Ed Mitchell Outdoors

Our Planet is an Amazing Place

Posted on November 22, 2014 by Ed Mitchell

Dawn on the North Atlantic

Love this world, my friend. Our planet is an amazing place, filled day and night with both beauty and mystery. Its also the only home we have. Cherish it, always.

Posted in Environment, Wild Things | Leave a comment

7 Pound Redfish on a 6-Weight Fly Rod

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Ed Mitchell

Well, the bite continues. Sunday held a high tide around 10:30AM, and it promised to ebb until almost 5PM. That meant a long day of moving water. Good news. On the other hand, the wind was 10-15 southeast. An odd wind for this time of year. But at least it was keeping things warm.

By 11:30 AM, I was working the shoreline. Poling the Adios along the mangroves, from spot to spot, I found plenty of reds and snook. And they were in an aggressive mood. No big fish, mind you. But it made for steady action into early afternoon.

7 pound Red on a 6-weight

As the ebb progressed, eventually the sandbar started coming up. I poled the Adios there and staked out on the bar. Over the grass beds inside the bar, the water was just knee deep, ripe for “tailing” reds. The only problem was the southeast breeze. Reds around here only “tail” in calm conditions.

I kept my fingers crossed the breeze would drop as the sun lowered into the west. And thankfully it did. Now conditions were perfect. When the first “tail” popped up, I got buck fever and rushed my cast. Welcome to failure. Damn. Then another “tail” appeared several yards away. I waded into position and made a better cast. Wham. This time I connected. Right off, I could tell it was a fair size red by the way he steamed across the flats, stripping line off the reel.

After two more good runs, I started backing him up towards the Adios, which was sitting in shin deep water about 50 feet away. Slowly the red followed along, but in a clever effort to bust me off, he suddenly shot forward, around my stakeout pole, and then went back under the kayak. Man. With the rod held high, I circled the Adios on the run; believe me. After that trick, he gave up. It was a fine angling adventure, a 7 pound “tailing” redfish on a 6-weight fly rod.

Released Redfish

Posted in Diablo Adios & Chupacabra, Fly Fishing in Salt Water, Fly Rods, Kayak / SUP Fishing, Tailing Redfish | Leave a comment

Why do Redfish have Blue Tails?

Posted on November 14, 2014 by Ed Mitchell

Yesterday afternoon, I poled down the flat, once again seeking “tailing” reds. Unlike last winter, there is plenty of driftweed around this year. Its stacking up pretty thick on the flat, and that is a excellent sign. Driftweed carries food with it, mainly crabs. And that food is needed. Because at this time of year the main meal – baitfish- are beginning to leave.

Eventually I stop poling, scanning an area where I had seen reds the day before. Bingo. On cue, a redfish stuck up its tail. Man, you got to love it. And this fish was only 25 feet away. Silently exiting the Adios, I reached for my six-weight fly rod, trying not to make a sound. By now the tail had slipped below the water, but I could see a disturbance marking the fish’s location. Dropping the fly nearby, I began a slow retrieve. No response. The second cast, however, brought an instant strike. This red was aggressive. Fish on.

It was a small red, of about 18 inches – still a fun fish on a six-weight fly rod. Upon landing the fish, I noticed its blue tail. Wow, it was bright.

Why do redfish have blue tails? I’m not a sure. You don’t see it all the time; that I know. And it seems more prevalent during the cooler months. Some say it has to do with the fish’s diet; that makes sense. And in particularly it is due to a certain type of algae (blue-green algae also known as cyanobacteria ?) in the water. The forage feeds on the algae, absorbing its color. Then the reds eat the forage. And, in turn, the color bio-accumulates in the red, showing up in the extreme end of the tail. Whatever the reason, its sure adds a nice touch. By the way, I’ve seen bonefish with blue tipped tails too. (More recent post)

Posted in Diablo Adios & Chupacabra, Fly Fishing in Salt Water, Kayak / SUP Fishing, Tailing Redfish | 4 Comments

Tailing Reds Can be Down-right Fussy

Posted on November 13, 2014 by Ed Mitchell

Sometimes “tailing” reds are aggressive; as soon as the fly lands, they nail it. Other times reds are ultra spooky; the least bit of noise, a fleeting shadow, the fly line overhead and man, they are gone. And sometimes “tailing” reds are down-right fussy. They will follow a fly forever. And you never know which type of red you’ll run it.

Yesterday I got on the flat in the morning, ready to find “tailers” during the last of the ebb. Net result? Zero. Nada. Zip. I had waited around for hours without a single tail. Damn. Very disappointing.

As the flood started, I headed back home, traveling along the inside of the sandbar, hoping to see a tail. About a half mile down the flat, I spied one. There was a redfish working the grassy edge of the bar. Eureka. I stopped, got out of the kayak and made a cast. But something unexpected happened. My cast caused an explosion behind me?

I whirled around in time to see a fish zoom off. Apparently my back cast had spooked a big red sitting right behind me. Worse yet, the red I had been aiming at was now gone too. Oh well. But rather than split, I decided to hang out for a minute, to see if the big fish would return.

Eight Pound Redfish

A bit later I spotted a small swirl, and a hint of a tail. So I dropped the fly nearby. Strip, strip – bump? Strip, strip-bump? Something was lightly touching the fly without really grabbing it. Typically that means a small needlefish is in pursuit. On the next strip, however, I saw the real culprit. It was a big red.

He was slowly following the fly, nipping at it. Crazy. And in a second he would be close enough to see me too. I stopped the retrieve. He swam forward, ate the fly, and turned to the left, setting the hook. Great fight. Good runs. The boga reported eight pounds. Yes sir, “tailing” reds can be damn fussy.

Posted in Fly Fishing in Salt Water, Kayak / SUP Fishing, Tailing Redfish | Leave a comment

“Tailing” Redfish

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Ed Mitchell

Two days back we had a morning low tide. Perfect for finding a tailing red. But we also had a cold front coming. And that would kill the fishing for sure. So I decided to get out early in the hopes of finding fish before the front arrived.

Tailing Red

I left the ramp before 7AM, paddled out to the Harbor, and then poled down the flats searching for tails. It was a good long way before I found any. Three “tails” to be exact. At that point the tide was in its final hours, and I could see the front bearing down from the northwest.

I carefully climbed off the board and waded slowly toward the nearest tail. Luckily for me that red didn’t hear me coming, and didn’t spook when I cast to him. Then my luck kicked up another notch. This red was in an aggressive mood. Instantly he grabbed the fly – a small orange crab creation. Bang, the fish turned, and shot across the knee deep flat. Good fight. Not a huge fish, but it felt super to get a “tailing” redfish before the front arrived.