On Tuesday, September 12th, I went out for a few hours of fishing with the Fly Rod. There was a lot of fish activity around as the incoming tide continued to flow. A school of Jack Crevalle were spotted near some oyster bars. I blind casted a red/white Arcure Fly towards the oyster bar and started stripping the line. A fish immediately hit the Arcure Fly but just as quickly let it go. A few more casts were made around the area and then a heavy pull was felt on the end of the line. A lot of leverage was required to pull the fish away from the structure of the oyster bar. That was when the fish realized that it was hooked. A moment later the fish revealed its identity as it boiled the surface of the water in a bronze color. This Redfish made several strong runs and seemed to want to play a game of tug of war. The thrill of catching this size of fish was magnified by the method in which it was caught. For many years, catching a large Redfish on spinning tackle was a lot of fun as a great fight was always a guarantee. This time was different because catching a Redfish on fly is difficult and landing the fish seems impossible. The experience of handling the pressure of the drag with the palm of my hand brought me back to stories that my dad told me. I remember him telling me about the knuckle busting type of conventional reels that would spin the handle backwards as the fish would take out line. After envisioning this situation, I am reacquainted with the fish on the end of my line as it takes another run towards the oyster bars and continues to spin my reel handle backwards. I soon realized that a different type of fish-fighting skill would be necessary to steer the Redfish away from the razor sharp oyster structure. Mercifully, the fish did me a favor and decided that he would steer clear of the oyster bars and run along side them instead. I'll have to figure out how to turn a large Redfish away from structure next time. Meanwhile, this fish was finally starting to wear out. The fight came to me this time and I am very glad that I was able to land such a nice Redfish. I measured the Redfish at 29.5 inches with a pinched tail. Since it was so large, I decided to forgo the boga lip grip weight method inorder to keep from harming the fish. After admiring the Redfish, it was released back into the water so that it could get back to feeding and future fun. The experience will be remembered for a life-time as a Redfish on a fly rod is hardly forgetful.
Tight lines,
Capt. Sam
"Anglers are on a fishing journey"
