Catfish, Panfish and More on a Fly

Intro | Gear | Food | Tactics | Catfish | Clouser

The Susquehanna has other gamefish worth catching. Panfish--rock bass, crappie, redbreast, and pumpkinseed--concentrate in the slower water. Below the four impoundment dams south of Middletown, from York Haven to Conowingo, and in the deeper holes of the upper branches and around the Fabri-dam (a remarkable engineering wonder) at Sunbury, you can find walleyes, though too few fly fishermen angle for them. Similarly, muskies are only occasionally caught in the middle section noted for its bass, but they are regularly taken in the West Branch around Williamsport and in the upper reaches of the North Branch.

Some fly fishers pursue carp on a regular basis. They either sight cast to the fish with sinking nymphs, or they anchor their boat and blind cast and slowly retrieve their fly across shallow bottoms where the fish are known to feed. A ten-pound carp will make your drag scream.

Channel catfish may be the most intriguing of all the Susquehanna's fly-fishing targets. While they often hit offerings intended for smallmouth, they become a prime target at dusk and after dark, particularly during the heavy White Fly hatch and spinner fall. Catfish are more spooky than most trout. A noisy approach, splashy cast, or dragging fly assures refusals. It's also difficult to locate sippers and gulpers in the darkness, when they take up position in slow currents and gently suck many spinners from the surface. Their heads and red eyes at night can be a bit unnerving, but the thrill of hooking a large catfish (most surface feeders are over three pounds) makes for a memorable experience.

When surface fishing for catfish, use a fixed length of line. Move little, and strike at any suspicious noise or movement near your dry fly. In this brand of instinct fishing you can strike ten times or more before you hook up, but the fish may run over five pounds. The game is eerie, but if you can manage to outwit one or two fish a night, a good average, you won't believe the commotion or long runs they can create. Catfish have astounding strength and stamina.

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