How do you work a wet rat?

Saltwater Fly-Fishing
1

Dupre spoon, hamilton spoon, MM Crab, various clouser and shrimp variations… no problem. Can get a red to hit it. But, cannot get a red to hit a rat/mouse. 'Seems like a hit would be a spectacular top water take. Anyone have any luck with them? What kind of motion do you give it?

I have watch mice in the marsh. On really good high tides, 6.8 or better, when the spartina racks float up, you can see the mice swimming from weed rack to weed rack. They dive and swim just below the surface for a foot or two or three, pop up, get a breath and dive again. Get to next weed rack and hop out for a minute or so. Then, on to the next rack.

I have tried to emulate that dive/swim shallow/pop up/dive cycle and have gotten reds to turn and chase the fly, but, never a take. Sunday morning, same thing, got several fish to turn and follow it, but, none would hit it.

Anyone catching fish on wet rats/mice? If so, what’s the technique?

--------------------------- 17' Henry O Hornet w/ Johnson 88 spl 26' Palmer Scott project hull 14' Bentz-Craft w/ Yamaha 25
2

I have nothing to add here except the fact that I have indeed seen a redfish eat a mouse… a real one about 3" plus a tail I guess. I was wading a flat, standing up about a foot on a shelly area that was taller than my surroundings looking for tails a little further out. I saw a mouse walking down the edge of the shelly area right where the water met the shells and as the tide was washing up on the shells a bit, the little mouse’s feet would get wet. Didn’t pay him much attention to him other than noticing him scurrying along like he had somewhere to be, but a few seconds later there was an explosion about 60’ from me where the mouse was. A red had come up out of the deeper part of the flat and snagged that mouse. It was a sight to see for sure! I never saw that red tailing or cruising or swirling or anything.

With that logic, I would think your pattern/retrieve would work, but maybe try a hard edge with access to deeper water where a red could be sitting, resting, waiting, plotting. Plenty of those spots in the ICW around IOP/Sully’s.

“Another poon dream splintered on the rocks of reality.” --Peepod 07-25-2017

3

Gonna see if I can find a smaller mouse pattern, also. My brother claims he’s caught several doing exactly what I describe above. So, maybe my fly is not convincing?

--------------------------- 17' Henry O Hornet w/ Johnson 88 spl 26' Palmer Scott project hull 14' Bentz-Craft w/ Yamaha 25