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Fly Fishing a Coastal River in North Carolina for
"Trophy" Size Ladyfish

This article was originally published long before the IGFA started keeping fly fishing records for Ladyfish; and I have not returned to this area since record keeping started; but if you asked me where you might have the best shot an IGFA record Ladyfish, I would most assuredly answer: "Cape Fear River."

Fly Fishing for Lady Fish in North Carolina

     If you fly fish the coastal water of Florida on a regular basis, you are not likely to be the least impressed by this article.  For those who call North Carolina home water, you might be surprised just how easy it is to catch bunches of ladyfish in your own backyard and how few anglers are chasing them.

      From mid-July till the first cold snap of September you can find plenty of ladyfish to catch around most of the ocean inlets of Onslow Bay.  Flood tide at sunrise is prime time to find them pushing bait up onto the offshore sides of sandbars of the inlets.  Calm seas are necessary to make this both safe and enjoyable for the fly angler.

      It is at night when the ladyfish action gets hot.  From Sunset Beach to Morehead City almost any dock or pier along the Intercoastal Waterway with sufficient lights will attract ladyfish.  Not every pier will hold fish every night, knowing where the shrimp have been the thickest will help narrow your search.

      Located in the mouth of the Cape Fear River is the mother of all North Carolina ladyfish piers.  In late August or early September fly anglers can catch dozens of big fish on an ebb tide.

      The ADM Dock has it all,  huge bright lights, very strong tidal currents, and tons of ladyfish.  The lower Cape Fear can be a very nasty place for a small boat when the tide is ebbing and the wind is out of the southwest.  Anglers should also beware that large ship pass within a few yards of the end this pier as they move up and down the river. 

      Lady fish will readily hit poppers at night, especially when cast into the shadows and worked out.  I  have been the most successful with poppers when there is a chop on the water.  Ladyfish see very well, and are often quick to refuse a fly if they get a real good look at it.

      When the shrimp are running in the lights, the ladyfish will often follow but refuse to take your fly.  One technique that has proven successful for me is to work my fly on a short line and hop the fly out of the water like a fleeing shrimp.  This often provokes violent strikes as the fly re-enters the water.   Another shortline technique involves dead drifting the fly until you get a follow, then make a few quick sharp fleeing strips.   This escaping prey is often more than the ladyfish can stand, and a quick strike is evoked.   

      Up in Morehead City, Capt. Joe Shute reports that the railroad trestle and the US 70 bridge is the place to get plenty of night time ladyfish up his way.  He says he also finds them in the bright lights around the port facility.

Harry Hall  sefly.com