It was dead calm this morning – a 6-weight fly rod kinda day. The tide was slack low around 6:30 Am. So I held off an hour to catch some incoming water. It was a beautiful ride out to the flats, with just a touch of fog. Poled around a mile to a favorite spot where there is a “cut” in the sandbar.
A Six-Weight Fly Rod Kinda Day
Six-weight fly rods can be a blast on the flats. They’re light, easy to cast, and make even a small fish fun. Moreover, a 6-weight line makes a delicate presentation. On a shallow, calm flat, that’s a major plus. Super stealthy. My rod is a Scott, 3-piece, STS, matched up with a Ross Canyon 3#. A floating line and a 10- foot leader round out the rig.
Naturally I use smaller flies with this rod. This morning it was a size 6# crab fly I tied yesterday. The body is olive woolly chenille. The tail is orange craft fur. It has a 1/50 ounce lead eye. And of course, the usual rubber legs. Don’t leave home without them.
Size 6 Crab Fly
Spotted seatrout were first on the list. They were smaller than last time I was out here. Still the trout were great on the 6-weight. As the tide filled in, I turned my attention to the outside edge of the sandbar in hopes of finding a nice redfish. No luck in that department, but once again a big pompano spiced things up.
Pompano on a Six Weight Fly Rod
Pompano are powerful. Boy, they can run, and they have beaucoup endurance to match. It gave my six-weight quite a workout. The damn thing smoked across the flats. This one was a shade smaller than the last one. I’ll guess around 4 pounds? Could be wrong.
Did I bring it home? No, I released it. Still I have to say I was tempted. Pompano are superb on the table; one of the best eating fish on the planet. In the market it might bring 22 bucks a pound. The meat has a firm texture, almost like veal. And it is delicious too.
