Fly Fishing 101: Freshwater Drum on the Fly

I’ve got a new fish in my sights.  Freshwater Drum.  They are not a glamor fish.  They are not considered a game fish and there are no management plans concerned about their health and survival.  Bait fishermen are often aware of them and I’m told they taste pretty good.

From the Montana Field Guide: Freshwater Drum - Aplodinotus grunniens

“The only member of the drum family native to Montana. This species is found in larger streams and reservoirs in the plains region of Montana's eastern drainages. Drum are so named because they can produce sound by "drumming" muscles against their gas bladders. Drum are spring broadcast spawners, but unlike other Montana fish, their eggs are buoyant. Drum are not a sport fish in Montana and are taken commercially elsewhere. Drum eat fish, insects, clams, and snails.”

The Montana State Record Drum came from Ft. Peck and weighed 21.59 lbs.  In some regions, drum can exceed 40 pounds.  The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) record for drum is 54 pounds eight ounces from a lake in Tennessee.

Looking for Drum and Carp? You may find both Carp and a Drum on the end of your line. Which flies catch them?

I’ve, more or less, stumbled onto freshwater drum while sight fishing for carp.  They are a somewhat lost and overlooked species.  I should probably not be bringing them any undue attention, but I honestly doubt many of you who read this will search them out.  If you think you might be interested in giving them a try, here is my reasoning.

Why I Fly Fish for Drum:

6. Drum Bite in the Hottest of Weather

One of the primary motives for becoming a drum fisherman is that drum will bite in the hottest of weather, even in the afternoons. I’m not a fan of trout fishing in Montana during July and August when it’s 90+ degrees.  I’m perfectly happy to hunt for drum in those conditions though.

5. A Less Obvious Target

I like to go fish-hunting, and I’m addicted to sight fishing. After catching lots of carp, I decided to search out a less obvious target.  Drum are a bit more challenging to spot along the edges of the river.  Their size, shape, and camouflage make them blend into the shadows of the rocks where they often lurk.

4. They Easily Spook, Making Them a Fun Challenge

I like a challenge. Once you find them, drum can be spooky. They startle easily. Surprise them with a fly and they will flee.  You’ve got to creep your fly into their view.  If you present it correctly, they’ll attack it, but they can be hard to hook.  They don’t suck it in deliberately like a carp.  They often attack abruptly, snapping and spitting it out quickly.  If you don’t stick them, you might get another chance, but if you miss time your set, they will ghost away.

Thinking about giving Drum fishing a chance? Check out our Northwest River reports here.

3. Catch Them Blind Casting

You don’t have to sight fish for drum if you don’t want to. You can easily catch them blind casting to likely looking holding water.  I prefer to sight fish but I’ve hooked a number of drum casting to deeper water.  On the Lower Missouri River, you might tangle with channel cats, walleye, and smallmouth bass when you fish your fly a little deeper.

2. Once You Get Them, You Have Them

Drum often hit hard and fight strongly, but they don’t have the stamina of carp. It’s a blessing.  I love stalking and hooking carp but the battles often become tedious.  They can simply take too long.  Drum are more like bass.  Initially, they pull hard. But once you have them, you can then land them fairly quickly and keep on fishing.

1. There Are New Things to Learn

They are new to me. I like catching new fish, learning about their habits, and mastering techniques for catching them.

Like carp, drum get no respect.  Unlike carp, they are a native fish within their historic range.  When I was a kid growing up in Wisconsin, I heard anglers talk about catching Sheepshead.  Apparently, that’s another name for freshwater drum.  To me, that sounded like a disgusting hybrid animal fish I should avoid.  I never saw one until I fished the Missouri River in Montana. Now, I think, they are a really fun species to fly fish for.  As long as freshwater drum don’t get too popular, they will probably retain non-gamefish status and I guess that’s okay, at least for now.

Do you have the gear to catch Drum? Check out our fly fishing gear.