***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 Golden Shiner.
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| Golden Shiner on Fly |
OK, take this post with a grain of salt. I've caught a fair number of Golden Shiners on flies. They have been from just a couple of adjacent locations, and have been mostly exceptionally LARGE individuals (8"-11"+). So, I'll give my experience with those. For smaller fish, go with even smaller hooks/flies.
I've been catching these from public lakes where live bait is forbidden...and yet I think these must have gotten into these man-made lakes in the first place by bait-bucket releases. Just my guess. Could they have been intentionally stocked as a food source for bass? Maybe.
I catch the most Golden Shiners very early in the year (like right after ice-out), and late in the year. A cast about 20-50' from shore often finds the fish in these cold-water seasons. Golden Shiners may spawn 4-5 times/year from May to August, where they just broadcast spawn their adhesive eggs onto weeds or the bottom. They do not build nests. As I seem to have the best success very early in the year, they must be feasting in a pre-spawn manner. Or perhaps as the water hints that it is going to be warming up, midges and other aquatic nymphs start to hatch or become more active and available as well.
I've also caught them in the middle of the summer, however. Weed/algae growth is fairly severe in the middle of summer, so its tough to get to these fish, but they can be in any openings or channels found through these weed/algae beds. And sometimes a long cast into deeper water will find where these fish are during summer.
3 wt to 5 wt 9' fly rods will work fine for these larger specimens of Golden Shiners, as they actually fight pretty good, about the same as a Largemouth Bass of the same size. Don't horse them in, or your hook could pull out. 2 lb to 6 lb Fluorocarbon tippet is plenty strong for these fish.
Golden Shiners will feed on the surface, and pretty much down to the bottom. They probably won't pick a fly up off the bottom, however, so keep it suspended. Hook sizes for these big ones tops out at about a #10. #12-#14 would probably be even better. Any small nymph or midge can catch them. I catch most of mine on small 1/80th oz microjigs with a #10 hook. Keep the tail material short, and best colors for me have been grizzly marabou tail with silver or gold metallic mylar chenille body. I keep these microjigs suspended with an Original size Fish Pimp Strike Indicator.
If they are around, it usually doesn't take long to get a strike. The strikes are quick and often subtle... if you've experienced very small bluegills hitting your fly, its kind of like that. You have to either hook them right away, or hope they hold onto the fly long enough or take it deep enough in their mouth to pull the indicator below the surface. Aggressive takes like that aren't typical.
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| Size 12 or 14 Microjigs, tied on custom-made heads |
Again, cast into open water, open pockets, or along weed edges for your best chance at finding these fish. They seem to hang in small groups, but the groups do seem to move around. So you might catch one or two from a spot, then have to start casting to either side of that spot to figure out which way the group might be heading.
Golden Shiners are challenging and fun, and they are such an interesting fish! I really enjoy catching them on flies. Find some fish near you, and get after them! Good luck!
Here's some pics of Golden Shiners I've caught while flyfishing:
