walpole fly selection

[Aaron Compton]

Hi everyone, its been a while since Ive made it to a meeting or even getting any flyfishing done. Thats about to change with my first trip to Walople coming in a couple of weeks time.

Ive just got a question on fly style, colous and weights you guys have found work well down there on the bream and trevs.
I seem to recall a few years ago sparse white crazy charlie type things were popular.

thanks in advance
Aaron

[Tony Ong]

Fly selection for Walpole isn't that critical. Charlies and Gotchas in size 1 to 6 will work. You want some light bead chain, as well as heavily weighted flies to fish various depths. Colour isn't critical either. Gold bomber style flies were equally effective as natural coloured flies. If you can find where the fish are holding, flies won't make that much of a difference.

[Aaron Compton]

Thanks Tony, non-fussy fish sound like just the ones i like to cast to.

[Sean]

Spoke to Brian after the club trip to Walpole and he sent a few pics of what they used. Got the juices going again, haven't tied since the house move, and got the gear unpacked and going again. Here's a few, start long and trim as we go.

[Aaron Compton]

Rolled back into town this afternoon. You were spot on Tony, fly selection didnt matter too much at all once we could find the fish. Huge numbers of hungry bream in that system.

Sean, we had a lot of sucess with PA chartreuse BMS style fly with small dumbell eyes fished on super long leaders. olive also worked well as did flies with tan rabbit fur toppings.

[Tony Ong]

Well done Aaron. Was conditions calm enough to sight fish to them?

[Aaron Compton]

Not really. Most of the time it was overcast and windy as heck with rain squalls. When the sun did come through there were some fish to be spotted but we mostly just took educated guesses as to where we thought they might be. Dropoffs and little sandridges that kicked up as the tide flowed over them were always good. The fish seemed to be feeding hard on very small whitebait/fish fry.

[Adam]

Sounds like a great trip with the family Aaron.

Was there much size to the bream?

Adam

[Aaron Compton]

I left the family in Perth Adam, but they might get a guernsey on the next trip.

The fish sizes were a real mix, plenty of rats but good numbers of bigger fish too. I guess i got a dozen or so fish over 35cm. The most common size was about 27/28cm. The biggest measured fish was bang on 40cm tip length.

[Sean]

I think we passed you on Saturday arvo heading up the Frankland. We were in the white Trailcraft.

'Sean, we had a lot of sucess with PA chartreuse BMS style fly with small dumbell eyes fished on super long leaders. olive also worked well as did flies with tan rabbit fur toppings.'

Another one to add to the list then. Caught most of ours on the natural clousers fished with a good pause. Caught a LOT of rats, but managed a few nice flatties as well as a heap of Walpole Blowies (herring). Managed my first KG on fly, if only small as well as a number of small pinkies, wrasse and Panda even managed a gardie.

Wind was all over the place. We just about surfed into the Franlland only to come out 20mins later to almost mill pond conditions. was a big change for me a took a bit to break a lot of the spin habits I have built up. A real blast all the same and will be back soon for sure. Very much the wiser.