Before we get started, just a word of warning to you beginner and intermediate tiers — everything about this pattern is fairly easy to tie except for the final couple of steps. In terms of skill building, however, I believe that these difficult steps are absolutely worth learning and practicing.

My fascination with the pattern started a couple of years ago when I was invited to do a Tie-Off, against none other than legendary fly tier and guide Davy Wotton, at the Sowbug Roundup in Mountain Home, Arkansas. I stressed and practiced tying this fly, the Welsh March Brown, for a good four months before heading south for the Roundup. Up until the event, I was setting the wings correctly only about 50% of the time.

On the day of the Tie-Off, the fly tying gods were apparently shining down on me, and I set the wing about as well as I possibly could. By applause reaction from the crowd, the competition was declared a draw, about the best result I could ever imagine.

Since then, I’ve continued not only tying the pattern but fishing it as well, and I’m pretty happy with the results of both. I like to fish it in a tandem rig, usually behind a rather floaty parachute-style fly. Cast upstream and slightly across, the March Brown drifts in the surface film or just below it, while the parachute acts as an indicator. What’s sort of remarkable to me is how often I’ll get a take on the March Brown at the end of a drift, just as I’m beginning to re-cast. I kind of get the feeling that trout will track the fly for a while as it dead drifts but the slight pull, right before a re-cast, triggers them to take. That’s my theory anyway.

In terms of tying, the only material that can be a little difficult to get a hold of are a matched set of hen pheasant wings. If you know of any bird hunters, they can be an excellent source. Although other materials, like mottled turkey, can be substituted, I think that hen pheasant has just the right markings, length and foldability. It’s important to use the leading edge from the secondary feathers of the wing as opposed to the primary feathers, where the fibers are too short, or any of the trailing fibers on the wings, which although long, are generally too soft.

This Welsh March Brown may not be your cup of tea to tie or to fish but, preparing and setting the hen pheasant slip wing is a skill that is well worth learning, and can be translated to a whole slew of wet fly patterns. Not to worry if the wings don’t set perfectly, as the fly should still fish well. A special thanks to Davy Wotton for suggesting this pattern for the Tie-Off, as learning it and tying it has definitely made me a better tier.

About the Author:

Tim Flagler is a leading fly-tying instructor, appears at tying shows across the United States, and guides anglers to fly-angling destinations around the world. To learn more, visit tightlinevideo.com. Tim and his wife, Joan, live in New Jersey.

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Although I call this fly a Micro Egg-Sucking Leech, I’m not exactly sure trout mistake it for a leech. Instead, they may simply believe it is one of any number of living things — and living things mean protein, and protein provides the energy trout need for survival. This leech can be viewed as a mash-up of four very effective fly patterns: Landon Mayer’s Mini Leech, Pat’s Rubber Legs, a basic egg fly, and maybe a bit of Frenchie thrown in for good measure. For whatever reason, the combination simply works — especially during the winter months.

A Pat’s Rubber Legs stonefly nymph ranks among the most effective flies ever conceived. I tie a slew of variations of the original, and all seem to work. The one thing these variations have in common is variegated coffee-and-black chenille, which gives them a mottles appearance. I’m convinced that this mottled coloration is the key to the fly’s effectiveness. Having experimented with other color combinations and materials, I’ve found that they work as well, as long as they can be combined to produce something with a mottled look. On this fly, that look is achieved by twisting two differently colored strands of Fulling Mill Ultra Dry Yard together — first furling them to form the tail, then wrapping them to form the body.

The orange bead serves two functions, weight being the most obvious. Because the fly is tied on a jig hook with a slotted tungsten bead, it sinks fast and gets down to where trout like to be — quickly. Also, because Ultra Dry Yarn is slightly buoyant, the fly tends to ride in a nearly horizontal manner — not quite like a balances leech, but close.

The bead’s second function, since it’s orange, is either to imitate an egg or simply to draw the trout’s attention — who knows? But orange beads certainly seem to work, again, particularly in winter. The orange dubbing behind the bead helps to cover up unsightly thread wraps and gives the fly a Frenchie look, which is always a good thing.

Fishing the Micro Egg-Sucking Leech is much like fishing any other nymph, whether you’re using it below an indicator or Euro-nymphing. Cast upstream, allow the fly to get to depth, and aim for as drag-free a drift as possible. The slight difference comes at the end of your drift: stop the rod to allow the fly to slowly rise in the water column. It’s remarkable how many takes I get just before I’m about to recast.

The Micro Egg-Sucking Leech can be tied in a variety of color combinations. I tend to go darker for flies used during the colder months and lighter for warmer months. Materials other than Ultra Dry Yarn — but similar to it — can certainly be used. But the translucency and slight buoyancy of Ultra Dry Yarn make it a really good choice.

Tim Flagler is a leading fly-tying instructor, appears at tying shows across the United States, and guides anglers to fly-angling destinations around the world. To learn more, visit tightlinevideo.com. Tim and his wife, Joan, live in New Jersey.

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Whether you love them or hate them, it’s hard to deny the effectiveness of perdigon-style flies for catching trout. As I understand it, these patterns were developed in Spain—perdigón is Spanish for “pellet”—popularized in France, and spread across the globe through international fly-fishing competitions. The effectiveness of perdigon patterns makes them popular, especially when fishing fast water. The designs generally employ tungsten beads, which help the flies sink quickly, and slim, varnished bodies that offer less resistance as they sink and move through the water. Most perdigon flies also have a hot spot. In addition, these patterns are exceptionally durable, require only a few materials, and can resemble a wide variety of aquatic macroinvertebrates during spring, which can be frustrating.

Although the Jig Napoleon is certainly perfectly suited to Euro nymphing techniques, it also fishes well beneath a floating indicator or in smaller sizes trailing a dry fly that floats well. This particular perdigon-style fly is called the Jig Napoleon. How it got its name, I’m not really sure, but it has been around for a while. I became aware of it, however, only this past spring while fishing in Patagonia. Most of the guides carried them, and these flies outproduced virtually all other subsurface flies used by our group. Depending on water conditions, we fished sizes 12, 14, and 16 in several different color combinations. All of them worked extremely well. I, for one, was sold and have been tying and using them here in the U.S. ever since.

The reason perdigons sink so fast is that they’re very heavy, and I’ve added lead-free round-wire wraps behind the bead to really get the fly down. A coating of UV resin over the entire body streamlines the fly, which further contributes to its sink rate, in addition to making it incredibly durable. By changing the colors of the underbody and the hotspot collar behind the head, tiers can produce Jig Napoleons to suit a wide variety of needs. The color combination shown here is definitely my favorite, but one with a darker abdomen and a fluorescent-green collar is a close second. I have a sneaking suspicion that it does a good job of imitating a cased caddis.

On all variations, I like a band of black thread behind the hotspot collar, as it seems to tie everything together and may—or may not—represent a wing case. The UV-resin coating should be fairly thin, yet thick enough to fill in between the wire-rib wraps.

This version of the Jig Napoleon is a bit simpler than the original, mainly because I have replaced the quill body with a mylar body topped with a wire rib. The quill body looks great, but pre-stripped quills can be costly and have a nasty tendency to break during tying, which can be frustrating.

Tim Flagler was this publication’s Fly Tyer of the Year in 2022. He is a leading fly-tying instructor, appears at tying shows across the U.S., and guides anglers to fly-fishing destinations worldwide. To learn more, visit tightlinevideo.com. Tim and his wife, Joan, live in New Jersey.

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The tail of the fly is straightforward—just a few fibers from a wood duck flank feather, because wood duck always looks good. The polypropylene wing is unique in that it is furled, which greatly increases its stiffness. In addition, it’s anchored at two points on the hook shank, making it far less likely to spin. Because the polypropylene fibers are contained until the very end, they can’t get tangled when wrapping the hackle.

The body of the fly is also quite unique. It employs two complementary yet contrasting colors of dubbing—here, Kapok. Rather than simply blending the colors, they’re twisted together, with one color forming each strand of a dubbing loop. The result is a mottled body that looks incredibly lifelike. The markings are small, but I believe trout see them and register that nearly all living things are similarly mottled. And if it’s living, it’s protein—thus nutritionally available to them.

The hackle-as-post treatment is also a bit different: It’s wound up the post rather than down. The hackle tip is tied off on the post above the hackle wraps, and the final whip-finish is performed there as well. After a drop of head cement is applied to these thread wraps, the adhesive will wick down the post and secure the somewhat delicate hackle stem.

This wrapping and tying method has several advantages. First, it leaves the body of the fly—the part that trout see best—extremely clean. Second, it leaves the hook eye completely unobstructed. In addition, though subtle, the method allows the hackle feather to be wrapped so that the concave feather barbs face downward. The advantage here is that the hackle points touch the water’s surface in a manner similar to a natural mayfly’s legs. Surface tension supports these hackle points, helping the fly stay on the water’s surface better than hackle points that curve upward.

Recipe:
Hook: Lightning Strike DF1 dry fly hook in size 14.
Thread: Semperfli Classic Waxed 12/0 in tan.
Tail: 8-10 wood duck fibers. Post: White polypropylene floating yarn.
Body color 1: Semperfli Kapok dubbing in danica.
Body color 2: Semperfli Kapok dubbing in light brown.
Thorax: Semperfli Kapok dubbing in light brown.
Hackle: Light brown grizzly hackle to match body color.

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Detailed instructions for tying a CDC and Elk Caddis. This is part of a series of Tim Flagler’s collaboration with Fly Tyer Magazine. Check out his article about the fly in the Spring 2025 issue of Fly Tyer Magazine.

Recipe:
Hook: Lightning Strike DF1 dry fly hook, size 16.
Thread: Semperfli Classic Waxed, 12/0, tan.
Body/legs: CDC feather.
Wing/head: Deer hair.

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For far too many years I believed that fishing streamers during the winter months was basically a fool’s errand. Nearly everything that I was told or read, suggested that trout would only take precisely drifted, subsurface patterns or diminutive midge imitations fished on, or near, the water’s surface. Boy, was I wrong. Yes, trout tend to be more lethargic during the winter months and don’t eat as aggressively. But, here’s the deal, even on the darkest and coldest of winter nights, they’re out in the river or stream, paddling their little fins off. Such activity demands fuel, and fuel for trout comes in the form of protein. In simplest terms, they have to eat to survive, no matter what month of the year.

The realization that I could effectively fish streamers during the winter came quite by accident, one February evening, several years ago. I had recently purchased a wonderful little 10.5 foot, 4 weight trout spey set-up and was really dying to give it a try. So, down to my local river I went, tied on a Squirrel and Herl Bugger just to have something on the end of my line, performed a less-than-stellar snap T and let the Skagit head carry the light sink tip, a few feet of tippet and the fly downstream and across. The fly swung only about six feet before I felt a bump then, as it approached the dangle, a full take followed by a somewhat less than spirited battle. I quickly released the 14” rainbow, kind of perturbed that it had interrupted my casting practice with the new rod. As I continued casting, I got several more bumps and landed a couple more fish. It was only when I got home and I was warming myself in front of the wood stove, that I truly realized how well I had done fishing streamers near dark in the winter, it really was an eye-opener.

This pattern, the Black and Blue Bugger, is a slightly modified version of the Squirrel and Herl Bugger I was throwing that February evening. It’s sort of half Woolly Bugger and half Zonker. Blue has always been one of my favorite colors to incorporate into winter fly patterns, be they nymphs, emergers or dries. Here, the Grizzly Saddle Hackle dyed blue provides a nice contrast with the darker pine squirrel back and tail, thus imitating the darker back and lighter belly of nearly all baitfish. Why would a trout chase down a baitfish during winter? Well, probably because a baitfish provides them with a heck of a lot more protein than even a few hundred midge larvae.

I know many of you are going to ask about weight with this fly and suggest a bead or conehead, or even wire wraps around the hook shank. I have tried it with weight incorporated but feel it performs much better without. With a single-hand rod, I fish it at the end of a sinking poly leader, either 3” or 5” per second. With a two-handed trout spey set-up, I fish it off a sinking tip with only about three feet of 2X tippet. In both instances, I believe the fly behaves in a more neutrally buoyant manner, just as normal baitfish do.

Recipe:

Hook: Lightning Strike SN3, size 10.
Thread: UTC 70 Denier, black.
Back/tail: Pine squirrel zonker strip, black.
Body: Chenille, black, medium.
Hackle: Grizzly rooster saddle hackle feather, dyed fluorescent blue.

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by Al Ritt

THE CHOCOLATE LAB JERKED TO THE RIGHT, her glossy coat glowing in the sun and contrasting with the flat golden hue of the native grasses. Her nose pulled her along until the multicolored pheasant exploded skyward like a land mine. Scenes like this have occurred ever since humans discovered how delicious and nutritious game birds are, but fly tiers enjoy an additional bonus from autumn’s bounty.

Before we had plastic flash fibers, synthetic yarns and hairs, and silicone rubber legs, tiers worked with only natural hair, feathers, and fur. If you hunt, autumn is the time to replenish your supply of these attractive and useful natural materials. If you’re not a hunter, this is a great time to touch base with your friends who are, or maybe meet some new friends. Soft-hackle collars are a popular and widely recognized use of game bird feathers, but there are many other uses for wild bird plumage. Let’s look at some of the birds we are likely to encounter and what feathers we might use.

Ring-necked Pheasant for Flies

Ring-necked pheasants are one of the most popular North American game birds. Originally from Asia, they were imported to the United States and released in Oregon in the early 1880s. The PheasantTail Nymph may be the pattern most frequently identified with any game bird, and while this pattern is still very popular, it uses only rooster tail feather fibers. I can’t count the number of times I’ve had someone say that pheasants have many beautiful feathers suitable for making other flies; I completely agree, and I think tiers are missing the boat if they don’t use these feathers on more patterns.

Use pheasant tail feathers for making wing cases, legs, and tails on both nymphs and dry flies. Slips clipped from wing quill feathers, which have more patterning than duck or goose quills, work as wing cases and upright dry fly wings.

Body feathers make colorful soft-hackles, legs, nymph tails, wing cases, and streamer cheeks. Rump feathers, also known as “church window” feathers, have beautiful patterning, and the fibers are long enough for making Spey hackles and long hackle collars. And I frequently use pheasant flank feathers in place of golden pheasant for tying the General Practitioner.

Don’t forget hen pheasant feathers. There are certain situations where hunting hens is legal, and you can use hen feathers much like rooster feathers. Although they are slightly smaller, hen pheasant feathers have a nice buff color to go with the olive/ bronze tones of the roosters.

Grouse Galore and More

There are several species of grouse: ruffed, sharptailed, sage, blue (blue grouse is a broad category encompassing dusky, sooty, and spruce grouse), prairie chicken, and ptarmigan. Grouse are less brilliantly colored than rooster ring-necked pheasants, but they come in a wide range of earth tones, grays, and even white. (Ptarmigan are white in the winter.) Most have barred or speckled feathers that vary from subtle to distinctive shading. In general, grouse feathers are slightly smaller than pheasant feathers, but they are often used in the same manner. Having a selection of different grouse and pheasant skins will allow you to tie flies in many hook sizes using feathers containing a wide spectrum of colors and shades.

Two species of partridge live in the United States: chukar and Hungarian. Ruffed grouse are sometimes called partridge in the Northeast and Midwest, but they are in fact a species of grouse. Partridge are slightly smaller than grouse, making them candidates for tying smaller flies. The colors are primarily brown or gray, and breast feathers are heavily speckled. Wings and tails are relatively small and may be useful for making wing cases but not so much for quill-slip wings. If you don’t hunt or know someone who does, Hungarian partridge are some of the easiest pelts to find in fly shops; they even come in a range of dyed colors.

Quail are typically our smallest upland game birds and include Gambel’s, scaled, mountain, California, and bobwhite. Quail feathers may be gray, blue gray, brown, tan, or white. Many have speckled or barred patterning. Quail feathers are primarily used for making soft-hackle collars on wet flies, and legs and wing cases on nymphs. Due to their diminutive size, however, quail feathers are usually limited to tying very small flies.

“Gobble, Gobble”

If you tie trout flies, you will want to have a supply of turkey feathers on hand. Eastern, Rio Grande, Merriam’s, and Osceola are all North American wild turkeys. Gould’s turkey is a fifth species, but populations of those birds are very low, with limited opportunities for hunting, so those feathers are generally unavailable to fly tiers.

Turkey tail feathers have distinct barring and speckling. Colors range from rich chocolate brown to light tan or buff. Wing feathers are also strikingly barred. Use both types of feathers for making nymph wing cases, grasshopper wings, wings on Muddler Minnows, and other streamer wings. Turkey feathers are also used for making wings on some fancy Atlantic salmon flies. You can even wrap the bodies of flies using long slips clipped from large turkey wing and tail feathers.

Turkey body feathers are iridescent with shades of copper, green, gold, and purple; they make striking wing cases and streamer cheeks. Fibers from body feathers are an attractive choice as nymph tails, legs, shell cases, and beetle shellbacks. Marabou, which once came from the marabou stork, is now obtained from domesticated turkeys, but wild turkeys have these same feathers. Although they are smaller than marabou from domestic birds, you’ll find these brown or gray plumes on the thighs of wild turkeys.

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by Dennis Potter

I always enjoyed fishing the Au Sable River in northern Michigan with John Barton. John was a gentleman with a great sense of humor, and he was an accomplished angler. If he was fishing a dry fly, more often than not it was a small Parachute Adams.

We fished the upper Mason Tract on the Au Sable South Branch on several occasions. I was likely to fish with a hatch-matching fly, while John tied on his beloved Parachute Adams, usually size 18 or smaller. On one occasion, when the little summer slate-wing olives were in the air, he annihilated me with his large catch of trout. John was below me, and I watched him bring fish after fish to hand while I struggled in his wake.

The Parachute Adams is one of the few patterns that has stood the test of time and sits atop the fly anglers’ pedestal with a select group of dry flies. It catches fish in nearly all dry fly situations. Long ago, I gave up using hair of any kind on parachutes, including the Adams. I use The Adams is one of the quintessential American dry flies. And like most famous patterns, it has spawned many variations. Dennis Potter shows how to make his favorite versions of the timeless Adams. Tie the Perfect Adams one of the modern stiff, crinkled synthetics for parachute wings; no more cutting, cleaning, stacking, and struggling to get a wing on the hook. Synthetic materials are a good value, waterproof, available in every color you will need, and create a wonderful wing outline. Join me in using synthetic materials for wings on your parachute dry flies.

Let’s use the Adams family of patterns as examples of how to tie wings on dry flies. In addition to tying synthetic wings, we’ll learn how to make wings using hen hackles. Once you’ve mastered these techniques, apply them to almost any other type of dry fly you wish to tie. Good tying and, more important, good fishing!

How to Make Adams Wings

Let’s start at the beginning and see how to tie wings on an Adams. Once we have this technique in hand, we will look at how to tie the different members of the Adams Family.

Tying on the Wings

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I’m not sure the fly tying or fly fishing world really needs another October caddis pupa imitation, but I’m particularly fond of this one, and it’s been working quite well for me this fall, especially since waters have cooled down a bit.

Recipe:
Hook: 3X-heavy nymph hook (here, a Fulling Mill 5115), size 10.
Thread: Dark brown, 8/0 or 70 Denier.
Rib: Copper brown Ultra Wire, small.
Back: Brown Antron yarn.
Abdomen: Amber Sow & Scud dubbing.
Wingcase: Brown Antron yarn.
Thorax: Pheasant Tail Ice Dub.
Beard: Burnt-orange Brahma Hen chickabou feather.

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by Henry Cowen

Albie Blend
tied by Steve Farrar
Hook: Owner Flyliner, size 2.
Thread: Fine monofilament.
Belly: UV white SF Flash Blend.
Wing: Olive over misty blue SF Flash Blend.
Eyes: 3-D eyes.
Note: Steve Farrar’s Albie Blend is a great little pattern that mimics a number of baitfish commonly available during false albacore season. Tie this pattern in a variety of lengths to match the saltwater hatch from New England to Florida.

FROM NEW ENGLAND TO NORTH CAROLINA, the warmest ocean water temperatures of the year occur sometime around the end of August. It is not uncommon for surface temperatures to push into the low to mid 70’s. This rise in temperature occurs because the Gulfstream moves closer to shore. The warm water attracts false albacore, and we enjoy some of the very best angling of the season.

False albacore first appear in New England—usually around Martha’s Vineyard—and over the next several weeks they work their way south to Wilmington, North Carolina. Why all the excitement, you might ask?

For their size, false albacore are some of the toughest game fish in the ocean. They readily take flies, and you can catch them in great numbers. False albacore go by many names: greenies, apple knockers, bonita, core, fat Albert’s, little tunny, or just plain “albies.” Whatever you call them, false albacore are one of God’s great gifts to saltwater anglers, especially fly rodders.

These Fish Eat Flies

Fishing for false albacore is incredibly fun. First comes the hunt for the fish. Look for terns and seagulls diving on the water’s surface; this is a good sign that albies are tearing through a school of baitfish. A false albacore “blitz” is a memorable experience. It is so visual and exciting that you will relive the event long after the day is over.

Aggressively feeding albies readily take flies. They are so eager, in fact, that sometimes you will look around and see several anglers fighting fish at the same time. And false albacore are also some of the hardest fighting fish in the ocean. While their shape and other characteristics make them look like tuna, they are not; false albacore are in the mackerel family, hence the name false albacore. False albacore meat is mostly red, much like the color of blood, so they have limited value as table fare. This is great news for anglers because most fish are caught and released to live and fight another day.

Craft-Fur Bay Anchovy
tied by Capt. Allen Cain
Hook: Mustad C70SD, size 4.
Thread: White 6/0 (140 denier).
Wing: Root beer craft fur.
Belly: White craft fur.
Eyes: Adhesive eyes.
Glue: Clear Cure Goo.
Note: Capt. Allen Cain designed this wonderful “Surf Candy-like” pattern. Capt. Cain prefers using root beer-colored flies when bay anchovies are the predominant bait.

Hooking and fighting an albie on a fly rod is one of the most memorable angling experiences you will ever have. They run fast, hard, and long. Line will scream off your reel; an albie will put you into your backing in a only a few seconds. And pound for pound, few fish fight as hard as false albacore. If you could tie a rope to the tail of an 8-pound false albacore, and tie the other end to an 8-pound bonefish, the albie would pull the bonefish all over the ocean!

Plenty of Opportunity

Look for false albacore as far north as Cape Cod to as far south as Florida and into the Gulf of Mexico. While their arrival in certain areas varies, when they do show up we enjoy an inshore angling bonanza.

Autumn is prime time for false albacore fishing. The length of their stay is based on the temperature and clarity of the water. Albies do not like dirty water, and they do not like particularly cold water. They may hang around New England for upwards of two months beginning sometime near the end of August, but they usually remain for about four to six weeks.

Look for large schools of false albacore around Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts to Point Judith and Watch Hill, Rhode Island. Follow their migration as they head south to the waters off New York, New Jersey, and points beyond. Look for big schools of hungry albies around Block Island (Rhode Island), Montauk (New York), and Sandy Hook (New Jersey).

The best false albacore fishing in the country is along the coast of North Carolina. Ground Zero for fly fishing for albies takes place near the sleepy little fishing village of Harkers Island, North Carolina. Located at the southern end of the Outer Banks, Harkers Island draws anglers from across the United States to enjoy the fantastic fishing.

Angling writer Tom Earnhardt helped popularize the false albacore fishing on Harkers Island starting in the early 1990’s. Every year he and Jones Brothers Marine put on what they call the Tuna Melt. At the Tuna Melt, which occurs the first weekend in November, hundreds of anglers come to Harkers to fish, enjoy a pig roast, and commiserate with one other. Anglers trailer boats, hire guides, or take a ferry out to Cape Lookout to fish an area called “the Hook.” False albacore show up along North Carolina starting in September and remain through December if the water remains clean and the temperatures are relatively mild.

Finally, look for false albacore from South Carolina to Florida and into the Gulf Coast. The fish show up at different times in Florida. On the East Coast, the fishing seems best from July through September, while on the Gulf Coast the best fishing is from late winter through early spring.

Gearing Up

Tackle selection for false albacore varies depending upon the size of the fish. A seven- or eight-weight rod is ideal for catching juvenile albies in the four- to six-pound class. For fish in the seven- to 12-pound class, a nine-weight rod is the best choice. When you get into the big boys weighing up to 20 pounds, a 10-weight rod will be fine but might not feel stout enough!

Once you battle with Albzilla, you will realize just how mean and tough these fish can be. The choice of reel is simple: it must be capable of stopping a pickup truck pulling onto the freeway. Select a large-arbor reel with a smooth drag, and it must have the capacity to hold at least 200 yards of backing.

Tutti Fruitti
tied by Henry Cowen
Hook: Tiemco TMC811S, size 1/0.
Thread: Fine monofilament.
Wing: Chartreuse bucktail.
Tail: Hot pink bucktail.
Flash: Pearl Comes Alive.
Eyes: I-Balz or a substitute.
Note: Why false albacore eat a fly tied chartreuse-over-pink is anyone’s guess, but Capt. Brian Horsley, of Harkers Island, North Carolina, says the Tutti Fruitti is his go-to false albacore fly.

I am always prepared with several fly lines. I always take a slow-sinking intermediate line and a fast-sinking integrated shooting head. Today, all the fly line companies make nice lines for false albacore fishing, but the RIO Outbound Short F/I is my go-to line when fishing from a boat or the beach. This line has a floating running line with an intermediate slow-sinking head that allows me to quickly pick up and change casting directions. If you are fishing a beach with a lot of breaking waves, however, a full slow-sinking line might be a better choice; the wave action can pull your line back onto the beach, so a line that is completely underwater can help prevent this.

As for terminal tackle, I always prefer a 9- to 10-foot-long fluorocarbon leader because there are times when the bait is so small and the water is so clear that a stealthier, longer leader yields a few extra strikes. When the fish weigh 12 pounds or less, a 12- to 15-pound-test leader works just fine; if the albies are bigger, I use a 20-pound-test leader

Fly selection is the final piece of the puzzle. Like any other fishery, the available forage determines which patterns work the best. The bait varies from region to region; at times, it can even vary from beach to beach. I remember albies eating tiny bay anchovies at Watch Hill Light, Rhode Island, and the anglers just down the road at Weekapaug Breachway, in Westerly, Rhode Island, were seeing fish tearing into silversides.

Do some research before packing your fly box. Call a local fly shop or do on online search to obtain up-to-date reports. One thing is for certain: false albacore feeding patterns can change on a dime. During one tide the fish might be gorging on glass minnows, and after the change of tide they will be ripping through peanut bunker. Silversides (glass minnows), bay anchovy’s (rain bait), peanut bunker, sardines, small mullet, and even squid are all common foods for albies. These fish are opportunistic feeders, so you might even see them eating small crabs and sand eels. There is even super-small bait in the Carolina’s the locals simply call snot bait.

Using a very fast retrieve is the key to catching false albacore. The water is crystal clear so they can get a very good look at your fly. Long quick strips, short quick strips, or even a two-handed retrieve (with the rod tucked under your arm) work most of the time. Your fly should look like it is fleeing or panicking. Everyone has his favorite flies, but this varies from region to region. Anglers in New England through the mid-Atlantic use smaller flies measuring 1 ½ to 3 inches long. Folks fishing the Carolina Coast carry flies measuring 1 ½ to 5 inches long. Florida anglers, however, prefer larger patterns measuring 3 to 6 inches in length.

This thumbnail sketch will get you started fishing for false albacore. The fish are spread along almost the entire Atlantic Coast. It is a terrific and exciting way to conclude the fishing season.

Henry Cowen is a regular contributor to this magazine. He is a fine fly designer and expert angler. Henry lives in Georgia.

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