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.
