Pacific Seabream | Nanyou Chinu
Pacific Seabream
Acanthopagrus pacificus
Pacific seabream inhabits great range of water from Australia to Sakishima Archipelago, Okinawa. Compared with blackhead seabream, pacific seabream prefers less saline water as they are more carnivorous needing to rely on good stock of shrimp and small baitfish more abundant in brackish water in tropical islands.
Generally they chase fly patterns imitating shrimp or baitfish well, yet their habitat in rocky part or mangrove part of brackish river is shared with other species such as trevally and snapper who are far more aggressive than breams. So, anglers are required to put fly into the tight spot to make sure breams are in the best position to fly.
Fly Fishing Methods
You can target them out in the flat where the adult fish come out only in dark sky hours or you can go to them hiding in mangroves and rocky area then lure them into biting. When wading, anglers need to position from the shallow side to the deeper side without spooking them. Fishing from boat or kayak will greatly improve numbers of chances.
Fly Tackle
Accuracy is required in this game, so single hand 6wt tackle with full-line floating or intermediate is the best match depending on the depth of bream. You have to make sure that fly is the single most appealing object to bream, so it is recommended to use tippet 4-6ft minimum.
Fly Selection & Presentation
Fly needs to mimic the natural bait where bream is hiding. Use dark brown in the area where bottom is muddy brown. Use tan colour in sandy bottom. Just as other Acanthopagrus, Pacific seabream is prone to falling action. When using crab fly, let it fall to touch down bottom, strip slow only to let fish notice the fly, then wait for fish to pick it up. When using shrimp fly, let it sink slightly above where fish is suspending, use short stripping and pause to mimic freeing shrimp to lure them into biting.
Never let the fish chase your fly too long, because you will appeal the fly to snappers and trevallies.