Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - May/June 2021 - 41
A Redbreast Sunfish caught while fly fishing.
Redbreast Sunfish are gregarious fish. Where you find
one, you will likely find more.
Most of the better Redbreast Sunfish I catch are around
7 inches, some 8-inches, and a few 9-inches. However,
Redbreast Sunfish are a broad-bodied fish. At any size,
these fish know how to turn its flanks against the current
and pull until you have them in hand. Its best identifying
feature is its long, dark " ear " or opercle flap.
Catching made easy
These days, I do not dare baitfish for Redbreast Sunfish
without a circle hook, size 10 or 12. Redbreast Sunfish
www.fishandboat.com
are worm swallowers, so a
baitholder and other J-shaped
hooks are unnecessary and may
harm these fish.
But, there is no need to
use bait to catch Redbreast
Sunfish. Light fly fishing
tackle, a 3- through 5-weight
rod, depending on the water
you are working, offers the
most versatility and sport.
For instance, when I wade the
Delaware River between Easton
and Trenton or the Juniata
River from Port Royal east,
a 9-foot, 5-weight rod is my
choice, because I may need to
make substantial casts with a
sinking poly tip. When working
the upper Lackawaxen River
above Hawley or most of the
medium-width tributaries of the
Delaware River and Schuylkill
River, I uncase a 7-foot,
3-weight rod and enjoy the
relaxing tempo of casting a light
rod with a floating line.
Where you may go wrong
when fly fishing for Redbreast
Sunfish is using too large of a
fly-not because the fish will
not try to eat it, but the fish
will constantly nip at it. I have
watched Redbreast Sunfish
repeatedly vacuum a fly, and I
have never felt a tickle on the
line. Also, a fly with appendages
such as long tails or rubber legs
are a waste, because the fish will
just nip at the tips avoiding the
hook point.
My two choices for Redbreast
Sunfish flies are a Tar's Olive
Flash or Woolly Worm pattern,
size 12 streamer hook with a
single wrap of rainbow flashabou over the olive chenille
body and under the trimmed-tight grizzly hackle.
Also, I use a size 12 Improved McGinty with
contrasting yellow and black chenille with a yellow
hackle. Neither fly has a tail.
It is important to keep the fly moving with short,
staccato strips. Rhythmic strips are the only way you
will feel the take as Redbreast Sunfish may strike
rapidly. To set the hook, grasp the fly line firmly and
raise the rod as fast as you can.
Though the Redbreast Sunfish is an excellent quarry
for young fly anglers, it surely is not just a kid's fish.
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * May/June 2021
41
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - May/June 2021
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - May/June 2021 - Cover1
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