Request For Help

[stinger160]

I'll be at Montauk late next week. Never been there. Any suggestions on best fly fishing tactics, flies etc?

[jah]

I'll be at Montauk late next week. Never been there. Any suggestions on best fly fishing tactics, flies etc?

If you're nymphing, fish deep with copper johns, any nymph with lots of flash, pink or orange eggs, princes, scuds, and the usual. I always try to fish as deep as I can with a dropper rig with weight. For dries I usually use a stimulator, elk hair caddis or a parachute adams. However, I'd make sure you have some October caddis. Tore them up this time last year on this fly.

The best idea is to scroll through all the Montauk posts from the last few years for the time frame you're going down to see what people had success on.

As far as places, I like the fly fish only section above the dam (waterfall). There is a deep pool just above the fall, and then a longer stretch of slower water before you get to the "boulder hole". This hole has loads of fish as well as loads of fishermen. Keep moving upstream after you fish this hole and you'll find good water.

Jim

[ozark trout fisher]

I'll be at Montauk late next week. Never been there. Any suggestions on best fly fishing tactics, flies etc?

Little #16-18 Beadhead Hare's Ear Nymphs are my favorite fly on the upper Current and in Montauk. Dead drift them deep under a small strike indicator-some areas you'll need to add split shot and others not. Where there is a deep slot by the bank with a fallen tree or a boulder or something, there will be lots of fish. The little pocket water stretches will also produce trout.

Other flies that work well-small orange and pink egg patterns, Olive Mohair Leeches, and Olive Woolly Buggers. Hoppers are still out, so you'll want some hopper patterns too, especially for mid-day. Soft hackles can be really good too.

My best piece of advice is to fish outside the park. There are still plenty of fish, and much less competition. Also other fisherman tend to be a lot more courteous once you get below the park boundary. I'd suggest you go out the back door of the park and hit the water around Tan Vat or Baptist Camp- or better yet go further down and fish Parker Hollow. With the low water, the best fishing will probably be in the deep pools, but don't ignore the riffles and pocket water.

Be ready for Olive hatches as well. A #18 or 20 Adams will usually get it done, but it pays to have some smaller and more accurate patterns around as well. And you'll always need some Elk Hair Caddis any time you're anywhere near the Current River, #12-16. And a #14 or 16 Parachute Adams will sometimes take fish when there isn't a lot of bug activity.

Unless conditions change, you'll need a long (10.5 to 12 foot) leader tapering to at least 6x and maybe 7x in the slow water. Also, you'll want to keep your indicators small and your drifts good.

[stinger160]

Thanks guys! I printed your replies and its off to the fly shop. Will report when we get back.

[Idylwilde]

I'll be at Montauk late next week. Never been there. Any suggestions on best fly fishing tactics, flies etc?

Be sure to check in at the Reed's fly shop they have the info on what is working day by day.

[Outside Bend]

If you're comfortable fishing them, I'd throw in some itty-bitty stuff as well- Griffith's Gnats, as well as some emerger patterns like the RS2 and WD-40 in gray, cream, and olive. Midge hatches are pretty prolific down there, and many of the fish seem to really target the small stuff.

[Terry Beeson]

May be too late, but do go by Reed's Cabins (fly shop) and visit with Darrel there. He fishing the park pretty much daily and will have the latest updates and fix you up right.

[stinger160]

Thanks for the additional replies. I have a bunch of midges, will keep that in mind. And will stop by Reed's. We leave Thursday around noon fishing at Montauk all day Friday. Then off to Bennett and maybe Roaring River over the weekend. Back home on Monday. Can't wait!

[stlfisher]

Use light line 7x fluorocarbon inside of the park and the smallest flies you have. The water is low and very clear. Lot's of fisherman out last weekend both inside the park and out of the park. The park fished tough due to all the people, but there are boatloads of fish in the fly only section. C/R during the winter is going to be stellar this year.

[stinger160]

Just got back from our trip. Did really well at Montauk. Fished a lot in the catch and release area. Hooked some big rainbows! Too bad they're so strong. Landed a couple in the 2 - 3 lb range. Had a much larger fish on twice but couldn't get them in the net. But great fun. Largest trout I've ever hooked. Most hooked on scuds, bead head nymphs of one sort or another with extra lead to keep them down in fast water. 7X tippets necessary to get bit. We then went to Roaring River, good fishing but the size was much smaller. Low water meant long leaders and even down to 8X. Helped me get more strikes and since the size wasn't much didn't loose hardly any fish. Learned a new trick, a dry fly with a dropper (a small midge). A pain to tie up but got lots more fish with the midge added.

Thanks for all the help from this forum, can't wait to go back!

JIm