Oneida Lake Walleye on the Fly - Fall 2020

     When I first moved up to Canastota, NY after veterinary school, I did not even know what a walleye was. After my first Summer, Walleye had become a mystical unicorn for me. I had a hard time catching them. With the help of mentors, I luckily was gifted with some local knowledge and by the next season I had achieved some great success with both Spring, Summer, and Fall Walleye fishing. Once I became a student of the fly rod, my next goal arose. It seemed like a steep one that I could not find much information on. 

How do you catch Walleye on the fly?

    Walleye on the fly was my next challenge for myself. I had very little help available to me locally. I could not find a single person around who had ever chased walleye on the fly. I found some video help online through The New Fly Fisher channel, but even then I knew I would have a lot of work to do. Oneida is a notoriously tough lake to fish at times, let alone fly fish. Perhaps it is just Me, but Oneida Lake regularly chews me up and spits me out with days of getting skunked or days of limited catches. Its a good challenge. 

Maybe I would not catch a thing on the fly. I did not know. But, I am a glutton for punishment, and I love a challenge - especially one that few people around this fishing locale have ever rolled the dice on. 

My advice for Walleye on the fly on Oneida Lake in the Fall.

-if the carp are there, the walleye probably are not. In my experience, walleye do not like carp. 

-be patient - the magic time for the walleye bite comes fast and goes fast. Just because you are not getting bites does not mean the bite is not about to turn on!

-Walleye eat small fish. In Oneida Lake, they mostly eat small yellow perch. Make your flies look like a small yellow perch. 

-RETRIVE SLOW! Sometimes painfully slow. Let the fly sink, and then give a solid 12" or so line strip, then let it sink again, repeat. Walleye usually hit on the sink phase, and then you will feel them on the line strip. When you feel them, keep tension on the line, strip in, lift up, and the fight begins!