Life, Loss, and Skinny Texas Reds

The post Life, Loss, and Skinny Texas Reds first appeared on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

The post Life, Loss, and Skinny Texas Reds appeared first on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

What makes redfish so perfect? First, anglers can sight cast to them, thereby getting in some technical fishing. Second, pound for pound, redfish are a hard-fighting species. And finally, they’re just absolutely beautiful. Fly anglers can pursue redfish all year, but a fall fishing trip is ideal: Beginning in September and October, when late-summer heat gives way to more moderate autumn weather, redfish sense the falling water temperatures and change their behavior dramatically. Instinctively recognizing that their forage is about to disappear, they begin to feed heavily at all times and in places where they usually would not. When this happens, fly anglers interested in exciting sight fishing will want to target redfish in three specific habitats: High tide flats, low tide flats, and small creeks. 

High tide flats fishing, possible in only a few places in the world, is plentiful in the Lowcountry in autumn. Around the full and new moons the tides are abnormally high; water floods up into the spartina grass surrounding the creeks, creating a field of flooded grass in which redfish may gorge on crabs. As the stronger-than-normal current comes into the marshes, redfish take the opportunity to go deep in the grasses to hide from predators and procure an easy meal. When they stop to slurp up crabs in the shallow flooded marsh, redfish often stick their tails straight up in the air, which indicates their position to the fly angler hoping to sight cast with a fly rod and weedless fly. Determine the direction the redfish is headed and place the fly just a few feet in front of it. Make short strips just as he gets to the fly. Redfish anglers generally don’t suffer for lack of feedback, because redfish either hammer a fly–in which case line will commence screaming out of your hands–or spook off, leaving only a wake and shaky knees behind them. 

A low tide flat is a large muddy area that holds at least a little bit of water even at the lowest of low tides; redfish love these low tide flats especially because their number-one predator, the bottlenose dolphin, hates them. Dolphins love a meal of redfish, but they’re careful to avoid very shallow water, especially at falling tide. Low tide flats also usually feature numerous oyster mounds that serve as “structure” for redfish. Growing schools of redfish will swim around and around from one oyster bed to another, feeding on anything in their path as temperatures continue to dip. 

Redfish make long blistering runs in these large muddy flats because they have nowhere to go but out and away from the skiff. From fall through winter, Lowcountry low tide flats fishing provides exceptional sight-casting opportunities because the water is so clear: When you enter a flat you can often see the redfish exploding on baitfish and shrimp in large schools from 50 yards away. A trip to the low tide flat is also great for newcomers to fly fishing: Larger schools of fish mean anglers can usually get a few good shots before the school is spooked–and even after that, there are still more schools remaining. 

Creek fishing is my personal favorite for many reasons, but especially because I enjoy the idea of catching a big fish in a small creek. When you set the hook on a 30-inch redfish in a 10-foot-wide creek, you’d better have brought your A game because there’s no telling where that fish will decide to go. It may head around the corner 60 yards in the creek to wrap you around grass. It may try to break you off on the nearest oyster bed. It may head straight for you under the boat and out of the creek. Redfish like the shallow creek for the same reason they like the flats: These habitats are difficult for predators–both human and dolphin–to access. 

Redfish will push far up into the shallowest part of the creeks at low tide to feed and to hide–and that is precisely when we like to target them with fly rods. Pole silently up a tiny creek on a crisp fall morning and spot schools of large 20- to 30-inch fish busting on baitfish, their backs and tails out of the water–and shaky knees and intense memories are all but guaranteed.

The sights, smells, and sounds of the marsh draw angling novices to South Carolina every year; the delights of the fishery ensure that even the most experienced fly anglers never want to leave. Hiding in plain sight, a short drive and a world away from the East Coast’s bustling cities, South Carolina’s Lowcountry redfish are the only excuse a fly angler needs to schedule a fall road trip. 

Photos by Paul Doughty

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Fly Fishing the Lowcountry – Part One

The Lowcountry: Part Two – Species, Seasons, Selections

Fly Fishing the Lowcountry – Part Three: Migratory Species of the Lowcountry

The post Redfish Road Trip: Saltwater fly fishing first appeared on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

The post Redfish Road Trip: Saltwater fly fishing appeared first on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

Stepping off the plane, we didn’t know what to expect from our first trip to New Orleans. The trout rods my buddy Parker Thompson and I were used to in western Virginia were only recently replaced by rods with full Wells grips and stiffer graphite. The redfish bug had bitten us hard, so Louisiana quickly jumped to the top of our list. The summer heat seeped through the cracked windows of our classy rented Nissan Sentra as we rolled in style through the city. Images of crawfish, Mardi Gras, and redfish played on a loop in my head as we maneuvered our way to our spot in Chalmette. It was still early afternoon, and we had a whole night to explore before our five a.m. wakeup call.

Although our sedan earned us no style points, the narrow crowded streets and limited parking of the French Quarter made us satisfied with our choice. After eventually finding a spot, we headed straight for the walkway along the banks of the Mississippi River, which we had caught glimpses of through the gaps in the historic buildings. The architecture and culture was unlike anything we had experienced. I have been fortunate enough to visit 43 states in our great country and countless cities within, but this was unique. The smell of spicy food drifted through the streets carried on the back of the faint sound of trumpets. It felt like the playful craziness of Las Vegas, with a historical twist.  We continued to explore the wild and colorful streets and were drawn to the sounds of live music. Eventually, led by our ears, we turned a corner to find ourselves thrust into the middle of a New Orleans wedding. The bride and groom were preparing to make their exit from the church with an entire brass band playing loudly on the steps. Servers dressed in all black moved their way through the crowd, balancing glasses of champagne, while the invited guests danced along with the horns and drums of the band. Although our attire was clearly not wedding-appropriate, we were swept along in the festivities. The servers and even a few of the guests were convinced that we belonged, resulting in some unexpected champagne and crab cakes. When accusing glances started coming our way, we slipped out of the party discreetly.

The line went tight. “Does it feel big?” Bailey yelled. I didn’t know how to answer as it felt big, but it was not running. I brought the fish closer and the excitement of possibly hooking a jack right out of the gate faded. We all laughed as the long whiskers of a catfish punched through the surface of the water.

Bourbon Street was next on our agenda as we headed back toward our luxury vehicle. It did not disappoint. The entire street was blocked off and an all-out party ensued. The balconies hanging over the street were lined with boisterous people tossing beads down and drinking from tall, colorful glasses. Every bar, club, or restaurant on the street seemed to have some sort of event or music overflowing onto the curb merging with the crowd outside.  It was exciting, but we were ready to rest up and then catch some fish.

Our first day of fishing began with an early morning meet-up at the infamous Penny’s Café. Penny’s Café has for years been a meeting spot for guides and clients fishing the Louisiana Marsh. The small parking lot was dimly lit by a few flickering lampposts, making it difficult to weave our way through the maze of trucks and skiffs parked outside. We pushed our way through the door into the small diner, decorated as if it were still the 1960s. Fish replicas and photos covered the walls, boasting of the fishery just a few miles away. A whiff of coffee and bacon met us along with the gaze of everyone inside. Luckily, our guide, Bailey Short, was easy to pick out with his long blonde hair draping down his back. Bailey grew up in Louisiana with the marsh in his backyard. Having an addiction to hard-pulling saltwater fish is easily justifiable when the drug is so accessible. His excitement and passion is ultimately what convinced us to hop on a plane and come down here.

After a filling breakfast and a few much-needed cups of coffee, we moved on down the road to the boat ramp. The sun was not yet visible, but the sky was an inferno of color. The ramp put us out into Lake Borgne, which, despite its name, is a piece of the Gulf of Mexico. The wind was calm and the water was smooth. We were motoring off toward the Gulf when Bailey suddenly turned and cut the engine. He watched the birds and water with an expert eye before pulling out a teasing rig on his spinning rod. “There could be jacks here,” he said. “I’ll tease them to the boat and you cast to them.”

He cast the big cork teaser and popped it back toward the boat. Some sort of disturbance followed the cork and I put a fly in its path. The line went tight. “Does it feel big?” Bailey yelled. I didn’t know how to answer as it felt big, but it was not running. I brought the fish closer and the excitement of possibly hooking a jack right out of the gate faded. We all laughed as the long whiskers of a catfish punched through the surface of the water. The last thing I expected was for our first catch to be a catfish, but at least we would not be skunked.

We worked miles of grass edges, but the tide and wind were working against each other, keeping the tide from moving. The fish did not want to budge from the bottom. A few massive black drum occasionally floated into view, but the fly never had a chance to get down to them. Eventually, a dark cloud began to build and we had to call it a day. Bailey had covered more than enough water and options, but fish can be strange creatures. We were a little disappointed with the results of our first day, but nothing makes success more satisfying than previous failure.

Our second day of fishing would be our last day in Louisiana. There was no way we could leave with only a catfish under our belt. We went down the boat ramp for the last time and moved our way out to work a grass edge. This produced nothing. We had to make a decision. A possible storm was building in the distance, but the spot we wanted to head to was a good distance from the ramp and safety. We rolled the dice and decided to go for it. The risk of being stuck out in the storm was worth finding fish.

After a lengthy boat ride, we moved our way into a section of grass. The tide was moving better now and small patches of mud began to be visible. We didn’t have to search long in these inner sections of the grass—or “ponds,” as Bailey called them— before we spotted fish. Due to some excited habitual trout-sets, we missed the first few, for which Bailey jokingly berated us. I hopped up on the bow and squeezed the cork in frustration as we moved deeper into the ponds. Bailey poled us through a pocket of water toward a small opening in the grass. The bow of the skiff had hardly protruded into this opening when, “Fish 10 o’clock!” came abruptly from the poling platform. I scanned the edge of the grass about 30 feet from my perch as I began my cast. I was not going to let another opportunity pass. I laid my line down, still not seeing the fish.

“Half the distance,” Bailey remarked, and I scanned the water for a glimmer of gold. I made another blind cast toward the grass.

“At your feet!” Bailey said. I looked straight down and saw a small school of fish unconcerned with the boat. I moved my rod tip in an arc and simply dropped the fly gently on top of the fish, where it was instantly crushed on the surface with a thrashing splash. The fish had few options of places to run in the shallow water, and the chaotic splashing continued until we lifted up our first Louisiana red. After that, Parker and I took turns hooking into some marsh gold. Bailey was ecstatic to get us some fish, and we were happy to reward his tireless efforts to find us fish in less-than-ideal conditions. 

“The best kept secret about this place,” Bailey began, when we took a brief break to rest our arms and fill our stomachs, “is that it’s a year-round fishery. Between resident bull reds, a huge population of puppy drum, jacks, and black drum, there’s always something to pull.”

Fall sees the greatest number of anglers hunting these marshes. Because this is regarded as the best time to hunt bull redfish, and also sees the greatest numbers of jack crevalle, the other seasons tend to be overlooked. Fish can be found here throughout the year, however. Winter is big-fish season as well, and typically brings clear water with it. The spring months are great for hunting large numbers of reds in shallow water and on top, with opportunities at bulls still available. Summer is another great time to catch numbers of fish in a variety of sizes. Big reds and black drum can be found tailing then, and the topwater bite can be incredible. Summer is also a good time to catch jack crevalle.

No matter the season, there are always fish to be found in the marshes of southern Louisiana. 

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THE VOICE OF SALTWATER FLY FISHING CULTURE

The post Marsh Gold – Louisiana Redfish first appeared on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

The post Marsh Gold – Louisiana Redfish appeared first on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

Old-timers in North Carolina call them puppy drum or red drum. They’re spottail bass in South Carolina, a red bass in North Florida. Whatever you call them, when you fly fish for reds in southern low-country areas, the first thing to understand is that the water is not crystal clear like you see on the fishing shows. You won’t be able to see the bottom much of the time. Recognize too, if you just blindly throw along the banks the same way a tournament angler would with a spinning rod, you are going to be disappointed. You must fish where you can see them, which means understanding tides and what they do to the water where the reds live.

It’s All About Shallow Water

Let’s say you want to catch a redfish on a fly. The best way to do this is by hiring a guide. You call up the one you saw on a fishing show. That seems smart enough because he has lots of pictures on his website of people holding redfish. He must be good, right? He takes you out in his bay boat, blasting across the river to what must be his secret spot. He drops down his trolling motor and instructs you to cast to the bank. So you cast. And you cast. And you cast. You do not catch a redfish. You catch a small speckled trout and a flounder, which he says is a great day. 

First, any water around here that’s deep enough to run a trolling motor is generally too deep to be fly fishing for redfish. If you can’t see the bottom, you can’t see the fish. If you can’t see the fish, you likely aren’t going to catch any either. That’s not to say you will never catch a redfish by blind casting with a fly rod because it happens. I’ve done it myself, but not often and not with any other idea than just doing something for a little while until the tide moves.

TIDES CREATE THE PERFECT WATER DEPTH 

To catch a redfish on a fly in the low country from North Carolina to North Florida, you must fish one of two tides, either a negative low or an extreme high. What’s a negative low? Find the week around the full moon for this month. Then look at the low tides. There should be a number next to the time. That number represents the amount of water there will be at the peak (high) or nadir (low) of that tide. A great smartphone app is Aye Tide, but there are plenty out there. Make sure it shows tide height as well as tide time.

If there is a negative sign next to the low tide, that is a negative low. When that occurs, the water will be so low that there are only a few places for the fish to hold. The water there will be so shallow that when the fish move around to feed, you’ll be able to see them. That of course presupposes there will be redfish in the place you look.

Remember, I also said an extreme high, which probably seems counterintuitive. But the high tide fishing presents a different set of fishing circumstances entirely, which has become legendary since it was pioneered in South Carolina. The extremely high water will allow the redfish access to the fiddler crab flats on top of the spartina marshes that exist on either side of a creek or river. This occurs from Beaufort, North Carolina, down to Jacksonville, Florida. If you look at the areas behind the creek banks, there will be very tall grass on the edge, with short grass behind it. It weaves together to create a firm bottom that the small, quarter-sized crabs can’t disappear into, and there are a lot of them. 

When the conditions are prime and the water gets deep enough, which happens about six to ten days per month from spring through early fall, the reds will belly up to this crab buffet. These are the famous “tailing redfish” that fly anglers talk about. Tails and backs will be exposed, allowing you to see the fish as they swim and feed. It is extremely visual, very addicting, and heart pounding, causing anglers to make plans months in advance. 

The Right Boat

You may have surmised by now that you can’t hunt redfish in just any kind of boat. A standard center console bay boat draws too much water to fish at low tide, while at high tide you are limited to wadeable areas near where you anchor the boat. Also, some flats aren’t hard but are covered with “puff mud,” soft layers of muck that are nearly impossible to wade. If you wade, watch out for gray, grassless spots and test questionable areas. It’s awful stuff too: ask my wife how my wading shoes smell.

A canoe or kayak draws the right amount of water, but you are limited to marshes near the access area where you launch. Your fishing window is short so you want to maximize your time. The best boat for this type of fishing is a poling skiff.

Notice I did not say a “flat-bottom” boat. The popular skiff of the Carolinas makes too much noise that spooks the fish the first time the water smacks off the gunwale. A well-designed poling skiff moves swiftly, surely, and almost silently when poled in the shallows. It allows you to creep within casting range, sometimes so close the fish are under your feet while you gape down at them.

Tackle For Redfish

An 8-weight fly rod is the best choice. It allows you to cast the buggy, leggy flies that redfish seem to like, and it also has the power to beat the wind on breezy summer evenings. A substantial reel with a sealed drag capable of holding around 100 yards of 30-pound dacron backing is necessary because a hooked red will zoom off, heading for deep water. A good drag helps slow down and then turn the fish. A floating line is an obvious choice for the very shallow water conditions and generally, a 9-foot tapered leader ending in 12-pound tippet will work. If the fish are spooky, you can go up to a 12-foot leader.

Any fly that looks like a shrimp or a crab will most likely get bitten if presented correctly. Make sure, however, that you take your conditions into account. If fishing the low tides, the water will be murky, making it hard for the fish to see your offering. Pink, orange, and bright green are good fly-color choices. To make the hook ride point up, I often use a bend back–style tie. Some guides like flies with lead eyes, which also turn the hookup. 

On the flats where the spartina sticks up six to 24 inches above the water, a weedless fly keeps it from hanging up on the retrieve. I have experimented a good deal and found that the double-post mono weed guard is the best choice. Lately, I have been tying on hooks normally used by freshwater bass anglers to fish plastic worms. They ride hook point up and the bend near the hook eye acts as a weed guard without deflecting strikes from fish. 

Finding Fishy Locations 

To locate flats and lots of spartina creeks, use online mapping and satellite photo apps or ask around. Those areas are where you will find the fish. Check tide charts to find the highest and lowest tides during the summer months. Determine areas that may be right for fly fishing by watching the water and studying the surroundings. Conversely, if you go out at low tide, you may be all alone in the same spot that is shared by three boats at high tide. Then you can see those fish busting shrimp in four inches of water that the bay boat guys never see.

Red fishing with a fly rod is generally not a numbers game. Yes, you may find a school penned up in a creek somewhere and catch a dozen or more. Mostly it’s a game of one here and another there. Lure anglers and bait guys won’t understand what you’re so excited about when you tell them about the “tailer” you saw on the grass flat that took a small shrimp fly. They’ll ask how many you caught and when you say that’s the only one, they will look at you funny. It’s all good. Fly fishing is about the how, not the how many.

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The post Fly Fishing the Southeast Coast first appeared on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

The post Fly Fishing the Southeast Coast appeared first on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

I was backing out of my driveway and onto the street in front of my house a few days ago and as I straightened out my truck to drive away I saw a familiar bike coming around the corner up ahead. It was my 13 year old son and he was pedaling hard. His buddy, about 30 yards behind him, was trying to keep up. As they got closer I could tell that my son had a tree branch in his hand and was smiling from ear to ear. His smile was that great big pure smile that exudes excitement, joy and just pure happiness in the moment. The kind of smile I remember having as a kid when I started going fishing on my own and catching fish.

“Mom told me we couldn’t take the
fly rod out of the house.”
I now examined the stick a bit closer
and could see that there was
twine wrapped around the stick,
a makeshift mono leader
tied to the twine and a fly tied on the end!
Now I started smiling.

My son, as it turns out, had earlier been forbidden by his mom to leave the house with his fly rod. My wife wasn’t sure where he and his friend were going and, just like any of us going fishing, planned fishing spots can quickly change if you don’t find any fish. My son and his friend had taken her decision in stride and left about five minutes later to “go ride their bikes.” Now my son was standing in front of me with his small digital camera, a stick, a huge grin and pictures of him and his buddy holding fish.
“Did your mom know you were going fishing?” I asked?

“No sir,” he responded with his grin getting larger, “Mom told me we couldn’t take the fly rod out of the house.” I now examined the stick a bit closer and could see that there was twine wrapped around the stick, a makeshift mono leader tied to the twine and a fly tied on the end! Now I started smiling, and my smile quickly turned to a laugh that my son and I shared for the next several minutes. He had successfully accomplished the task of doing exactly what he had set out to do, go fishing, and he’d done so without, at least by the letter of the law, disobeying his mom.
Come to find out, he heard what his mom had told him, replied “yes ma’am,” grabbed some twine, some mono, and three flies shoved them in his pocket and took off. When he and his friend got to their “secret hole,” he found an acceptable branch and they were fishin’! We looked at his pictures and smiled for a few more minutes before I told him that he’d better not let his mom see his makeshift rig.

As he and his buddy pedaled back to our house and I climbed back into my truck my mind was flooded with memories of growing up on the Texas Gulf Coast. My buddies and I mainly targeted redfish, and our secret spot was usually somewhere we weren’t supposed to be. We mainly roamed the back bays of Galveston, Matagorda, and Lavaca. We didn’t have a technical poling skiff, we didn’t have high-dollar fly rods or reels, we didn’t have any technical fishing clothing, we didn’t have cell phones to tell our parents we were ok (and once my mom did call the Coast Guard and the Matagorda sheriff looking for us), but we did have a desire to go fishing, limitations be damned!
Our rig consisted of a 16-foot aluminum jon boat that my brother and I mowed lawns all summer to buy, a trailer, and a 1950-something dinosaur of a Johnson motor we had bought from a neighbor by mowing his lawn. We had a smattering of fiberglass rods, none of which I really remember – except for my bright yellow and blue Eagle Claw, which was the only “real” fly rod any of us had at the time – and a couple of Pflueger Medalist fly reels, a tackle box full of whatever we could get our hands on, and an unbridled determination to find fish. I guarantee you that that boat and that gear have more hours of fishing than anything else I have ever owned or will ever own, and we caught a lot of fish (probably not as many as I remember but a lot nonetheless). At the time, we could go places that no one else could (or was willing to) go to, and we found redfish on back flats and in the salt marsh that even today’s poling skiffs couldn’t reach.  We knew that redfish could get to places where people couldn’t so we were going to be the ones who could! And the glory of it all? Coming back to the dock in our makeshift rig with our makeshift gear and hearing a guy in a nice decked-out boat say “Tough day today, how’d you guys do?” I know that our smiles were just as big as my son’s and his buddy’s.

So as you look through all the gear that’s out there today and get depressed about the cost of this or the cost of that and are thinking to yourself that you can’t afford to go fly-fishing, stop! Some of the greatest adventures that you ever have will be when you just “Grab your *&^% and GO!”

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The post Grab It & Go first appeared on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

The post Grab It & Go appeared first on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

The mythical Clouser minnow. It’s a unicorn when tied in white. This is a fly that is much more than the sum of its parts, a classic over/under fly designed by the living legend Bob Clouser himself.  They are beasts at catching fish. This fly design may be responsible for catching more fish than any other pattern in the world. Bob designed a fly that is easy to tie, tough and incredibly versatile. He designed a fly that could catch literally almost any fish that is reachable by a fly and is effective in both salt and fresh water. When the correct materials are applied in the right proportions to a hook they become something almost magical, a juggernaut amongst the legends. The Clouser dives down, jerking violently to the surface when stripped. It seduces fish into violently striking with its wounded bait fish action.

Quick think of a fish. The Clouser can catch it.

Recently on a trip to Mexico for a wedding, I was able to escape for half-a-day to explore some rumored flats right in the hotel district of Cancun. I strung up my 8wt., tied on a unicorn and headed out to the flat I had located with some internet research a few days before. With my white Clouser sailing away, I moved across the flat. Boom, my line goes tight, the first victim to the Clouser’s deadly allure is a blue runner. I want his big cousin to come to the fight. The Clouser gets a little beat up but looking good and is still in for another street fight. We push on.

Within a few minutes the second fish is on the hook. The unicorn displays its mythical powers over fish as a barracuda slams into the fly. My 20 lb. mono is surely no match for the teeth of this ferocious predator. Adult barracuda have a striking power greater than some sharks. The unicorn takes this in stride and lip hooks the toothy rocket. A short fight, some nice jumps and the barracuda comes to hand. Second species today

I continue to cast toward the flat’s edge; the tide has not risen enough to bring the fish up onto the super shallows. My Clouser is now significantly shorter as the deer hair didn’t fare well in the scrap with the cuda. I curse not using super hair. Bruised and beaten up, about 20 minutes later another predator grabs hold of the legendary Clouser. This time a yellow fin mojarra is hooked. I inspect it and pull my beat up fly out of its strange mouth. Lots of moving parts! A picture or two and it’s another smooth release.

At this point in the game you can hardly recognize the fly as a Clouser. I think about changing. I open my box… argh! Wrong box. All I have are Deceivers. Stubbornly, I continue with my beat up fighter. I still want to catch fish!  “Only a few more casts until I will head home,” I tell myself. I cast way past a few. No bites or action for a while and I start to think about my long bus ride home and why I didn’t bring more Clousers. I continue to fish. All of a sudden on a strip, my lines comes tight. The Clouser has done it again! As I fight the fish, I’m trying to guess what it is: horse eye jack, pompano, blue runner? Who knows what I will find on the end of my line. Attached to this worn out old Clouser comes a yellow fin jack, a small one no doubt but my best fight of the day. My fly is spent.

The legendary Clouser has taken its licks today seducing four species into striking. With her dance, she slips through the water teasing and aggravating fish. I will take the Clouser far. Plans are already in place for the next trip. I will travel to Scotland.  I am tracking down the 36/0 hooks and super hair in four foot lengths, my custom 26 wt. rods are being made as we speak. Once and for all I intend to prove the existence of the Loch Ness Monster. The Clouser can do it!

Until next time, do yourself a favor and tie on a Clouser Minnow.

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The post The Magical White Clouser first appeared on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

The post The Magical White Clouser appeared first on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

As I was sitting in front of the fireplace this February (don’t laugh, we’ve had WAY too many nights in the 30’s here in South Texas this winter) preparing my fly box for an upcoming trip to the Bahamas I started pondering a question that was posed to me by my good friend Joe: how many fly patterns do you really need. Sitting and opining, I came to the conclusion that I probably carry many many more flies than is necessary. Thinking further, I decided that if you consider the food items of our saltwater quarry, they really all fall into a relatively small group of prey. Although they may look a little different, behave a little differently and be present in varying sizes, there are a small group of flies that I believe are effective regardless of the species you’re pursuing. This is true especially if you’re willing to play with your presentation depending on the species, time of year and the prey you are trying to emulate.

1) “Toad” Fly: I may get a little push-back here from some of the purists as the Toad can be pretty non-specific but I love Toads in all shapes, sizes and colors because of their versatility. Depending on the presentation of this fly it works very well as a bait-fish, crab, shrimp or even an attractor pattern. The key to being successful with the Toad lies in the retrieve. Find the right retrieve and you’ll catch fish.

2) Gotcha: Once again I have chosen the Gotcha pattern for it’s versatility. Although slighter in build than the Toad, the Gotcha can be presented in such a way that it emulates various food items and will draw strikes from a wide variety of game fish whether they’re feeding on small crustaceans or bait fish.
3) Deceiver: Although the Deceiver is not quite as versatile as the previously mentioned patterns, it is in this angler’s opinion the quintessential bait fish pattern. Countless patterns have been derived from the Deceiver over time and many of them work well but if I can only choose one it’s going to be the Deceiver.

4) Clouser: The Clouser, much like the Deceiver, is a versatile bait fish pattern. The coloration, size and retrieve will be the determining factors in the success of this pattern but unlike the Deceiver, the Clouser can be the ticket in deeper water when you need to get down in the water column in order to entice predators.

5) Mantis Shrimp: To this point, my selections have been less specific in nature covering a large array of prey items for various species of game fish. However, I have successfully fished mantis shrimp for nearly every species of warm water game fish in the shallows.

6) Merkin: Also known as Del Brown’s Permit fly or the Carpet Crab. The Merkin is my all time favorite straight crab pattern. Although this fly is specifically a crab, the coloration and size can be changed to fit the specific conditions and game fish. I’ve taken more redfish on the flats on this fly than any other in my box (try it in black for redfish).

7) Crazy Charlie: Although the Crazy Charlie (originally the Nasty Charlie, Orvis changed the name for marketing reason some time ago) is similar in nature to the Gotcha I like having both in my box. I think the vinyl body of the Crazy Charlie gives it more of a 3 dimensional appearance in the water and acts to reflect light better in all directions. Once again, the Crazy Charlie works well as a small baitfish or crustacean depending on the retrieve.

8) Seaducer: The Seaducer, although it may not appear so, is once again a very versatile fly. It suspends well in the water column and if fished with quick, short jerks can pass as a bait fish. However, when fished slower and allowed to breathe I believe that it works well as a large crab imitation. I have taken quite a few bull reds feeding on top on blue crabs with this pattern.

9) Gurgler: Having at least one true top water fly in your box is a must. Even traditional bottom feeders like redfish and bonefish will pound a top water if the conditions are right. Let’s face it, even if quite a few fish strike and miss, there’s nothing quite like a top water explosion at the end of your tippet. I prefer the Gurgler because I believe that the basic design gives you the best opportunity to vary your retrieves in order to create different effects. There are quite a few variations that make this fly a versatile option for all types of fishing.

10) Muddler/Bonefish Slider: Ok, ok I know, these are two different flies that swim and perform differently as they emulate different prey. The Muddler performs well as a baitfish pattern (I’ve probably caught more species of fish on a Muddler than nearly any other fly in my box even when forced to fish that drinkable water) I think the Slider is probably seen as a crustacean (crab) by our finned amigos. However, I couldn’t choose between the two. More than once I’ve been in a hurry and quickly grabbed one instead of the other and caught fish!

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MORE FLY TYING BLOGS:

CRAFT STORE CRAB
CLOUSER MINNOW
CHARACTERISTICS OF GREAT BONEFISH FLIES
SIMPLE REDFISH FLY

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The post Ten Flies You Should Never Be Without first appeared on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

The post Ten Flies You Should Never Be Without appeared first on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

We pride ourselves on our high quality content and photographs.  In addition to the great stories told by our anglers and sometimes even our readers, we carefully chose content that is informative and could improve your game.  We strive to provide the highest quality content in any fly fishing magazine available.  The subscribers of Tail Fly Fishing Magazine are aware of the quality of our contributors and the magnitude of their presence in the fly fishing industry.  Just in case you didn’t know how talented they are, we thought we would share this blog with a few great books recently released by past and present Tail contributors.

CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO VISIT THE HOMEPAGE FOR EACH BOOK

Jon Olch
A Passion for Permit – Volume 1 & 2

Jonathan Olch has spent decades passionately chasing permit. He has figured out what makes the elusive species tick and how to catch them. And for afraction of the cost of a single day of guided fishing, you can learn from the vast experience of this world-class angler.

A Passion for Permit by Jonathan Olch is the latest in the “Masters on the Fly” series published by Wild River Press. Olch’s impressive two-volume book runs more than 1,100 pages.

Share in the collective knowledge of more than 20 global permit angling experts. Learn about the fascinating world of the permit—the most sought-after prize of the flats—and eight of its closely related cousin-species you may have never heard about before. Learn about the finicky nuances of the permit through its anatomy, biology, food sources and preferred habitats—highlighted by superb imagery. Indulge in the strategies, techniques, fully illustrated essential casting tips, closeup color photos of 100-plus fly patterns, detailed tying instructions for new innovative flies, and anecdotes of the author and his expert guests as you are escorted around the world’s global tropics in pursuit of permit.

In the tradition of Andy Mill’s famous A Passion for Tarpon and many other Wild River Press sporting titles, the author takes you inside the tackle rooms and aboard the skiffs of many legends of the sport. Sit in on compelling and colorful conversations you simply won’t find anywhere else with:

 

• Aaron Adams
• Bob Branham
• Dustin Huff
• Steve Huff
• Nathaniel Linville
• Chris McCreedy
• Winston Moore
• Peter Morse
• Lincoln Westby

A Passion for Permit is by far the most thoroughly researched and thoughtfully written book ever published on the subject. Even if success with permit is a goal still on your angling horizon, the tips and tactics you will learn within these informative pages about saltwater fishing will immediately make you a better bonefish and tarpon angler. This full and complete book is nothing less than a master class in flats fishing.

Peter McLeod
GT – A Fly Fishers Guide to Giant Trevally

Catching a giant trevally (or ‘GT’) on a fly rod is the pinnacle of flats fishing: highly challenging, requiring skill and preparation. This is the first comprehensive guide to giant trevally fishing on the fly.

The giant trevally is an apex predator, and the way it operates is nothing less than brutal. These ‘gangsters of the flats’ are like packs of hoodlums marauding across the atolls and shallow estuaries. Hunting for trevally in the harsh environment they inhabit needs a certain resolve. The flyfisher’s first encounter with a giant trevally will be an electrifying experience. A GT can destroy tackle and ego, leaving all in its wake.

But once you’ve caught one, GT flyfishing is an experience that any angler will want to repeat.

Gordon Churchill
Fly Fishing the Southeast Coast

Gordon Churchill has been an enthusiastic angler all of his life, ever since he was little and would go fishing with his father in the lakes of upstate New York. Churchill shares his tips, tricks, and passion for fishing in Fly Fishing the Southeast Coast. Learn that you don’t have to travel to the Bahamas or any other far exotic island to find the perfect catch. Many ideal places are right here in the United States, including Pamlico Sound, North Carolina, and St. Augustine, Florida.

In order to fly fish successfully, a fisherman must know what kind of species he or she wants, what rod and line combo works best, what flies to stock, and of course when and where to be.

For each chapter, Churchill gives advice on where to find specific species of fish, from the striped bass in the southeast region of the Roanoke River to mahimahi in the Gulf Stream, forty miles off of Morehead City, North Carolina, as well as specifics on the approach of catching each species, as they’re all quite different. While full of tips and advice, Churchill makes it clear that, if ever fishing on the coast, you must be involved in a conservation effort. The environment and fish are constantly in danger, so make sure to always be aware and put your planet first!

Drew Chicone
Top Saltwater Flies

Top Saltwater Flies is certain take your personal fly tying to a whole new level. Drew Chicone will have you tying like a master. Top Saltwater Flies comes in three extraordinary, handsome volumes:

• Bonefish: 296 pages
• Tarpon: 300 pages
• Permit: 260 pages
• 8.5 x 11 inches on quality coated stock
• Special laminated hardcovers for durability
• Patented Wire-O binding open flat on your tying desk
• Printed in the United States by American craftsmen

“Whether it’s camaraderie, creativity, art—or simply a device to catch more fish—people are passionate about tying flies for a lot of different reasons. For me, it’s all those reasons and more. Tying is an important part of my daily routine. And teaching others the art of fly tying is one of my favorite activities.”

~Drew Chicone

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The post Books by Tail Contributors first appeared on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

The post Books by Tail Contributors appeared first on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

Jesse and Peter are currently traveling through the southern United States hugging the gulf coast filming their newest project.  An upcoming feature in Tail will detail their kick ass voyage through the gulf states and the many people, flies and fish they meet along the way. Here’s a message from the guys currently in central Florida….

Hey everyone, Jesse and Peter here from Broke and Fly Productions.
Just giving you heads up on the fact that we are currently working on our new film project and would love to have you follow us via our social media outlets on Facebook and Instagram.This project has taken us through some amazing fisheries along the gulf coast of Texas, in the Louisiana marsh,  and Lake Seminole at the Florida/Georgia line.  We are now taking it slow, chilling in Central Florida enjoying some of the local sites and some great food, beer.
Filming for this video has lead us into long days on the water and even longer nights of driving from spot to spot. We have fished with some epic people along the way and can’t wait to share more of the trip with everyone in the near future, so stay tuned.

If you like tarpon, redfish, snook, bass, and bluegill on the fly, then you will want to take a peek at some some shots from our latest project and stay up to date with our travel log.  There’s a full length feature coming in Tail Fly Fishing Magazine this spring.
Tight lines!
Over and out.

About Broke and Fly

BROKE AND FLY is the brainchild of two idiots. Peter Husted and Jesse Males. We are all about proving that you don’t need a million dollars in equipment or some fancy location just to make sweet fly fishing related content.
Sometimes all it takes is a little adventure in order for two fly fishing junkies to come together and make something happen. Other times it takes 5 bottles of whiskey, 150 crappy french beers, the worst tequila you can imagine, and 7 days stuck on a french island in the caribbean.
This whole train wreck started after we decided to meet up on a joint film trip on the french island of Guadeloupe. Having never met one another before the trip, since Peter crashes in Denmark and I spend most of my time in Costa Rica, we knew this would be an interesting trip.
The last one pretty much sums up how Broke and Fly was born. ​
SO…WHERE IS BROKE AND FLY GOING FROM HERE?
We plan on continuing to work on film projects whenever possible and invite you guys to tag along via our social media links as well as our vimeo channel.   Judging by the way things went in Guadeloupe, I would say we have some pretty kickass adventures still to come!

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The post Fly fishing the gulf states – Broke and Fly first appeared on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

The post Fly fishing the gulf states – Broke and Fly appeared first on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

(originally published in the July 2017 issue of Tail Fly FIshing Magazine)

Why do we fly fish?

I’m often asked about my most memorable fishing trip and although I don’t often site it, one pops into my mind every single time and not because of the fish caught (truth be told I don’t think we fished more than a couple of hours the entire weekend) but because of the debacle we had to undo at what seemed like every turn.

A buddy of mine, Rob, and I had decided to take a weekend trip to North Padre Island National Sea Shore.  For those who aren’t familiar with the area, North Padre Island is the northern portion of the barrier islands that protect the South Texas coast from Corpus Christi  in the North to Port Isabell in the South and create the bay system known as the Laguna Madre. The national sea shore runs from about Corpus down south roughly 50 miles until the island is split into North and South by the Mansfield cut. Our plan was to head down the island about 45 miles on the more manageable beach side and then cut between the dunes and get back over to the Laguna Madre side so we could sitecast to reds.. The trip started off normally enough leaving out of Houston on a Friday afternoon and getting down the beach in time to get a few hours of shut eye before we hit the water. We awoke before dawn and made a pre-dawn uneventful trek to the Laguna from the beach. We parked, hopped out of the circa 1988 4runner, rigged up and hit the water to an ocean of tailing drum.  For the next couple of hours we waded the flat right in front of the vehicle and then decided to take a break and have a bite to eat and a sip of something fluid.

We got over to the car and decided to listen to some tunes while we ate so I went to start the car… click..click..click… Dead battery! No time to loose, we had to grab the battery and walk towards civilization. After hiking across the island and back to the beach, we amazingly found a guy with a spare battery. We thanked him, left our battery as collateral and took his back to our car.

Once we got the battery into the car and everything “seemed” ok it was around 2pm so we made the call to go back to the beach side. We had a battery that needed returning and we figured it to be a quick trip. We returned the battery to its’ rightful owner around 9pm Saturday evening.

Tired from running across the Sahara desert on four 2×4’s, digging and jacking all afternoon we opted to cook some dinner and rest up for the morning.

We were up early and full of energy once again. The day held promise, just like every day does when you first get up, and we would be ready for it. We hopped in the trusty 4 runner and fire her up, she purrs like a kitten, I throw her into first and we ease off down the beach… 75 yards down the beach. At about the 75 yard mark the clutch went out and my power transfer was gone. Translation – the 4Runner wasn’t going another inch under its’ own power.

I hitchhiked the 40 plus miles back to the ranger station, called a tow truck in Corpus, got towed off the beach, striped all the line off of a surf fisherman’s reel, rented a car, went to Corpus for dinner and was home by midnight Sunday night…Dead Ass Broke.

As I put my head down on the pillow that night and many nights hence I realized this is why I fish! For every problem to be solved, for every “bad” trip taken, for every wind knot, bad cast, stuck truck, went swimming, 35-40 knot day, this is why I fish. Those memories are burned into my mind. They have been an endless source of humor and fire side ribbing sessions. They have gotten many times more mileage than any fish story and they are the times when we learn the most. So for this writer it’s about the experience, the continual lessons learned and a love for this amazing creation.

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The post Worst trip ever – An Angler Opines first appeared on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.

The post Worst trip ever – An Angler Opines appeared first on Tail Fly Fishing Magazine.