Targeting Gar With Rope Flies

Photo: Biodiversity Heritage Library/Flickr

Fly fishing’s evolution over the past 20 years has been intriguing to watch, especially as techniques get refined to chase fish that wouldn’t be considered “traditional” quarry on a fly rod.

The longnose gar certainly wouldn’t fall into the “traditional” category, but there’s a growing subset of anglers who have mastered the technique of chasing them on the fly rod.

The flies are the most interesting part of chasing longnose gar, at least for me. You use a rope fly that doesn’t have a hook; instead, the fly gets tangled in the gar’s teeth, and you have to learn to “set” that fly and fight the fish without the security of a hook to back you up.

It’s all very intriguing, and you can read more about it in this recent story over at Fly Fisherman Magazine.