Tag Archives: sight fishing

fly casting, fly fishing, Instruction, lessons, Uncategorized

Take It Easy & Cast Better

When you’re alone on the dance floor its not uncommon to feel a bit self-conscious and imagine the spotlight shining down on you exposing all of your flaws.

Performance anxiety can ruin the moment if you let it. To date, there is no little blue pill that you can take before you head out the door to ensure you’ll be ready when that sexy [insert species] shows up looking to tussle.

Many times I’ve stood on the poling platform methodically pushing across a flat and I’ve quietly admired the smooth tight loops being formed by the angler up front who has lofted the fly for a momentary break from the monotony of the stalk.

That admiration quickly erodes as their cast crumbles when a fish appears, ready to be fed fur and feathers.

These failures are more often than not simply a by product of rushing and loosing focus on the casting stroke.

I’ve adopted a new policy for my skiff that focuses on providing positive feedback on those perfect, yet lonely false casts that will never find a target. I ALWAYS make sure to point out the results of the relaxed cast. Its beauty, grace and distance are all noted. Its followed by the reminder: Keep that cast, and take it easy when the fish shows up. Time is on our side. Don’t rush it, take it easy.

I’m no original thinker, so don’t take my word for it, listen to Andros South’s very own raconteur:

If you need to, hum the lyrics from this Eagles tune to yourself:

Lighten up while you still can
don’t even try to understand
Just find a place to make your stand
and take it easy…

fly casting, fly fishing, lessons, Mosquito Lagoon, redfish, Space Coast, Uncategorized

A Differing Approach

Tailing redfish are extremely fun to target when sight fishing. Depending on the type of bottom they are feeding over, they can also be frustrating beyond belief to feed successfully.

One of the reasons for it in thick grass is the fact that their vision is impaired by the grass itself.

The next time you’re experiencing apparent refusals, keep in mind it may simply be that the fly is not being seen.

Switching to a top water fly may be contrary to conventional wisdom, but it works.

Cast a foot or two ahead of the direction the fish is feeding and wait for it to move. A couple of subtle strips is usually all it takes to get their immediate attention and you find yourself clearing line and getting on the reel.

The fall lunar cycle is piling water up inshore, now more than ever, you might consider this different approach to tailers. It could spell the difference between success and failure.

Catch & Release, Conservation, Mosquito Lagoon

Catch & Release Is The Rule For Mosquito Lagoon

There is a burgeoning movement afoot amongst those who spend time on the waters of Mosquito Lagoon in Central Florida chasing redfish and speckled sea trout.  Its a quiet, but sustained, call for a change in guiding practices.  Its being brought about by the heightened awareness of most anglers to the estuary’s troubles with extreme angling pressure and degraded water quality.  Armed with the knowledge that the resource needs a helping hand, more and more anglers are becoming vocal on social media calling for charter captains and others to make Catch & Release the standard practice rule, rather than the exception.

The angling community is changing its attitude towards the long held idea that the Mosquito Lagoon is a place to go fill your cooler.  While anecdotal, there is a wealth of evidence that points towards shrinking numbers of large breeder redfish, as well as a decline in juvenile redfish.  Despite a majority of anglers recognizing the state of the fishery as one that is in decline, some guides see the change to C&R as potentially harmful to their business and have taken to social media to promote how splendid the fishing has been and that the resource is bountiful. Their hype is not true.

The joys of angling are many.  Lowest on most anglers list is the consumption of their catch.  The beauty of the environment, the thrill of the hunt and the excitement of the fight are more truly the reasons than most anglers will spend countless hours on the water in search of fish.  Recreation is the goal.

The Catch & Release movement is shaping what is considered ethical and reasonable within the guide community whether the guides sign on or not.  Why?  Because their clients get it.  They’re out for a great day  catching lots of fish.  C&R will lead to better opportunities for fish filled days, which of late have been the exception throughout the estuary.

Their clients get it because they want their children and grandchildren to have the same opportunities they’ve had, if not better.  They’re buying in because its the only way it will happen.

The C&R movement is not saying to guides, don’t take a single fish; the angling community is calling for a more responsible approach that educates charter clients on the current state of the resource and encourages Catch & Release.  The community is asking guides to forgo the practice of adding “their” fish to the clients limit.

Its always tough to change.  Resistance to change is expected.  The guides that are early adopters of the Catch and Release movement will be the ones who benefit the most.  Word will spread and the guides will be rewarded with praise and referrals.

Catch & Release is the rule in Mosquito Lagoon and its here to stay.

Uncategorized

Clock Management

The reflection of sunlight glimmers like a star on the evening horizon as a tail rises above the surface, distributing the light in a beacon like flash.  Roseate spoonbills and wood storks line the shoreline in search of a piscatorial breakfast.  As you glide towards the point where the tail has disappeared beneath the surface, not so much as a breeze stirs the heavy moist morning air.

The anticipation of seeing that tail emerge again is building.  Your focus is laser-like as you try to discern even the slightest ripple or wake that might alert you to the redfish that is starting to seem like it vanished completely.

The scenario plays out several more times over the next hour while the storks and spoonbills have all but stood still, save the occasional movement that was required to capture a crustacean or fish at its feet.

By now, the sun has climbed a bit higher and the sight lines into the water have grown longer.  The occasional sign of a fish still appears, but its merely a tease, as they continue to cruise silently back into oblivion, blending into the mottled bottom.

Rather than succumbing to the urge to leave these redfish behind in search of “happier” fish, a better option is to simply put time on your side.

The birds along the shore are masters of time and use it wisely to ensure they remain well fed each and every day.  Emulating their tactics can lead to success where before it had remained elusive.

Sight fishing is often referred to as being akin to hunting .  Most often it is a spot and stalk game, but occasionally still hunting will deliver the best results.

When the fish are playing hide and go seek, hunker down and put time on your side.  They’ll eventually make the mistake of showing themselves within your range.  Then, just like our feathered friends have learned, they’ll be easy pickings.