More Pompano on a Fly
Yesterday I fished a fair bit of the incoming tide out on the sandbar. Water clarity was excellent, although sight-fishing was hampered by a stiff breeze and a steady stream of clouds which got worse as the day worn on. Nevertheless, as the tide came over the bar, a number of fish began cruising around including some decent redfish. Unfortunately those reds were very uncooperative, ignoring every offering I sent their way. Damn. Disappointing to say the least. Reds can be super tough. But the day still had its rewards –more pompano on a fly.
Pompano on a 6-Weight Fly rod
Once again the pompano attacked the orange crab fly shown in the prior post. But don’t forget pink and chartreuse crab flies work well too. My delivery system included a Scott STS 6-Weight, a floating line, and a fourteen foot leader tapered to 12 pound fluorocarbon. Frankly the long, fine leader was intended for the redfish. They are cautious critters in clear water. Florida pompano, on the other hand, are aggressive, and a shorter, stouter leader would have worked just fine.
Pink Crab Fly
Spotted Sea Trout
Along with several pompano, I hooked and released some better spotted sea trout. They were working the turtle grass beds on the bar. When I say “better”, I mean for Charlotte Harbor. These waters are strictly a nursery ground for spotted sea trout, and anything over 15 inches is a better fish. The “trout” were caught on the same rig and the same fly. So there you have it: orange flies works well on these flats. And yes, reds like orange flies too. You just have to show them orange on days when they are willing to bite!
