After
years of guiding, teaching fly casting, and making appearances
at fishing shows, one of the most common statements I hear
is "I can't wait to get my first redfish on fly!" The first
time you stand looking over a redfish flat with a fly rod
in your hand and a tiny fly on the end of your leader, this
can seem like a difficult, if not insurmountable, challenge.
But armed with a little know how and moderate casting skills,
getting that first redfish on fly can be a lot easier than
you think.
The
first piece of wisdom I try to impart on anyone who picks
up a fly rod with the intention of catching any saltwater
flats species is that you are no longer a fisherman - You
are a hunter. As a hunter, your whole methodology changes.
First you must locate your quarry, which is done with your
eyes and ears. The most common mistake I see in flats fly
fishing is blind casting in earnest. With every cast, your
chances of actually hooking a fish decrease dramatically.
Look for the meandering, lazy swirls that feeding redfish
make. The red's wide girth pushes a lot of water when he
moves as opposed to smaller shaky wake of a mullet. With
experience, you will almost always be able to tell what
kind of fish you are seeing by the water it pushes, and
time spent watching different fish species move about a
flat can pay big dividends in the long run. If you are in
clear water or the fish are tailing, spotting and identifying
a redfish won't be much of an issue. Whatever the case,
don't cast until you are absolutely sure there is a fish
to cast to.
Once
you have located a redfish, you have to take into account
your position relative to the fish. Which way is he pointing?
Are you close enough? Is the wind a factor? Are there any
weeds on the surface that could foul your fly? You should
also take a second look at the water between you and the
fish. If you line another fish when you make your cast,
you will probably be shocked at how many fish there are
around you as a chain reaction of spooked redfish is set
off. As far as the wind is concerned, it really isn't the
liability that most people new to fly fishing make it out
to be.An experienced fly casting instructor should be able
to teach you how to use the wind to your advantage even
when faced with a headwind, and obviously, someone who can
cast accurately in windy conditions will have a much higher
success rate than someone who cannot. A good rule of thumb
to start off with when stalking fish on a windy flat, however,
is to try to keep the wind so that it is blowing on the
inside of your casting arm.Once you feel you have positioned
yourself such that you can make the best presentation, it
is finally time to make a cast.
Presenting
the fly to the fish is the very heart of sight fishing on
the flats. It is when your pulse races and your hands shake.
It is the moment when everything must come together perfectly
and, if it does, you will be rewarded with the bulldogging
determination of a redfish bending your fly rod. How that
fly comes into the fish's view is critical and you must
take into account the redfish's movements before you aim
your cast. If the fish is stationary, accuracy and a soft
presentation will get you in the game. Try to drop the fly
about 2' beyond the fishes nose and 2' past him. As you
strip the fly it will come into the fishes view and you
will hopefully get a response. If he ignores it, make the
same cast, but 6" closer to his nose. If the water is very
dirty and you are not able to see the actual fish, continue
to make casts slightly closer until you get a reaction.
If I can see the fish, I will generally stop at this point
and watch him for a while. I want to make sure he is relaxed
and happy before I cast again. Stationary (sometimes referred
to as "laid-up") redfish generally will not move off unless
they are harassed, so slow down and make every cast count.
For
cruising redfish, time is far more critical but you can
increase your chances of getting the fly into the fish's
line of sight by casting 20' ahead and 20' beyond the fish.
Strip the fly at whatever speed necessary to make it intersect
with the fish's path. It is very difficult to hit a moving
target and setting yourself up this way is the key to making
an effective presentation. Remember though, if you are in
cloudy water the wake you are seeing generally starts at
the fish's dorsal fin or even his tail, so take this into
account as you strip your fly into position.
The
pinnacle of all redfishing excitement is presenting a fly
to a tailing fish. The first time a big copper and blue
tail pops up in front of you, no matter what your ability,
your casting will probably be somewhat reminiscent of that
first day you picked up a fly rod. My advice here is to
not panic. Tailing redfish will more often than not continue
to tail for quite some time, so slow down, be delicate and
methodical. Keep in mind, that if the red is rooting around
in deep grass, he will probably not be able to see your
fly until he stops tailing. When the tail goes down, make
one cast so that you can strip your fly as close as possible
to the redfish's face. If there is no take, wait for his
tail to go back up to get a fix on his location. Over sparse
grass or mud, I will sometimes cast to a fish while his
tail is in the air. This is a tricky situation and you must
choose a fly that lands softly yet sinks quickly if you
want a hook up. My Baboon fly was designed specifically
for this situation. I try to have the fly sink alongside
of the fish so that he actually feels it as it sinks. I
usually see a couple of boils as he looks for it and then
feel the take.
The
ability to assess the situation, stay calm, and make an
accurate and delicate presentation is what hunting with
a fly rod is all about. The strategies outlined above are
not only for redfish, but also apply when fishing for bonefish,
permit, snook, tarpon and many other saltwater species.
If you are fishing with a guide, you will have a much more
productive day as you won't be spooking the very fish the
guide has worked so hard to get you close to. Even with
a guide, in the end it is your hunting and casting skills
that will get you your first redfish on fly. Happy hunting!
For
a great redfish fly, try the Baboon
Crab Fly. Click the photo above for tying instructions.
