Goldfish on Fly

***I haven't shared much regarding techniques for quit a while, my recent posts being more about the fish with which I am so enamored.  I'm going to start sharing more specifically what I've learned for the various species I've caught.

We all know fish in different waters can behave differently and have different preferences.  But I think overall this will give folks who want to try for certain species more info that can hopefully get them started off on the right foot, rather than going blindly.  We can all shorten our personal learning curve by first learning from the experience of others.***

This blog post is about Goldfish.  (It's going to look very similar to my post on Koi.)

Goldfish on Fly

The biggest challenge is finding a public (or private) water that allows fishing.  I'm fortunate to have found such a place not far from where I live.  I'm certain there are other places scattered around the U.S., most likely where folks who had Goldfish in an aquarium or outdoor decorative water feature may have decided to release the fish into local waters.  They shouldn't do this, but it has happened.

My personal experience with Goldfish comes from ponds in public parks, where fishing is allowed.

It definitely helps if the water is clear enough for sight-fishing....where you can cast toward an individual or group of fish, and see how they react.  I've caught fish that I didn't see first, but the visible fish are your best and easiest targets.

I've caught Goldfish during every month of the year.  As long as the water isn't iced over, I've caught them on flyfishing gear/flies.  They are more active in warmer water.

At times the fish can be lethargic, and I've witnessed many times when park users would stop to feed the fish or ducks, which would cause the Goldfish to start feeding more aggressively.  So, now I occasionally take a small sandwich ziplock bag of cat food (we own a cat), and if the fish aren't cooperating, I can usually change that by tossing a few handfuls of cat food out into the water.  Chumming like this certainly isn't required, but it can help.  Do as you wish.

I use a 9' long 6 wt fly rod.  It is absolutely overkill.  You can use a MUCH lighter fly rod... the only instance the heavier fly rod helps is when needing to hoist a large (10"-14"+) Goldfish up over a handrail or other barrier.  They are also smart, so I prefer to use 6 lb test Fluorocarbon tippet.  You can absolutely go lighter... 2 lb or 4 lb Flouro. There are usually other species, like Koi or Grass Carp in the waters I fish for Goldfish, so that is why I go with 6 lb...or even 8lb tippet.  For fly patterns, small microjigs set below a strike indicator has been my most consistent technique.  I've caught them other ways as well.  But the microjigs have caught many hundreds of Goldfish for me, so I will focus on that.

I like the Fish Pimp Original size football-style strike indicators.  I like to tie my own patterns on Wapsi Super Jig Heads.  They have stronger hooks than most other commercially available microjigs.  I think 1/80th oz with the #10 hook is about perfect for Goldfish.  You may need to go smaller if your local Goldfish are under 5" in length.  I've tried different body materials.  White chenille with a short white marabou tail works very well, but I've caught them on many other colors, including with a body of small or medium silver metallic chenille.  A microjig pattern I've had success with lately, catching Goldfish along with Koi, has a short white marabou or rabbit fur tail, and Peach or Sockeye color Eggstacy chenille, by Flybox, palmered up the hookshank.

Other small weighted egg patterns, like a Y2K, can also work very well.

The depth I set the fly depends on where the fish are.  If they are feeding off or just under the surface, setting it 6" deep might get the most strikes.  Where I fish, 18"-24" is usually a good depth to start with if the fish are visible but hanging a bit deeper.  Adjust your fly to where your fish are, or just above.

I've noticed Goldfish can get interested by watching a fly sink down to near their level, or even dropping below.  Goldfish often take and spit the fly very quickly, so if they are approaching the fly from slightly below, that helps to get some sort of signal from the strike indicator that a take is occurring.  

Goldfish eat everywhere in the water column, from the surface, to rooting in the bottom.  

Goldfish are challenging, and colorful.  They generally do NOT fight nearly as well as a similarly sized Koi... but  I really enjoy catching them on flies. Do some research, find some fish near you, and get after them!  Good luck! 

Here's a few pics of Goldfish I've caught while flyfishing: