Pacu Frenzy in the Valley – A Gathering of Fly Fishers
Pacu Frenzy in the Valley A gathering of fly fishers Brandon Ho FFI CCI History teaches us how to avoid past mistakes and be prepared when opportunities arise. With that in mind, I spent long quiet nights in the fly room thinking of tying a fly that fits all the criteria for targeting the hard fighting pacu: big and visible, slow sinking, well-hidden hook and resembles the pieces of disintegrated bread. The classical way to tie the Bread fly is to use white zonkers. This method works well but the tying process can be very messy. Pieces of white rabbit fur will be flying everywhere and if you have small children in the house, it will be a disaster. When used for fishing, the fluffy white fur will very quickly take on the colour of the water. After a while, the white fur tend to clump together, making the fly looks smaller and losing the natural movement. How do I get all the criteria right while making sure the normal occurring problems of a Bread fly can be avoided? I started out with a hook with thin but strong wire. The hook I used was the Ahrex Light Stinger NS122. It has a wide gap with super shard point to easily penetrate the tough mouth of the Pacu. It’s small barb makes removing the fish a breeze, causing minimal harm to the fish. Furthermore, the black nickel finish doesn’t seem to spook the fish. I had used shiny metallic hook and the bite rate was very low compared to flies tied on black nickel finish hook. To dress the fly, I started by first tying a thin strip of white foam to slow down the sink rate. Then I used Semperfli’s Predator Fibre to give the fly some bulk. This will also prevent the softer material from clumping together. Then Deer Creek’s Mega Lazer Dub is used to add the element of fluffiness and also visibility. This step is repeated, tying up the shank of the hook with each repetition. The final step is to tie in a clump of Extra Fine UV dubbing, using the reverse tie method to cover the fly before whip finishing. A small drop of super glue is applied to the thread to ensure the fly doesn’t fall apart during the fight with the Pacu. I want a fly that can be used for multiple fish. Casting the fly about 50 feet into the pond, I gave a short strip to get the fly underwater and watched as it slowly sank. From that distance, I could see the fly quite clearly and after it had completely disappeared into the depths, I gave a long slow strip to get the fly up and allowed it to sink again. Then it happened, the line went tight and instinctively, I strip set, waiting for the line to shoot out, burning my fingers in the process, but the pulled was half-hearted, the short pull merely bounced the rod tip. It was a Lampan. First cast of the day on the new fly and I caught a fish. I cast again after releasing the fish, I could feel the nibbles and some short pulls. Several casts later, another Lampan, then another and another. With each fish, Janice would offered to take a photo of the fish and after the 3rd fish, I didn’t want any more photos. I lost count of the fish I caught after fish number 7. It was not fun anymore. Then Otto’s rod bent and he leaned back to counter the pull of the fish. He fought the fish gently as he had not caught a Pacu here yet. This may be his first. “I’m just using 6lb tippet!” he said while struggling to control the fish. He would have to use all his skills and patience to fight this fish. He allowed to fish to run whenever it wanted and only gently reeling in the line when it had stopped running. After more than 10 minutes, a tired Pacu was ready to be netted. Mission accomplished. First Pacu for Otto! Sweating under the hot late morning sun, he beamed as he lifted the fish for a well-deserved photo shoot and the fish was gently released to grow big and fight another day. Then, it was Nic’s turn. He had hooked up to a strong fighter. With a 20lb tippet, he had a better fighting chance against the brute. Clearly enjoying this fight, he watched as the fish pulled the line out, causing his Merisoula reel to give out a long high pitched whizz, like the an electric motor running. Smooth and efficient. Several long runs later, the fish was ready to throw in the towel. Gently guiding the tired fish into the landing net, Clevin scooped the fish up. The fish was released after a few photos and Nic started to pack up. He was the best man for his friend’s wedding and he was not going to leave before he had got his fish. That’s the power of determination and laser focused persistent. After a nice lunch at our usual table, we chatted and laughed while drinking tea. Fishing can wait. Slowly, Ben’s friends turned up. Wasting no time, they rigged up and started fishing. At first it was the usual tiddlers but as the afternoon wore on, the bend of their rods became more pronounce, signifying the monsters were out to play. Ben and I were still sitting at the table under the gazebo while everyone was at the sandy road dividing the two ponds. It was mayhem everywhere. Frantic casting, rod bending, reels screaming, loud laughing and the occasional groan of disappointment. Everyone was in it. Clevin walked towards us. “That’s the 5th fish I lost today!” He sat down, drank a cup of tea and he was off again. I couldn’t take it anymore. I picked up my #6 XO and joined in the fray. Casting space was limited but everyone cast…