by Cas Summers on January 9, 2010
Fly Fishing the NMZ
Thanks goodness for Neoprene waders. We have had an unusually cold streak of weather here in central Florida. I believe that 7 days straight in the 30’s or below is a record that the region does not want to claim. Trout and Redfish in this area, along with thin blooded Southerners, have no use for such silliness. A friend called me and said “if we were to go…Thursday was the day;” the warmest day of the past two weeks. So we loaded up the canoe later than usual and hoped for the best.
We arrived around 10 AM and the weather and wind was just as we expected. Friends who fished the Indian River on Wednesday, a colder day, let us know the bite that they experienced happened after the water temperature had climbed 4 degrees. We hoped to find fish moving into the shallows to warm themselves and possibly feed. The water was clear if only the winter sun angle would have been higher.
We did not have to pole long before we moved some Redfish. A few casts later and a 3 lb Trout was in the canoe. We noticed this many times during the day, that the Trout and Reds were hanging close together in the warmest areas. Minutes later a Chartreuse Clouser retrieved very slowly produced a nice 29 inch Redfish. The key to catching both fish was the slow strip of the fly which kept the fly near the muddy bottom.
We were able to fish within a quarter mile area for most of the day. The fish were laid up, some laying in the mud and others seeking warmth in sand holes. I cast at Reds, Trout and a lot of Black Drum today. My best fish was a feisty 4 lb Seatrout. We did wade some and I also managed 3 smaller Trout while search casting the area. The Chartreuse Clouser minnow was the ace fly of the day. The clear water and beautiful sunny skies with cold water made the weighted minnow the perfect fly choice for the day.
It was a great day on the water. I only have one request “Please give us back our warm weather.” Happy New Year Everyone.
by Cas Summers on December 1, 2009
It wasn’t Black Friday, but the reds of the Mosquito Lagoon were out looking for their own food deals. Reds were out in record numbers but they were not always interested in what I had to sell. We got up early and had a good place to fish and in the early going the catching was fantastic. We had 8 fly caught Reds or “sales” by 9 AM.
I do not have any photos for this post, but most resembled the “rat” Red that I posted last. The water was beautiful and air temperature about perfect; and following the 2 hour rain out that I experienced on Wednesday, it made watching football expendable. Besides a few muddy places that Mullet had been frolicking and or a Ray mingling the water was quite clear.
The Reds were very interested in the Baitfish pattern that I tied with “Steve Farrar’s flash blend” material. I did modify it slightly by adding larger eyes and a red throat. We each also landed a slot sized trout even though we had no intention of keeping fish due to the seasonal closure. In keeping with fisherman’s luck…I lost a beautiful trout after getting her close enough to touch and to “painfully” notice that the hook that was once in her mouth was barely hanging on in the underbelly.
Yes, I lost her. I actually did laugh when I saw the hook and before the Trout escaped. It was like hearing a great joke that you have heard before; just as the punch line was shared. We saw quite a few nice fish throughout the day.
We visited a few different places on Sunday. Both the Redfish and Trout were finicky. I guess they wanted to save themselves in case a better deal presented itself at a later date.
I did manage to catch a couple more smallish Redfish later in the day as the sun climbed higher and visibility improved. Often the improved visibility only meant that I would be able to see the fish, cast, and then watch it swim over and inspect “the fly” and reject it.
Keep your confidence all sales personnel and fishermen. It is just the beginning of the sales season. I’m hopeful that sales will continue to improve. Good luck on your next outing.
