# Weirdest catch on a fly?



## jhammer (Jun 13, 2011)

What's the strangest fish you've ever caught on a fly rod in Ohio? By strange it can include ones typically not caught on the fly, or fish that are somewhere they're usually not. Here's my list:

-Giant shad from the Maumee River at Providence Dam. It was around 14 inches!
-An 18 pound flathead from the Maumee at the Independence Dam. He engulfed a size 8 clouser.
-A walleye last August at Providence Dam.
-18" muskie caught in the Sandusky River near Fremont while pitching chartreuse/white clousers for white bass.
-While fly fishing a small creek in Wyandot County, I caught and photographed a tiny tiger muskie. It was even identified by both the Wyandot County and Defiance County ODNR officers. 
-An american eel caught on a black/white clouser at Providence Dam. I had my picture in the bait store there for a while. 
-I hooked into a steelhead but lost it while fishing the Auglaize River in October 2007 while trying out a new rod and fly fishing for crappie.


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## BassSlayerChris (Aug 9, 2010)

Ive caught a Snake, painted turtle, Snapping turtle, and a few Bullfrogs


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

Like the post below, I have snagged snakes, caught frogs and turtles several fences behind me, sea gulls, canadian geese and several bats. Fish wise would be Bowfin and Squawfish ( Nor Cal) 

Salmonid


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

the weirdest thing I ever got on a fly was a perch and a gar. also caught some crappie.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

I win.


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

That's a really sweet photo Jeff. Is that back before digital?


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## jhammer (Jun 13, 2011)

Cream, I was just gonna say a clam shell and claim my trophy and then you posted this! You win buddy! I never even seen an all white cat before!


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

fallen513 said:


> That's a really sweet photo Jeff. Is that back before digital?


That right there is pre-digital, I believe it was called "film." Then digitally scanned on an old crappy scanner.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

jhammer said:


> Cream, I was just gonna say a clam shell and claim my trophy and then you posted this! You win buddy! I never even seen an all white cat before!


That was when I was first starting to fly fish, this pond had a bunch of stocked cats, one was albino. We saw it all the time, and the pond owner claimed it couldn't be caught. I was catching bluegills on a #12 Prince Nymph when the guy threw in some dog food to chum up the cats. They were going nuts on that stuff. I was still throwing the Prince when ol' ****** sucked it in!


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## toobnoob (Jun 1, 2010)

I just caught my 2nd rock of the year on a clouser. Personal best too, probably close to a pound. 

That white cat is a sweet catch!


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

One time I was fly fishing and set my gear down with a bunch of fly line still out to switch flies. As I'm looking through my flies, a large golden retriever comes up and does the happy dance all around me, sniffing everything, tangling itself up in the line... then it takes off to it's owner, all my gear in tow. 


I'm watching the fly zip around the dogs legs as the weight of the rod & reel serve as an anchor. I freaked out thinking this is the best thing that could ever happen, this dog is going to get hooked in the hindquarters, then REALLY take off & who knows how we'll even solve this.

I sprinted after the dog as he was beginning to get so tangled he couldn't run...I DOVE into the mess of line and grabbed the tangle of mono and broke it with my bare hands. Cut my hands pretty good but I was much more concerned about the alternate outcome.


No pics, but definitely a weird "near" catch. I keep better control over my hooks & gear after that one.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

fallen513 said:


> One time I was fly fishing and set my gear down with a bunch of fly line still out to switch flies. As I'm looking through my flies, a large golden retriever comes up and does the happy dance all around me, sniffing everything, tangling itself up in the line... then it takes off to it's owner, all my gear in tow.
> 
> 
> I'm watching the fly zip around the dogs legs as the weight of the rod & reel serve as an anchor. I freaked out thinking this is the best thing that could ever happen, this dog is going to get hooked in the hindquarters, then REALLY take off & who knows how we'll even solve this.
> ...


Snagging doesn't count.


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

To stop him from running I could have just set the hook.


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

Last year I was casting off the boat at while we were docked at the marina just having fun. There are bunches of swifts (or swallows?)
that nest in the buildings. One swooped down and nailed my fly just as it was looping out!
(I guess it looked pretty realistic) 
Poor guy got the hook imbedded into so deeply he didn't survive.
I felt really bad, the wife still teases me about it.


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## MIKE*A (Apr 12, 2009)

I have a similar story to fallen513 only it was my dog.....when my balck lab was a pup, I used to take her fishing w/me. One day i was at a small private pond and no one else was around so I let her off her lead so she could walk around and do her thing......a few minutes later, i hooked a good sized blue gill that started splashing around on the surface, next thing i know, my dog is diving into the water chasing my fish.....long story short, she got all tangled up in my line w/the fish flopping around on her back.....I finally got her ashore/untangled/fish released......as far as a real catch, i was fishing a lagoon near my house chasing bass w/a chartreuse/white clouser, felt a light strike, stripped in line, felt weight on the line, but no fight....I thought maybe I snagged some debris....got my fly in and there was a big crayfish hanging on it....he apparently reached up as my fly went by and grabbed him with a claw....several casts later, i caught another one the same way.......30+ years of flyfishing...never caught a crayfish before that day or after.....

Mike


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## jhammer (Jun 13, 2011)

Didn't get any pictures but I have a doozy after my Grand Rapids fishing adventure. I was using my 8wt and a size 10 Micro Rabbit Strip Leech and casting at some bigmouth buffalo, and I had the smallest bump. I set the hook and nothing. Well, I went to back cast and I noticed that my fly was silver. I caught a 3" Gizzard Shad! 

He wasn't snagged or foul hooked. He had the little leech in his mouth!

In other fun news, I stepped in a REALLY deep hole and went for a swim with all my gear on!


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

jhammer said:


> In other fun news, I stepped in a REALLY deep hole and went for a swim with all my gear on!


 we all know how that feels!


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## Rod Hawg (Jan 13, 2011)

I didn't do it. But one of our guides Fly Fishes for Halibut in Alaska. His biggest is 35lbs.


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## Andrew S (Jul 7, 2011)

A surfer, in southern California. He just waded into shallow water, unhooked himself, tossed my fly in the water, and paddled back out. He was big, too!

I used to see him on the beach now and then for a couple years after that. Seemed to be doing fine.


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## Andrew S (Jul 7, 2011)

Rod Hawg said:


> I didn't do it. But one of our guides Fly Fishes for Halibut in Alaska. His biggest is 35lbs.


Halibut are a very common fly fishing target in California. I've caught dozens. But that species is the California halibut, which is usually 2-8 lbs in the surf zone, and never more than about 40 lbs. The Pacific halibut in Alaska, as you probably know, get enormous.


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## Andrew S (Jul 7, 2011)

Oh yeah - I forgot. I've also caught bat rays and sting rays (legitimate takes in the mouth...I admit the surfer was foul hooked).


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Strangest thing I ever caught while fly fishing for trout was a bat. Those things have to be really quick as he nailed my Adams on the back cast and was hooked in his mouth.


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## Ghstryder (Apr 1, 2012)

does actually catching it count or picking it up by hand count also becuase today I was at masons landing and found a jimenez 380 pistol i snagged off the bottom


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## ledslinger (Aug 24, 2006)

Gulls, terns, pelicans, turtles. frogs and snagged an otter and a snake to name a few.


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## ckfowler (Jul 14, 2008)

Silver ribbon fish in the surf at SC on a white and yellow gurgler looking for Taylor Blues.


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