrations off Brock Island. Buy yourself a sabiki rod so you don't make a mess of the jig when it's stored.

 

[big rock]

You could use your DR to get the lives down to the zone you want fish and then pull the fly line off your clip. Your sinking line would keep it in the zone. My experience with lives is the bite is a slack line bite, so keeping up to the fish on the bite might be a challenge with a fly rod. Very interesting thought, keep us posted on your findings.

 

[eroyd]

Why waste an expensive fly line for this type of fishing? One would be better off using a length of t14 or even lead core to get the bait down.

 

[tubber]

I used a tiny silicone bobber stop, a free sliding bobber, a tiny rubber core weight and a squid last year. The current or a short cast gets the bobber stop through the guides and you're fishing the depth you want. Same setup for livies would work.

 

[Dogbreath]

I used a tiny silicone bobber stop, a free sliding bobber, a tiny rubber core weight and a squid last year. The current or a short cast gets the bobber stop through the guides and you're fishing the depth you want. Same setup for livies would work.

And that's a variation on the old 'California style' fishing a strip under a float.