Taiwan River Fly Fishing

Here is one more set of photos (fishing related) from our first year in Taiwan. Matt was not working full time and had some time to sus out the Taipei rivers as well as a few outside of the city. 

The Taiwan Mahseer or Holland Carp (below) is a great fly rod species that prefers higher gradient, faster, bolder strewn trout water, like this stretch of river outside of Taichung City.

Not only do these fish hold in trout water, but they eat trout flies. While they can be quite spooky, throwing big terrestrials is an especially fun way to target them when it works.

Slower moving, warmer water like this stretch of river right in Taipei, provide opportunities to fish for a number of species including an abundance of carp.

Chubby Common Carp

Grass Carp

In the right lighting, water clarity, and depth, the flats style fishing is possible and fish might suck in a carefully placed and stripped bonefish-style fly.

A more productive bait and switch strategy is to throw a bit of chum and then cast a fly that matches it. A lot of organic material washes into the rivers when it rains and fishermen also use bread or other baits, and carp seem very tuned into this food source.

Craft foam and a cellulose sponge make reasonable pet food flies and bread flies.

The Skygazer is a fun bycatch fish. They chase an aggressively stripped fly and bigger ones will go for larger streamers. 

Tilapia are an introduced fish that are very popular in Taiwan and can also be a fly rod target.

This cichlid is also quite well established, and will go after flies as well.

I'm not sure of these last two, but they are also commonly caught while targeting other fish.