Fly Specks
TEXAS BOATING by Lenny Rudow
October 24, 2023
BARE BONES HUNTING by Lou Marullo
October 24, 2023
Chasing Trout with Poppers on the Fly
Feature Story by CHESTER MOORE
LISTEN: (2 minutes, 54 seconds)
THERE ARE FEW THINGS more exciting than catching a speckled trout on a topwater.
Seeing the big, beautiful yellow mouth open to strike a plug is what leads many anglers to spend countless hours making thousands of casts along the coast.
Since the pandemic, I have gotten heavily involved with flyfishing and have caught everything from largemouth bass to Yellowstone cutthroats to peacock bass on the fly from Montana to Oklahoma, throughout Texas and Florida.
My next quest is to spend some serious time in the fall of 2023 and throughout 2024 seeking speckled trout on the fly, and I believe I can catch big ones on poppers.
Poppers are one of my go-tos for largemouth bass and big bluegill.
There are lots of similarities in how a largemouth and speck approach a topwater so I am confident it can be done. I’ve caught specks and sand trout on clousers and shrimp patterns but need your help in expanding information on using poppers for specks.
Have you been successful using poppers on the fly for trout? If so, did you use standard small poppers or larger ones? What colors worked best?
Shoot me any information you have to cmoore@fishgame.com. I want to include it in an upcoming story, and I’m also working on creating my own poppers for personal use—it would be fun to use some of the tips you have given me.
At the time of this writing, I am literally about to leave my office and head out to try some of this on Sabine Lake. Here’s my game plan.
When I bass fish with poppers, I make my cast and let the popper sit at least 10 seconds before moving it. My best fish often hit while its sitting. I can see active feeding trout hitting this way.
When fishing for rainbows or any true trout, anglers often fish a “dry fly”, which is a fancy name for a topwater or surface lure. Usually it mimics a grasshopper, moth or some other bug and they have a tiny fly like a midge eight to twelve inches behind it.
Capt. Jim Onderdonk showed me years ago how he would rig a soft plastic behind a chugger for inexperienced topwater anglers and it produced. I have a feeling this will work for specks on the fly as well. I’ll start with one of my red/white poppers and then experiment with different colors and eventually trailers.
I’m no fly expert but have managed to catch good fish in eight states in four years. I now always travel with fly gear and fish roadside ditches, canals and anywhere I can find. It’s rejuvenated my love of fishing in a big way.
Reach out to me if you have anything about using poppers for trout or any flyfishing trout strategies and we will share so others can enjoy.
—story by CHESTER MOORE
