# What's on your list of fish to catch before you die?



## Chasingreds (Apr 1, 2019)

This morning has me thinking about all the fish I want to catch before I die.

I'd love to hear what's on y'alls list!


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## jay.bush1434 (Dec 27, 2014)

I want to catch them all but to start my list, every species of fish I've caught on conventional, I want to catch on fly. A few that are particularly interesting to me on fly:
tuna
wahoo
milkfish
GT
king salmon
peacock bass
clown knife fish


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## Chasingreds (Apr 1, 2019)

jay.bush1434 said:


> I want to catch them all but to start my list, every species of fish I've caught on conventional, I want to catch on fly. A few that are particularly interesting to me on fly:
> tuna
> wahoo
> milkfish
> ...


Great start for sure. I have many of the same on my list! Thanks for sharing.


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## CKEAT (Aug 26, 2015)

On the fly? 

Steelhead 
Rooster
GT
Big permit


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## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

Beach-side adult migrator Tarpon on a fly I tied, solo.


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## Cronced (Nov 18, 2016)

Just due to my sheer willingness to fish as much as possible in my nomadic life, I don't really have much on my list. At this point it's mostly just the odd ones that pop up every once in a while.

This morning I actually crossed one off my list, and that is a florida spotted gar. Not glamorous, I know, but I hadn't caught one before. 

Anyway...

Snakehead
Spinner/blacktip shark on the beach

And that's about all I can think of that I haven't already caught. I would say GT, but a 30 pound jack on a fly rod is close enough for me without having to fly halfway around the world for something.


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## Skram (Feb 8, 2019)

On fly would be:
Any Billfish
Yellowfin
Wahoo
Cobia
Arapaima
Rooster
XL Beach Tarpon


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## slewis (Sep 8, 2015)

Tarpon


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## CKEAT (Aug 26, 2015)

slewis said:


> Tarpon


A yellowfin on the fly would be bad ass. A small bluefin would also be awesome.


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## Cronced (Nov 18, 2016)

slewis said:


> Tarpon


I like what you did there. In that case I would like to revise my list...

Snook


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## eightwt (May 11, 2017)

A tarpon for sure, but I most want to catch is a bone while wading. Both on the fly.


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## mro (Jan 24, 2018)

Cronced said:


> without having to fly halfway around the world for something.


Seeing new places used to be one of my favorite past times as long as I got to cast a fly while there. Things change though...


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## topnative2 (Feb 22, 2009)

a big hoo!

then pig out on it w/ lots of ice cold beer!


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## paulrad (May 10, 2016)

All on fly:
Arctic char. All colored up or it doesn't count.
Steelhead. The spey casting thing is kinda cool.
Peacock bass from Brazil.
I haven't caught a big tarpon yet.
Bonita.
Blue trevally.
Mahi.


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## jamie (Jan 22, 2016)

All on a fly of course

golden dorado
10lbs new zeland brown trout
gila trout
rooster fish


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## BrownDog (Jun 22, 2019)

I have been fortunate enough to spend my entire life fly fishing salt water. I have never fly fished fresh other than bass an brim.

I feel obligated to catch a trout on A dry fly.


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

Many years ago I made a lifetime top 10 bucket list for what I wanted to catch on a fly. I have been blessed to catch them all finally getting the last one, a GT, last year. So now I have no pressure. No MUST do trip. I just go fishing.


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## LowHydrogen (Dec 31, 2015)

ifsteve said:


> Many years ago I made a lifetime top 10 bucket list for what I wanted to catch on a fly. I have been blessed to catch them all finally getting the last one, a GT, last year. So now I have no pressure. No MUST do trip. I just go fishing.


Steve, if you don't mind sharing, how many years did it take you?


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## FLmatt (Dec 11, 2017)

The one that is on the top of my bucket list right now is a permit on fly. Ideally, a big one. And, I would like to get it done unguided on my own skiff. There is something so rewarding about getting a fish on fly after putting your time in on the poling platform to truly learn an area and a species.


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## Chasingreds (Apr 1, 2019)

Would love to know as well. 


LowHydrogen said:


> Steve, if you don't mind sharing, how many years did it take you?


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

On fly:
1. Arctic Char
2. Brown Trout
3. Brook Trout
4. Bull Trout
5. Smallmouth
Any which way I can:
1. Nile Perch
2. New Guinea Bass


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## Tailwaters (Apr 9, 2019)

Artic Char
Sea-Run Brown Trout
Peacock Bass in South America


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## ifsteve (Jul 1, 2010)

Ok here is my list and when I caught them.
10# Rainbow - 1990
10# Cutt - 2000
10# Brown - 2016
10# Bonefish - 1994
120# Tarpon - 2015
Permit - 1988
Sailfish - 1986
Tuna - 2000 (50# dogtooth)
30# Redfish - 2011
GT - 2019


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## flyclimber (May 22, 2016)

FLmatt said:


> The one that is on the top of my bucket list right now is a permit on fly. Ideally, a big one. And, I would like to get it done unguided on my own skiff. There is something so rewarding about getting a fish on fly after putting your time in on the poling platform to truly learn an area and a species.


Let's do it. We could even take out the Dolphin is I find one.


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## FLmatt (Dec 11, 2017)

flyclimber said:


> Let's do it. We could even take out the Dolphin is I find one.


I'm in.


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## southerncannuck (Jun 27, 2016)

The only one left on my list is a *wahoo!*


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## Tugger_Knot_ (May 29, 2020)

On the fly...
Golden Dorado
Tarpon
Sailfish
GT
Roosterfish
Golden Mahseer


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## BassFlats (Nov 26, 2018)

There are some local bonefish that I occasionally try to sight fish. One of these days I'll get lucky.


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## Scott (Aug 24, 2015)

Barramundi & GT. Had a trip all set to Oz two years ago, one week prior to departure my wife fell and shattered her wrist, luckily purchased trip insurance. We were going to try it again this year . Oh well, maybe next year.


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## Chasingreds (Apr 1, 2019)

FLmatt said:


> I'm in.


We can ride on mine if you let me come with!


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## Hogprint (Feb 23, 2020)

BrownDog said:


> I have been fortunate enough to spend my entire life fly fishing salt water. I have never fly fished fresh other than bass an brim.
> 
> I feel obligated to catch a trout on A dry fly.


Same boat. Uncle gave me an old bamboo fly rod when I was 10. Caught lots of bass and bream w it. Moved up to salt water years later. 
Never fished for trout. Even if it is little Brookies. I owe it to myself!


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## fishnpreacher (Jul 28, 2018)

Hogprint said:


> Same boat. Uncle gave me an old bamboo fly rod when I was 10. Caught lots of bass and bream w it. Moved up to salt water years later.
> Never fished for trout. Even if it is little Brookies. I owe it to myself!


The rainbows and browns would be simple. To get a native brook trout will require a bit more effort, not hard to do, but harder than 'bows and browns. You can get stocked fish real easy.
I know guys who trout fish in NE Ga who have native Appalachian brook trout on their bucket list.
I'm in the opposite boat. I grew up fishing fresh water, and have caught most native fish on the fly, but only in the past couple of years ventured into salt fishing, and as you said, "I owe it to myself" to get it done in the salt.


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

Didn't start as a quest, but once I caught a few billfish on the list I set my sights on the Royal Billfish Slam Club (all nine species). Was the 51st member in that IGFA fraternity and proud to say all my catches were released. I've also checked off a 300-pound-plus yellowfin tuna (Puerto Vallarta) and all the usual inshore flats and Brazilian rain forest species, including a 50-pound red drum on topwater plug (Oriental, NC) and a 10-pound seatrout (Indian River Lagoon on a DOA BaitBuster), both released. So like ifSteve, my focus now is just on fun fishing, although I would like a flats super slam in one day (tarpon, bonefish, permit and snook) and I know just the lodge in the Yucatan to accomplish that feat.


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## Henry Lee Fowler IV (Jan 11, 2017)

On Fly
Mako 
Triple digit Tarpon (Already caught babies)
Arapaima
Bonefish 
Permit


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

SomaliPirate said:


> On fly:
> 1. Arctic Char
> 2. Brown Trout
> 3. Brook Trout
> ...


Add Cutthroat, Golden, Rainbow and Grayling to your list. If you go north to catch the ones on your list you might as well aim for all of them. Maybe add steelhead and salmon as well.


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## jake_scott11 (Jan 29, 2018)

Crossed snook on the fly off the list this past month. Next one I am hoping for is Tarpon.


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## Ben T (Jan 17, 2020)

My bucket list would include a trip on the "Rocky Mountain Fly Highway". It's Route 20 from Montana to Oregon, going trough Idaho. I saw the video on Amazon.


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## Jason M (Aug 13, 2017)

On fly or conventional
Wahoo
Sailfish
Yellowfin

On fly
A legit 20lb plus snook that I sight fished 
Rooster
30lb plus jack or GT on top water
Big barracuda on the flats

I can realistically do the snook or jack here in Florida and the sail or wahoo on conventional. But I would really like to bait and switch a fly to either the sail or wahoo. I am picky though as I want to sight fish and preferably not use bait.

I love permit but to me nothing beats watching a tarpon eat a fly.


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## Kirc (Jan 18, 2020)

.....Black Marlin. Even if I don't get it to the boat (guess that doesn't qualify), at least see it come up on top at least one time and show its mass / power.


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## krash (Jan 9, 2007)

Rooster Fish in Costa Rica, from a kayak, using top-water on a spinner


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## WatermanGB (Jan 25, 2019)

Permit on the flats and 3 digit tarpon for me


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

DuckNut said:


> Add Cutthroat, Golden, Rainbow and Grayling to your list. If you go north to catch the ones on your list you might as well aim for all of them. Maybe add steelhead and salmon as well.


I knocked cutthroat and grayling off the list in 2018!


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## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

SomaliPirate said:


> I knocked cutthroat and grayling off the list in 2018!


Where did you catch the big fin?


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

DuckNut said:


> Where did you catch the big fin?


A state park just up the mountain from SLC in Utah. There was enough elevation that they had them stocked in the streams up there. They were little turds but jump all over any dry that I put in the water.


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## Flatsfishing nut (May 27, 2019)

Ive been so blessed to catch just about all on conventional due to working on the water for almost 5o years, one of my most memorable feats was a grander black down under on my Bday , I would like a golden dorado or roosterfish (both on fly tho)


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## hawkman (May 19, 2018)

Reasonable targets that can be done locally from surf or with my boat and equipment
1. Pompano (I'd like to catch them regularly)
2. Large pompano
3. Bull Red
4. 10-lb flounder
5. 10-lb Trout (Spotted Seatrout)
6. 10-lb Sheepshead

Other bucket-listers:
7. Giant musky or pike
8. Lunker smallmouth
9. Trout on a fly rod
10. Mahi
11. Tuna - any kind
12. Any other Gulf-stream options. I've never been out there.


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## finbully (Jan 26, 2013)

18 lb plus peacock bass.


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

80lb class of black drum.
A big ass flounder. 20lb plus.

Caught 75lb wahoo and King not far behind. Only other open water fish I would like to catch is a big cobia.

1/4 ton jewfish would be nice.

Done a 13lb trout and large reds.


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## redchaser (Aug 24, 2015)

On Fly

Triple digit tarpon - grabbing face, I've had a couple boatside, leader in the guides hand yada yada, but it ain't caught until my hands are on it.

Permit, they laugh at me

GT would be awesome.

Wild Steelhead


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## Chasntuna (Mar 21, 2016)

I'm looking for a 300lb yellowfin tuna. Caught a 267 in 2004, my biggest so far, but the 300 is illusive. At that point I'll be done long range fishing!


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## hawkman (May 19, 2018)

Capnredfish said:


> A big ass flounder. 20lb plus.


Here I am looking for a 10! 😀


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## Flyfish40 (Sep 23, 2019)

Dropping a fly in front of a double digit tailing bonefish!


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## jake_scott11 (Jan 29, 2018)

for me it would be:
-28in brown trout on a streamer
-triple digit tarpon on fly
-20+ striper from the Savannah River lake system (came close this year but haven't got the one)


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