Another Successful Day
Yesterday was a beautiful day on the waters of Edgewater and New Smyrna Beach. I got out with Flip to experiment with some new flies and new fly lines. The skies were clear, the breeze was light, and conditions were just about perfect; despite the Florida summer heat. This time of year is my favorite to fish. The weather is predictable, every species of fish are available, and scenery is beautiful.
Flip and I started out trip searching for large seatrout. During this time of the year, they love the shallow grass flats. These fish are some of the top predators in the area and they don't get big by being stupid. Seatrout are almost perfectly camouflaged to blend in with their surroundings. On more than one occasion, we have spotted a fish, watched it cruise into the grass, and had it disappear before our very eyes. This can make sight fishing them one of the most difficult types of fishing there is. These fish also have great eyesight and a sensitive lateral line. For me, they are the epitome of proving one's angling prowess. Flip took the first turn poling the skiff and after blowing a few fish out, we found a nice trout cruising. Placement of the fly is critical in this situation; it must be close enough to attract the fish, but not so close that it spooks it. I managed to do my job and placed a newly designed shrimp fly in front of the fish. A couple of strip later and we got to see one of the most beautiful takes either of us has seen. The big, yellow mouth opened and sucked the fly in. After a fun fight, we landed her, grabbed a few photos, and then released her back to the wild. She wasn't the biggest fish of the day, pushing a little over 20 inches, but the take of the fly was awesome.
Next, it was Flip's turn to fish. We hunted for a while, locating a lot of big trout. Unfortunately, they made us before we got good shots at them. One of the trout was the largest we had seen in a long time, pushing more than 35 inches in length; a true brute. As luck would have it, we managed to find a large school of tailing redfish. Flip worked the school like a professional, getting one to take the fly, without spooking the rest of the school. The fish pictured above was him. Check out the video link to see how to properly present a fly to a school of fish and an excellent demonstration of fighting the fish!
Overall, we managed three redfish out of the school before we decided to call it a day. On the way in, we saw a few pods of tarpon rolling, which could have given us a chance to slam out on the boat. But, with other commitments on the schedule, we had to call it a day. A magical day it was and a scene that can be repeated with you in Flip's place!
Book your trip now, while spaces are still available! Fishing is really good and the chance to get a slam or grand slam doesn't get much better!