Podding Redfish

My two favorite fly fishing endeavors are: 1. watching my oldest son, Truett, stalk redfish with a fly rod, and 2. introducing someone to the art of salt water fishing. Saturday I was able to combine both! Truett and I took my brother-in-law, Solomon, on his first fly fishing excursion.

Just minutes before the sun came up we gently pushed the skiff away from the dock under clouds and a little more wind than I really like to start the day with; but, we were on the water and it just felt like a good morning was about to unfold.

Motoring down the ICW Truett and I clearly had our game faces on. We were both studying the water depth at the shoreline and looking for any sign that laughing gulls might be giving away the location of a pod of redfish. Birding and podding has lasted longer this year than normal and we were really counting on some birding action in order to catch fish that morning. A brief greeting as Scott and his clients motored by, then we were back to the business at hand. And....there it was! Birding! The telltale sign of laughing gulls hovering only inches over the water diving down, frantically chasing airborne shrimp fleeing a hungry pod of redfish! In our efforts to wave and greet our good friend  motoring by we had almost missed it!

I abruptly swang the skiff around 180 degrees and up onto a shall flat, then killed the outboard 150 yards upwind of the pod. I climbed up onto the poling platform as Truett tied on a gold Kingfisher Spoon. One cast was all it took for Truett to hookup and land our first redfish of the day...just as the sun rose above the horizon.

Several pods later and several fish in hand, we were happy, satisfied anglers. I pointed the skiff toward the Arroyo and we all seemed OK with the reality that we were leaving catchable fish in order to get back to civilization and our family. A great day!

Hope you can make it down hear soon! Summer fishing patterns are now in full swing!

Capt. Randy