Plucking Perch In Style

There are few things more fun than catching a mess of bluegill, longear sunfish or other hard-fighting, good-tasting fish that fall under the category of “panfish”.

Texans typically call them all “perch”.

Pursuing them on a flyrod is fun at the next level and has become a passion for TF&G Editor-In-Chief Chester Moore.

“I rediscovered fly fishing during the pandemic and it has become a full-blown passion. I do a lot of bass fishing on the fly, some trout out of state and spend quite a bit of time with families fishing for perch.”

Moore’s Higher Calling Wildlife outreach aims kids facing special challenges at conservation through special expeditions and mentorship.

“I’ve turned several onto fly fishing and of course our bayous, rivers and streams in Texas are loaded with everything from the classic bluegill to Rio Grande cichlids.”

Moore said he travels with an entry level Martin fly combo everywhere he drives or flies.

“I’ve caught everything from peacock bass in Florida to Yellowstone cutthroat on that,” he said.

But lately he has been working with Capt. Steve “Scooby” Stubbe of Mudfish Adventures on Toledo Bend on some custom rods.

“He made me this awesome five weight that has enough backbone for some of the 3-4 pound bass I’ve been catching but also enough action to make catching big perch a ton of fun. I can cast a country mile with this thing,” he said.

Paul Fuzinski, of Aptitude Outdoors, also a TF&G contributor got his hands on a special Mudfish Adventures creation, the “Purple Perch Plucker”.

“It’s a three-weight and it is awesome for bluegill and other panfish. I’ve been using it in Ohio and recently took it to Colorado with Chester to fish for trout in the Big and Little Thompson Rivers.”

Fuzinski said Stubbe is like a mad scientist in a very good way when it comes to rod creation.

“The Purple Perch Plucker not only looks extremely cool, it handles well and allows me to make long, accurate shots with tiny flies.”

Moore loves two particular patterns for fall panfish.

“I call it the love bug pattern. It’s a black nymph with a red or reddish-orange spot. We have lots of lovebugs in the fall and perch will slam them if they hit the water. In super clear water I will use a tiny bee-patterned nymph,” he said.

Fuzinkski is a big fan of topwater action and said tiny poppers in natural colors are his favorites during the early part of fall,

“They love to hit the surface, especially in the evening and it’s so fun to watch them maul a little popper,” he said.

Fuzinksi and Moore have just released Flying Upstream, a documentary about three friends taking part in a fishing quest.

You can watch it here.

“Paul and Chester are two great guys, full of energy who love fishing and getting people hooked on fishing. I’m proud of them for the great documentary they made and to partner with them on making some special rods for their fishing adventures,” Stubbe said.

This will include in 2024 making a special fly rod quarterly to auction off for future Higher Calling Wildlife outreaches.

“We’re making a big difference in kids’ lives and it’s great to have Capt. Scooby and Mudfish Adventures helping that and also making sure me and Paul have killer gear for our forthcoming special fishing quests,” Moore said.

To learn more about Higher Calling Wildlife click here.