Fly Fishing Wahoo - The Catch, Facts, Flies, Rods & More

Wahoo
Key Facts
The Search
Best Flies & Rods
Tides & Tips

Wahoo on Fly

Wahoo can be found throughout the world’s oceans where the climate is tropical or subtropical with warm water temperatures. Their growth rate can be quite rapid and they are one of the fastest fish in the sea. Bigger wahoo can be solitary fish, but they also move in groups formed by 2 or 3 fish to as many as 100 fish. These big groups of wahoo are known by some anglers as “wolf packs”.

Wahoo have an elongated body with a very broad tail and are covered with small, scarcely visible scales. The back are an iridescent blue while the sides are silvery with a pattern of irregular vertical blue bars. The mouth have razor-sharp teeth and creates somewhat of a scissor action. It can move both top and bottom jaws to either open wide when feeding or close to form a streamlined point for great speed. The wahoo’s speed is incredible – they can travel up to 76 km/h!

Wahoo fishing is an incredible experience!

KEY FACTS ABOUT WAHOO

WAHOO DIET Predator
WAHOO TOP SPEED 76 km/h
WAHOO AVG. LENGTH 1.2m
WAHOO AVG. WEIGHT 8-18 kg
WAHOO TIME TO MATURITY 3 years
WAHOO BEHAVIOUR SOLITARY AND SHAOLING

The search for the wahoo

With the way that the Alphonse Atoll is formed, it acts almost like a huge bowl that fills and empties with the rise and fall of the tides. When the lagoon is full during the high tide, all the murky-green flats water gets trapped inside, resulting in the water on the outside of the Atoll near the drop-off to be crystal clear and blue, which is what wahoo love. The three best destinations to target a wahoo on fly with AFC would be Alphonse Atoll, St. François Atoll and Poivre Atoll. These three atolls are teeming with wahoo and great guides which gives the angler an even better chance of success.

BEST FLIES & RODS TO CATCH WAHOO

Wahoo are teased up to the boat in the same way that one would tease up a sailfish. The popping head on the fly serves as a noise maker and creates a long bubble trail when stripped correctly, giving the fly a bigger silhouette in the water. Wahoo aren’t afraid of big flies.

Wahoo are great fighters when hooked on fly; they make very fast, long runs across the surface of the water and will normally remain on the surface for most of the fight. The rods we use for targeting wahoo are either a 10 weight or a 12 weight rod, but the preferred rod would be a 12 weight due to the fact that you never know the size of the wahoo that will eat your fly. Although wahoo normally fight close to the surface, the bigger fish will sound (go down deep) so a bit of a stalemate will ensue, and this is where the 12 weight rod becomes very effective with a strong backbone for pulling power and a lengthened fighting grip for leverage. This is enough to turn the fish’s head and bring him up from the depths. Due to the fact that AFC target wahoo on fly on a regular basis, we have a wide range of 10, 11 and 12 weight rods on offer.

BEST TIDES FOR WAHOO

Wahoo are sight feeders, so they rely on clean water when hunting their prey. When targeting wahoo around Alphonse Atoll, it is best to fish as close to high tide as possible. We would suggest the last 3 hours of the pushing tide or the first 2 hours of the dropping tide. Wahoo aren’t really affected by wind and swell directions, but when hunting for them, we hug the main edge of the drop-off where the pushing tide hits the wall and creates an upwelling. Current lines are a good indicator of this. Wahoo aren’t afraid of strong currents and will often hold in the current waiting for baitfish to come to them.

MAKING THE CATCH

Targeting wahoo on fly is done with hookless lures (teasers) trolled behind the boat at between 4 and 6 knots. When a wahoo or pack of wahoo raise up into the spread, make your cast immediately as they don’t often hang around. They normally hit the lures and leave, but if you can get the fly out there in time, you are going to be in for the time of your life. Once the fly is in the water, the teasers are removed and it’s time to “pop the fly”. This is a long strip in order to get the popping head to form a bubble trail and attract the attention of the wahoo. They will often take the fly as it is popped. Wahoo can be very aggressive on the eat and sometimes go airborne. Once hooked, the first run is usually the longest and fastest of them all, the fish will settle after. It happens very quickly which is why it is so exciting to target wahoo on fly.