Though generally regarded as a “heat water” species, walleye additionally thrive in cool northern rivers. Thought-about one of the tasty of freshwater sport fish, it may be pursued with the fly rod. Generally it’s fished for with reside bait reminiscent of minnows and spinning kind lures and spoons, nonetheless the walleye does prey on aquatic bugs and different life that may be imitated by a wide range of fly patterns.
It is “heat water” designation isn’t utterly appropriate. Some States reminiscent of New Mexico checklist this fish (that was as soon as known as “pickerel” in Ontario, Canada) as a heat water species, whereas the State of Pennsylvania considers it a “cool water” species. The truth is, it is temperature vary is between roughly 6.6C and 15.5C, with the median worth of about 11C a great temperature.
Distinction that with the Brown Trout who’s temperature vary is way broader at between about 6.7C and 23.9C. With this in thoughts, the Walleye would appear to be much more of a chilly water fish than the Brown, typically thought of to be an inhabitant of crystal clear chilly rivers and streams. It might curiosity some to know that the Brown Trout can tolerate temperatures greater than the the Walleye can.
Though it’s not typically pursued by the fly angler, it may be caught on a wide range of fly patterns both as an incidental catch or when a fly angler particularly targets the species. Most freshwater Walleye anglers know that this fish is a voracious eater of reside bait and anglers who particularly goal this fish usually use reside minnows on their hooks to catch them. With this in thoughts, we are able to know as fly anglers what sorts of patterns usually tend to appeal to a Walleye.
Nevertheless, it’s not simply different fish that Walleye eat. In a examine by John R. M. Kelso, Division of Zoology, on the College of Manitoba, all of the Walleye that had been examined had been discovered to have Gammarus lacustris of their stomachs. What are Gammarus lacustris? These are scuds that many fly anglers will try and imitate when fly fishing for rainbow and different trouts.
So we all know that utilizing scud patterns is an efficient guess for concentrating on Walleye on the fly rod.
Nevertheless, holding in thoughts what most freshwater anglers find out about fishing for these species; that they may readily take reside bait, the fly angler ought to strive these streamer patterns that imitate native fish that Walleye eat. Walleye will feast on younger smolts and any fly sample that represents these could be efficient on Walleye.
In my very own expertise, fishing the very chilly waters of the Athabasca River (which originates within the mountains of Alberta from glacier ice soften and snow runoff), Walleye readily took to leech patterns such because the Viva Zonker and Black Rabbit Strip Leech. Weighted and tied up in a “beefy” fashion, it’s fairly doable to think about the Walleye didn’t see these patterns as leeches, however as small fish.
Regardless of the Walleye thought, it was quite a lot of enjoyable catching this species on the fly rod! And if you happen to’re a fly angler and your buddies are heading out with their reside bait to focus on Walleye, do not hesitate to hitch them and produce alongside your fly rod.
