Far from the biggest but great fight on a fly rod. Iiteraly inhalation of a fly cut it to rust out couldn�t even see it.

Beautiful fish and a great catch on the fly! Nicely done!

That's a big longnose Robert. Great catch

+1

Super nice fish. Good job on the fly!



Side Note: Caught my first ever Spotted Gar on the fly last year!

Thanks guys! J-Moe I caught one two years ago on the same stretch that I had no idea they got that big. I had my go Pro with me but it was sitting on the bank when I hooked up. I was more than 3/4 of a mile down the river when I finally got it wore out. There was a guy in his boat who was actually Fishing at the time but said do you want me to shoot it with my bow. I told him don�t even think about it but he was willing to take a picture and send it to me walking it across the river and that was a little bit floo I had my go Pro with me but it was sitting on the bank when I hooked up. I was more than 3/4 of a mile down the river when I finally got it wore out. There was a guy in his boat who was actually fishing at the time but said do you want me to shoot it with my bow. I told him don�t even think about it but he was willing to take a picture and send it to me. It was bigger around than a basketball and as long as me or longer so over 6 feet. Even after the long battle I thought I had it whipped I had both arms around it and it pressed up against my chest. When it decided it wanted to fight again and it started flopping in my hands and almost knocked me out. I looked up the world record after I caught that fish and I don�t think it would have made it I had no idea they got that big. As stated they are definitely a beautiful fish with a lot of color that shines in the light and very prehistoric

One from last year little bigger than this one

I always seem to have trouble ID'ing these gar, but that looks like a State Record on fly for longnose.

Very well may be Texasflycaster the one two years ago was close to all tackle world. Really need certified scales so the fish can be released.

The Texas state record is 50 pounds and I guarantee you that Fish two years ago would have given it a run for it�s money and that was on my four weight. State record on fly is 20 and that was a yarn fly. Last years fish pictured would be close. Either of the two pictured would have beat the water body record. Wild acrobatic fight with them.

Robert, Big Congratulations on landing that one on a fly rod.

What kind of leader were you using that lasted through that fight with one that had inhaled the fly?

It must have been sturdy to stand up to those razor blade teeth.

Every time I catch one of those brings up memories of me as a kid in shorts with a real bloody leg from a flopping longnose gar.

I did learn to respect those teeth though!!

We hooked up with a bunch of them throwing rattletraps and jigs at white bass last weekend but luckily all were a short fight and didn't even get close to the boat.
They weren't really hooked, just hanging on tight I guess LOL

Honestly not real sure I�ve never caught one I couldn�t see the fly it was running right out the corner of the mouth though. They normally have to be right at the end of the mouth before the bill starts to get them in

Nice gar. They are lively on a fly rod. Seems like I see more spotted and alligator gar than long nosed. Sometimes, I can�t resist casting to one at the surface. Most of the time, I get a couple of jumps then the fish gets off the hook. I don�t remember one cutting me off, but the teeth do tear up flies.

Thanks for the info Robert and karstopo. I've never caught one on a fly - only lures. There's a shallow cove in lake we fish where late in the summer they gang up by the thousands. We lost many a rattletrap and other lures till we switched to steel leaders. Sounds like they take a fly in a different fashion than they do a lure. Maybe due to the size of the fly or something they may just suck it straight into their mouth to swallow rather than grabbing it in their bill and killing it first before sucking it on into their mouth. I would love to fight one on a fly rod, that's for sure! if a person was going to try that, what weight rod would be good to start with and what kind of leader?

I�m by no means a gar expert or anything. I�m usually fishing for something like Largemouth bass when I see gar and cast over to them. Most of the time that means I�m using a 5/6 or 7/8 weight Cabelas fiberglass CGR fly rod. Scientific Anglers Titan fly line and leader I tie up from sections of fluorocarbon leader material. The tippet might be 15# fluorocarbon and the leader butt 30 pound with a blood knotted mid section of 20 pound in between. The whole leader might be 7, 8 or 9 feet.

Gar on or near the surface will go after deer hair divers. I use deer hair divers a lot for Largemouth bass so I might naturally have one on when I see a gar. Sighted gar on or near the surface is about all I get so any fly that can be moved by the gar in range on or just below the surface could work. You could always put on heavier tippet like 20 or even 30 pound fluorocarbon to prevent bite offs. 30 pound fluorocarbon will generally stand up to fish with really sharp teeth or gill rakers.