11/27/2016 Hit the water before dawn this morning. We had a good low tide enhanced by a night of north winds. Had my fingers crossed I find a few “tailing ” reds, head down chewing on crabs in the turtle grass. But luck wasn’t with me. No “tails” today.
No “Tails” Today
Finding “tailing” reds isn’t easy in my home waters of Charlotte Harbor. Damn, every thing has to be just right. You need low light, low water, low winds, and no boat traffic.
That’s a tall order, believe me. Akin to hitting the trifecta. And even when all is well with the universe, there is no guarantee the reds will “tail”. And even when they do “tail” they may be spooky as hell, ignore your fly and flat out refuse to bite. Crazy.
All you can do is put your time in and hope for the best. Persevere. Grit your teeth and push onward.
Why bother? Frankly this “tailing” red business is far and away the most challenging and interesting fly game down here. If you get “tails” to shoot at, you’ll also need eagle eyes, be able to sneak up like a commando, cast accurately, have a good fly, and use the right retrieve. Yeah there is a lot to it. But when the planets aligne amigo, wow! The “tail” slips out of sight, the red glides over, grabs the fly, feels the steel, and then rips off across the flats like a rocket, rod bent, reel screaming. Suddenly you’re king for the day!
