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Groupers for Fishingkaki Flyers.
Habitat & Fish Behavior
Grouper by natural is a rock dwelling species. Rocks, “Sanko” & Groupers do not depart far from each other. Groupers do not need very deep water to be presence. In shallow waters before our kneecap, they can thrive well too.
By character, they are highly predatory. Often applies an ambush approach to pound upon possible prey. Upon a successful hook up, the short burst of brute strength & speed is the highlight of this fish. If you are looking for such a target & battling stance, Grouper is for you.
Tackles & Flies
Floating line with a longer leader is often the starting gears in shallow waters.
Gauging on the depth where you are fishing, in order to reach appropriate strike zone more efficiently for this fish, you may need to use Intermediate Slow Sink or Sinking lines you may need your fly to scratch some rocks.
Use a single length of 7 – 9ft leader (10 –20 lbs.) like Dupont etc.
Flies & patterns with snag free capability is a good start or else it is definite a suicide mission for your flies. Patterns as Charlies, Half / Half, Clouser, Pink Thing etc will work
Retrieval Action
The most effective retrieval is the “Strip 3 burst, Pause” This short jerks of short strip of approx. 10cm to 20cm per strip, imitates the burst of escaping like a shrimp & pauses to rest… As I uses live prawns for these groupers most of the time, Shrimp is definitely one of the favourite picks of the groupers.
If you would like to try to fish in the night for them… try a slower approach, delay your strips & prolong a second or two for the pause. As the night affects the vision of the fish in general. Only passing flies among the rocks could be an offer the fish. They might only be able to see the silhouette of your fly most of the time.
The fighting stance of this fish is quite sneeky as they will dives for any cover, structure & rocks available in the split second in hope of escaping. Most anglers are caught off guarded at this point & often found their fish in home ground ... "Aiya Sanko"....
What I applied to overcome this bugger usually .... Once an affirmed hook up. I will try to enforce as much pressure to the fish to stop the initial dive. Lifting the rod tip as high as possible, I will fight the fish in short but fast strokes of retreival the line back . This will promptly confuse & turn the fish to the surface. Overcome the initial few runs & the fish will be your prize. Else if one chooses to enjoy the yank... slowly fight the fish left... right, left... right... usually the fish will win the fly & HOME GROUND...
So if you wanna catch one, of these… 1st, you have must find some rocky or underwater structural spots. Hopefully, with my limited understanding, you can understand alittle bit for this form of “Tug of War”
As written was one of my initial night encounter with the grouper. Hope it’s a pleasure to read. Tight lines - Jim
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Rock of the night...
In the stillness of the night… it is always a serene moment to be able to fly fish alone… I have not been out there alone for quite a while…. Just simply alone …. Blind casting into the darkness… in searching the True “Rock“. From cast to casts, the aftermath of each “zipping” off the SA bonefish line into the looming darkness… gives me a sense of serenity to accepts, think through some of those issues arise from work, family …. that have caught in my heart…. Problems…. Solutions …Issues …. Actions to be taken… one by one, I recap &…. possibly, resolved within on the spot while casting away with the VPS.
What a night! *Sigh*…
….. Even if I had to face another big fat zero for the night & being rock bottom morale for tomorrow‘s morning (No wonder Singapore Anglers always have morning blues….) If I can go back time with the clock’s hand again…. I would still take my fly set & set on the quickest route to my good old fishing hole... The Good'O Singapore River. Every single moment of the evening casting my trusty VPS is still a joy.
Time tick & drain away from the accountability of my watch… the repetitive gusting wake of the tide, slowly washes yet another couple inch of my morale away… from hoping to search out the true “Rock”. Flies after flies from my fly box… passes away with a jerk! … then … proclamation :- “Shit! *Sanko again…(*a malay slang for snagging the bottom”). Another fly have to suffer another defeated sunken “death“.
As I try to rallied my morale against those seemingly hopeless, slow scouting retrieves. Suddenly the tip of the VPS trembled & start displaying a tightening, “thumbing away” curve. I am on a “Rock”! From the feel…. At least, there is a small “Rock”. As the leader begins to close in to my reach, “*ALAMAK!” (*a malay slang for flashes across my brains as my leader slackens & shows only a lonely Chenille Charlie on the water surface….
“Well at least I hook something….” The thought surely inspired my next few casts with better strokes, lesser shockwaves & much alertness. (Not my usual 50ft fcuk up casts anymore….) On one of the last few yards of retrieves… I fell a “thumb” & jammed there… “Liao, Sanko again….” In my frustration, I give the fly line a firm tuck … but things weren’t quite the right… My VPS’s tip begin to show again with a tightening, “thumbing away” curve! I am on another “Rock” of the night! Whooph, … What a “n” shape did this “Rock” displayed on my VPS… As the thumbing continues to inch away under my much locked up pressure on the SA Bonefish…
Finally after a few more last attempt to free itself by it‘s futile effort, the “Rock” surrenders. I get to snap a few shots of the “Rock” that qualifies to be the minimum size of the “True Rock” that I am at least seeking after for all these while… So many fruitless trials in the night with deliberate black flies… Night glow flies… the Solution has always been in my fly box all these while... Nevertheless, Enjoy.
Last edited by Jimmy Aw on Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:58 am; edited 1 time in total
