I must have needed to go fishing Friday morning because I woke up 2 minutes before my 4:15 alarm went off. My friend Mike & I were going to make an encore visit to the NMZ. The last time we were there Mike boated a 45” Redfish with his flyrod. We arrived before sunrise and felt a little more breeze than the Weather Channel had suggested. The sun was peaking out over the horizon just after we were started our pursuit.
During the morning drive from Orlando, as Mike applied sunscreen, and discussed the purchase of his newer car. While he explained the particulars of the search I listened and pondered the sun protection advances that are now available to fishermen.
My last visit to Cabellas online resulted in the purchase of two of my favorite sun protection items. A new Buff Sun mask and a long sleeve crew shirt made from high tech moisture removing material. This purchase sure beats the odds of hitting all the sensitive areas around your face with sunscreen and hoping that it later does not run into you eyes. As Mike explained the final details we had arrived at the canoe launch.
We both had EP crab flies on our 8 weight rods hoping to see an opportunity at another big Redfish and a darker Clouser minnow on the other. We searched hard as we were pushed North by the morning breeze. I wish I could have dialed down the wind speed a few knots but it was perfectly comfortable in the low 80’s. We did not cast as we drifted, hoping to see a tailing fish and work some magic.
After a few hours with no luck at seeing fish we decided that we would fish our way back to the launch. For you NMZ veterans, the wind actually lightened on the return trip. This almost never happens. We began to see laid up Reds & Trout. Most were in very skinny water and were much to skidish. Fish were “feeling” us and moving away even at 50 feet away. So was our day. We saw many nice fish but landed only a toothy puffer.
My thoughts on the day were that the weather was great, the fish possibly feed during last nights full moon, and that we need rain to refill the NMZ water level. And yes that Mike did get a very good deal on his new Toyota.
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