Now that shrimp have flooded the marsh ponds, better pack those shrimp flies into your box. Among the many choices are Kwans, Charlies, Crystal Shrimp, Borski Hair Shrimp, Popovics Shrimp and Coma Shrimp.
If none of those work, pull out the dynamite. Just kidding. But a crab fly or spoon fly will be just as effective.
This month, specks will be heading to the beaches. So will humans. The humans who bring fly tackle should have no problem catching the former on calm days. Grand Isle to Fourchon in the east and Peveto Beach in the west will find trout in the surf wanting to hit Clousers and weighted Seaducers.
Some interior areas will continue to hold numbers of school trout. Look for reefs and tidal channels. Try poppers early, followed by Clousers under VOSIs (fly-rodders’ popping corks) as the sun rises.
In freshwater, bream are taking popping bugs early and late. Remember to make a tiny strip, and then pause a few seconds. Most of the strikes come on the pause.
If April showers bring May flowers and those flowers have bees, then you better have jitterbees in your fly box. Bream love them, and they’re a great alternative to poppers. The best colors are black/chartreuse in greenish waters, and black/orange in tannic waters. Fish them over beds under strike indicators.
Bass are also hitting surface flies early and late. Hair bugs, Flip Flop Poppers, and Boogle Bugs are good choices. If a pure surface fly doesn’t work, consider one that dives. Dahlberg Divers and Gurglers create lots of subsurface vibration that attract bass when other flies won’t.
Rio Grande cichlids are very active now through September in New Orleans waterways. These are ideal for ultralight fly tackle (1-weight to 3-weight). Wet flies in natural colors will get the most strikes.
