Tuna make an incredible fly rod target and will test angler and gear to the max as they make high speed powerful runs well into the backing, depending on tuna and equipment in use. When a tuna takes get the line clear quickly and once on the reel you can settle into the fight. The speed of these fish will literally jump any loose line up off the bottom of the boat and it can catch on fingers, buttons, guides, reel handles and anything else in the vicinity resulting in an instant breakoff.

Smaller tuna species such as Frigate Mackerel, Bonito including Watsons Leaping, Striped Tuna, Mackerel Tuna and Northern Bluefin (or Longtail Tuna as they are known) all provide excellent fly rod targets. Going up in rod weight you can also take on Albacore and smaller Yellowfin up to around the 30kg mark.

In Australia the Nothern Bluefin provide sport across the top end and down the eastern seaboard with some monsters taken at Hervey Bay each season. Fishing style varies depending on the bait that is being pursued.

The Northern baitballs are great fun and it is amazing to watch singles, pairs or small groups of longtail herd baitfish together till they have accumulated a baitball, then hold the baitball together by circling it continuously and attacking any strays or bait trying to escape the ball.
Drifting up to a baitball and casting the fly into the ball and then slowly stripping out from the ball will almost always get a strike as long as the fly has some resemblance to the bait.

Likewise the Bluefin action at Hervey Bay varies depending on the bait being pursued. When the tuna are on the eyes and it is still then you could be fooled into thinking you were witnessing midging tuna with the slow deliberate way the tuna take these tiny eyes.

Mack Tuna are common throughout most warmer Australian waters and can come in at up to 20 pounds though most are around 4 - 12 lb. Macks are common throughout the Pacific and Indian Oceans and have a variety of local names depending on where you are. Small mack tuna are a favorite food source of large Wahoo and where you have small macks and other small tuna the larger pelagics won't be far away.

Striped tuna are generally found further offshore but do follow the currents. This is one of the strongest tuna for its size and even a 6 lb fish will take a bit of stopping on a fly rod. Striped tuna grow to 30 pounds but will mostly be encountered under 15 lb.

Tuna can be finicky and if under pressure can be hard to approach. If they are feeding on faster moving bait such as flying or gar fish then they can be very difficult to get a fly in front of. Regardless of the tuna species or the bait, this is fast and often demanding fly fishing which can result in some memorable hook ups.

Contact Travelling Fly Fisher for any enquiries you may have in relation to catching tuna on the fly and to book your next Fly Fishing holiday.

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