Tippets

Ask any veteran fly angler and they’ll tell you that August is perhaps the toughest month of the year for fly fishing in Louisiana — with three very notable exceptions.

The first is pelagics. You don’t need to make a long boat ride offshore to get into hot and heavy action. In fact, in some cases, a kayak will suffice!

Jack crevalle will be busting schools of mullet in lakes Pontchartrain, Catherine and Borgne, as well as inside waters and beaches around Grand Isle, Elmer’s Island, Grand Terre, and Last Island. Any large baitfish pattern will work.

Spanish and king mackerel are two of my favorite species on fly rod, and both are very active this month. Spanish will also invade inside waters, with best action on larger fish around passes on an incoming tide.

For jacks and kings, a 10-weight rod or higher, with a disc drag reel holding at least 200 yards of backing, will be needed to land these brutes.

Tripletail will be hanging off crab traps and buoys, particularly in Borgne and Breton Sound. Tossing shrimp patterns like the Cinco Shrimp will entice more strikes.

For the toothy denizens, a bite tippet using wire is required. If the fish avoid the wire, try heavy fluorocarbon instead, but be prepared to replace often.

The second exception is night fishing under lights. A tan/white Clouser Minnow cast under lighted piers and docks for both species of trout is a cool alternative during “SweatFest 2014.” So far, this has been an excellent summer for white trout on the fly, with many 10-12 inch fish being caught.

The third exception is stream fishing. Many of the streams that run through the Kisatchie Hills and Florida Parishes run low and clear this month, making for great action on spotted bass and longear sunfish (aka, “killer gobbules”). Try poppers, gurglers, woolybuggers, fluff butts and small clousers.