Striper on a fly

[Ryan Pultz]

Ok in Aug we will be going to se family for a week in California and wile down there I will be doing some fishing one of the fish I am going after is striper both on O’Neal four bay and also the Stanislaus River. What flies should I start to tie now I was thinking some kind of minnow imitation with crystal flash in it any idea oh and I will be using my 9ft 8wt fly rod with sinking tip line. Any help would be nice.

[ 04-14-2003, 06:44 PM: Message edited by: Ryan Pultz ]

[greenbuttskunk]

I flyfish for them back in the northeast in the salt, but that might be a different gig. I'd take a floating line too. I get alot of fish on clouser minnows. Going for them during a visit in Mass. in tow weeks. Yippeee!
Chartreuse can be a good color, white.
minnow imitations work well too. See what kind of baitfish will be around there. You can likely find a fly shop near there to inquire about flies.
8 wt. should be fine, unless it's windy.
Have fun.

[South Paw]

I've never done stripers there either but I'd start tying some hot glue or epoxy headed bait fish imatations in white and blue or white and green with a little flash. Find out what kind of bait fish is in the water and match it. Probably shad or anchovy. I might build some big Dan Blanton Whistlers or Chico's Seaducers that move alot of water and fish them with a real heave tip mabee even with a spey rod so you can really crank em without getting fatigued from casting all day. In August you might have a weed problem so make some weedless as well. I'd probably make a few Left's Deceivers in blue/white green/white and red/white. Again having not been there I may be full of hot air but that's what I'd start with. Of course once you get there you still might have to buy the right flies but trying to guess what's going to work and tying them is part of the fun.

Good Luck

[Ryan Pultz]

If I remember right there are not to many weeds. And the bait fish in there are shad and even some trout so you know the big boys are feeding on small trout. I remember as a kid hooking a trout and having a striper take it right off the line to this day we always use a really heavy rod wile fishing for trout in that area.