Tailor are pelagic fish found around the world in temperate and subtropical waters, except for the northern Pacific Ocean. Tailor are known as bluefish in the USA, and shad in South Africa. Seasonally abundant, often found in large schools in estuaries and inshore waters.

Tailor have a relatively thin streamlined frame, a forked tail and are overall silvery in appearance with small and weak dorsal fin spines. The upper surface of their body is bluish green while the fins are paler blue-green with a tinge of yellow. Their lower jaw protrudes slightly beyond the upper jaw and both are lined with razor-sharp teeth. They can reach a maximum size of 16 kg and 1.2m in length, however those caught off the beaches, headlands, lakes and estuaries are generally up to and around 40-60cm. Small tailor are often called “choppers”.

Autumn and winter is the time for tailor along the NSW coast. Headlands, rocks, reef, sand and break walls are favourite haunts of tailor, especially where there is white water. Tailor prowl the surf zone in packs that can sometimes be seen cruising behind breaking waves. When not roaming in hunting packs they will often dwell under white water or washes around headlands and larger gutters.

Like many predatory fish, tailor can be caught throughout the day but they tend to feed much more aggressively early and late in the day when the structure of their eyes allows them better vision at low light levels than their prey.

Our Mid-North Coast features numerous rock walls where a fly can be cast into the white water that tailor love.
Gear and flies similar to those recommended in our July 2019 Newsletter for Australian Salmon are suitable for tailor. An 8wt outfit with either a floating or intermediate sink rate line is sufficient to handle almost all tailor encountered in the surf, off rock walls or in lakes or estuaries. Tailor will slam popper-style flies as readily as they take a baitfish fly so if a floating line can be used for either surface work or sub-surface action where the fly is allowed to sink prior to the usual strip/stop retrieve.

Any reel must have a reliable and smooth drag and be suitable for use in a marine environment.
Flies for tailor need to have a general baitfish profile, clousers, poppers, deceivers and surf candies tied on hooks no larger than 2/0 are easily cast with the 8wt outfit. Experienced tailor fly fishermen claim that flies including yellow and red are most successful whilst yellow is the favourite colour. One US guide gives the simple advice, “Use the flies you don’t want any more.”

Those razor-sharp teeth and strong jaws require a small section of bite-off prevention leader tip as a safeguard. Tailor are not leader shy so a small section of about 40cm of at least 15kg hard monofilament or flourocarbon line or even a short wire trace at the end of the rod-length leader will not be an issue. If using mono or fluorocarbon check it after each fish to make sure it is not damaged and when in doubt, always retie.

Treat these fish with respect, use pliers to unhook them and keep your hands away from their head while holding them, they are called “choppers” for a reason.