Gar flies

[dusty montgomery]

Any of you guys got a go-to fly for chasing gar? I found one in a back issue of Hatches, tied some up to try tomorrow to try out, but that only brings my gar box up to one pattern.

Thanks guys.
D.

Edit:
I was able to find some of the nylon rope flies, but I was hoping for something different.

[Josh England]

You can use a polar fibre minnow, it works the same way as the rope lure, by getting in the gars teeth.

[Zach Matthews]

Those are Kent Edmonds’ flies (also Kent’s photo), and I’ll vouch for them.  They work great on gar.  In my limited experience the gar seemed to like them more when they were sort of hovered just beside the gar’s head; I think they like to pretend they are a stick and then slice their jaws sideways.  I didn’t get any strikes stripping them across the gar’s face.

Kent’s site, http://www.flyfishga.com, has a lot of great resources on gar fishing, including a helpful article.

Zach

[dusty montgomery]

Thanks for the info. guys.
D.

[Steve K.]

Dusty…that photo is a exactly how I tie them. I also add a few strands of pearlescent flashabou. I also add the banding like the top one….using a permanent Sharpee marker.I don’t use any weight….neutral bouyancy seems to work best….and it’s strictly a sight-fishing affair for me.

[dusty montgomery]

Thanks Drifter, but are the above flies not intended for the long-nosed gar, meant to get wrapped up in all of the teeth? I will have to do some research, but I am pretty sure that the gar locally aren’t long-nosed. Would this matter?
D.

[Kent Edmonds]

Definitely work with longnose or spotted gar. According to TPWD (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/water/aquaticspecies/inland.phtml) you have both, plus alligator & short-nose. They say “entanglement” lures will catch all of them.

If you get a bigger alligator gar, I’d suggest you let him keep the fly. 🙂

Kent - FlyFishGA

[Steve K.]

…and a good set of gloves….White Mules come to mind.

[dusty montgomery]

Definitely work with longnose or spotted gar. According to TPWD (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/water/aquaticspecies/inland.phtml) you have both, plus alligator & short-nose. They say “entanglement” lures will catch all of them.

If you get a bigger alligator gar, I’d suggest you let him keep the fly. 🙂

Hey Kent,
Did not mean to poach your images, and thank you for the comments. I will have to give them a try. I seem to find them in shallow, fast current most often. I will see what happens.

Drifter….White Mules? Is that a GA specialty glove?

D.

[Steve K.]

Si’ senor……..

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