Catching A Flounder
Printed From: The Fishing Website
Category: Saltwater Fishing
Forum Name: Saltwater Flyflingers
Forum Description: A forum for saltwater fly fishing enthusiasts
URL: https://www.fishing.net.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=33110
Printed Date: 25 Jul 2026 at 6:27am
Topic: Catching A Flounder
Posted By: Duke270
Subject: Catching A Flounder
Date Posted: 01 Oct 2008 at 3:12am
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Hello, I have done a bit of research (for what there is online) and have seen fly fishing for Flounder is quite a plausible productive exciting way to fish. From what I can make out, they are a reasonably aggressive fish, eating small crabs and sea-worms. Has/Does anyone target these fish on a nice light line? I am assuming the way to target them is similair to harling - ball sinker - with a short trace coming off it to the fly, which is scratched along the bottom (imitating a crab or worm wriggling along bottom, disturbing a bit of mud/silt etc. Are there any other thoughts on this? Any suggestions for a fly? I imagine they don't eat big baits. Any and all thoughts most welcome. UK seem to be quite big on it - but what they call a flounder is more like a Ray!!! They look like they would fight like hell. Line weight? I read somewhere a 12lb trace was used - and that seemed about right to me as I would imagine that it would need to be fairly invisible on the bottom plus you never know what else could jump on this fly!!!! I have also read a bit on people using a veltic style spinner? Who knows what out there in Forum land? Thank you
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Replies:
Posted By: FishMan
Date Posted: 01 Oct 2008 at 7:39am
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Paul,
It's not too hard. Find your flounder, cast a size 8 to 10 beadhead bloodworm nymph at it and tweak the fly right across in front of it. They are quite aggressive and will turn and chase the fly.
I would suggest a floating line so you don't hook up on shells and stuff but make sure your fly is head heavy and sitting hard on the bottom.
The trickiest and most fun thing about flounder is the stalking. Sneaking up to them and placing a fly on their nose is great fun. Get it wrong and you'll spook them. Get it right and they'll be all over the fly.
Cheers.
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Posted By: irishbilly
Date Posted: 01 Oct 2008 at 8:23pm
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This advice is excellent. The first guy i met was in Duneiden about 5 years ago. Just outside duneiden a nice big estuary and good clear water. He was retired and would spend a few hours of the incoming tide stalking flounder with great success with small nymphs that look like small shrimp. He used very light leader about 3 Kg. I havent caught any myself yet but this summer should be the one. Thornton will get a hammering this year or Ohope. Will keep you posted. ------------- Saltwater fly all the way |
Posted By: Duke270
Date Posted: 01 Oct 2008 at 10:30pm
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Great stuff. I can imagine stalking them to be quite a thrill. I was planning on doing quite a bit of the catching from a boat - so more blind fishing. I get the impression that they don't move too far for a feed? Should be just about able to see them from boat anyway if its nice and shallow. Thanks guys and keep me posted on your luck.
The floating line does sound like a good idea otherwise it will pick up quite a bit of damage on some of the bottoms.
Thanks again.
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Posted By: tedc
Date Posted: 02 Oct 2008 at 9:17pm
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Hi
What sort of depth do you wade in while looking for the flounder?
And does it need to be glass calm to spot them.
Cheers
Ted
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Posted By: FishMan
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2008 at 8:29am
| Real shallow Ted. It's often best to wade deep and look back into the shallow stuff. Right in the ankle deep water on the leading edge of an incoming tide is where they are. Calm and sunny is best but you can see little puffs of mud in windier water when they are feeding. |
Posted By: Standard Deluxe
Date Posted: 03 Oct 2008 at 12:07pm
| I'll be keen to find out how you got on with that - I am just waiting until I get a cheap reel for salt water before I give it a try. I'll be looking at the local beaches around Beach Haven on the north shore of Auckland, nice silt for flounder and shallow for quite a way out. Will get dirty quicly though so might not be able to stay and work an area for more than a single fish... |
Posted By: tedc
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2008 at 5:32pm
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Thanks for that Craig.
Have you found any stage of the incoming best?
I had thought that the first half would be best as the flounder would be more concentrated coming out of the chanels and that they would be more spread out later on in the tide.
Cheers
Ted
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Posted By: FishMan
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2008 at 8:32pm
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Ted,
I would imagine it just depends on the location. Dead low tide is often good because the tide recedes past oyster level and you often get cleaner sand/mud. When you are fishing so hard on the bottom you have to consider what your fly is going to catch on. Anytime between dead low and full seems to be good.
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Posted By: Pole Dancer
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2008 at 8:50pm
In our local estuary here at Athenree it seems just about any stage of the tide is good but I have a preference for the channel edges on the first of the incoming and then the areas with 6' - 1 ft of water as the tides washes in. I have been using flies which ride hook upwards but there is little to snag on anyway... I am planning on doing more along the inside of Matakana this year as it is very clean sand with very high numbers of flounder... the problem is I am usually distracted by larger yellowtailed things when in those areas... ------------- http://www.clarkreid.co.nz" rel="nofollow - www.clarkreid.co.nz FFF Certified Casting Instructor / Umpqua Designer Tier 
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Craig Worthington wrote:Posted By: Chris.Y
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2008 at 8:02pm
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Over here in Oz I have caught quite a few flounder as by-catch while chasing flathead just inside our coastal bars, usually on very clean sandy bottoms on the last half of a run out tide. I don't think the stage of tide is that important as long as the water is moving. Most of them have fallen to the humble clouser or a beadhead bendback pattern. They are a typical ambush predator and will take small baitfish if they get close enough . Cheers Chris ------------- Fly's Eye's Hangin' out to fish!!!!!!!! |