Fishing For Giant Trevally and Bird-Eating Catfish: Topwater Targets You Won't Believe

Witness explosive topwater strikes unlike anything you've ever seen, as catfish and giant trevally hunt feathered prey.

A Giant Trevally on the business end of the angler's topwater lure. / photo by Flyfishingnation -Dreamstime-40179346

Of all the ways to fish, topwater has to be my favorite. Fly rod, conventional tackle—it doesn't matter. That explosive surface strike, the sheer violence of a fish attacking whatever you're dragging across the water... it's like a triple shot of adrenaline mixed with pure caffeine, straight to the heart. It never gets old, never stops being exhilarating.

Catfish Eating Birds!

Even watching videos of topwater action gets me fired up. I can get lost falling down a YouTube rabbit hole of fish hitting surface lures. I've seen my share of "fly fishing with mice" and "Amazon peacock bass smashing plugs," but the video below of catfish hunting birds? That's a new one, and it's got me wondering: just how widespread is this behavior, and can I get in on the action?

If that doesn't blow your mind, check out this David Attenborough clip about Giant Trevally feeding on a "bird hatch."

Fishing With a Used Flip Flop

It was just a matter of time before some anglers put two and two together and came up with a "bird" fly that matched the hatch.

Is Fly Fishing for Catfish a Thing?

So, there you have it. Catfish snatching birds off the surface and giant trevally demolishing feathered snacks. It seems the line between "baitfish" and "bird" is blurrier than we thought. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some "bird" flies to tie, I know of a muddy river nearby that has some giant catfish. KB

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“The gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span the hours spent in fishing.” - Herbert Hoover