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Read: In the Loop Magazine
Fly fishing for mackerel comes with a funny feeling; as if something is a bit off. Warm and sunny days are to be preferred – the hotter the better; quite often you will be hooking the fish just a meter or two from the rod tip; and the fish usually attack the fly with an almost daft vigor. Basically, mackerel act the opposite way of most other coastal saltwater fish. But it just makes them more accessible and fun to catch!
Fly fishing for mackerel isn’t exactly hard work. It’s easy, so easy in fact that during the right conditions you can hook and land over a 100 fish in an afternoon. They patrol the edges between the
shallows and the deep water constantly searching for their next meal, so casting from a good vantage point near a drop off will eventually result in fish.
My way of approaching mackerel is quite relaxed. I live 5 minutes from the sea and mackerel have been a part of my life since I was a small child. I tend to fish for them a bit differently than most people. I use the same kind of equipment; 7-weight rods, 7 – 9 foot leaders and small baitfish and shrimps flies. It’s my attitude towards these fish that differs. You can catch mackerel all day long if you want to, but I prefer waiting: Waiting for the conditions to be just right for the hectic close encounters with hectically feeding schools of fish.
