Obsession

I am certainly at the beginning stages of learning to be an effective quail hunter so I am not qualified to talk on the subject in terms of instruction. I do feel however that I have a pretty good understanding why we enjoy doing it so much and how that ties directly to the type of fishing most of my clients want to do.

In late November I had a good friend and client in my boat with me, we caught tons of fish on a spinning rod, enough that we broke my personal record in my boat that day in around 3 hours. We then fished in early December and were only interested in sight casting with the fly. Both of these days were a blast, the first ended with him sending pictures to his son and a buddy telling them the crazy numbers of redfish we were catching and the other ended with me getting one of the best compliments I have ever gotten as a guide from a guy that wouldn’t waste time complimenting unless he really meant it.
The following day he had invited me to come on a quail hunt with him and two others at Turkey Hill Plantation in Ridgeland, SC. For those of you who have not been on a quail hunt the basic outline is as follows:

1. Stand around and rib each other and talk about whatever things come to mind over a cup of coffee. (Examples of this I can remember range from things like, “your barrel here looks a little bent to the left” to someone telling a history lesson of Robert LeRoy Parker aka Butch Cassidy.)

2. Listen to safety procedures no matter how many times you have heard them. If for no other reason than to make the guy to your left more comfortable that you will not accidentally shoot him.

3. Grab all your gear, put on your blaze orange hat and vest and head to the meeting point where you will leave in a wagon, on a horse, or on foot to hunt.

4. Dogs are released to find the birds and everyone sets off for the hunt.

5. As you travel along more ribbing, storytelling, and other talk will ensue. The fact here is that you will learn a lot from your fellow hunters, and herein lies the first reason we love to go do this so much.

6. Dog(s) point and two of the hunters grab their respective gun as one heads to one side of the point and the other to the other side of the point, flanking the dog.

7. The guide (if there is one) in the middle moves forward with the two hunters walking just ahead of his pace.

8. The birds flush…
I was watching from the wagon while two of the other hunters were just at that point of the birds starting to flush and as one of them mounted his gun my mind went to something that happened on that fishing trip the day before… A shot, as we poled down a flat, popped up. My angler had done his part to get ready; he had line lying in the bottom of the boat stacked in the correct way and was waiting for instruction from me. A bulge in the water raised ever so slightly, the type that shows up just before fish spook and close the door to the shot we momentarily had. Without question of if he saw it or if he was ready I said, 9 o’clock, forty feet NOW, he made one back cast and laid it out perfect. By the time his left hand went to strip the fly he was already hooked in. We went on to get many more shots some we missed and 6 we capitalized on. None of the other shots were as exciting as that first one though.

The next thing I remember I was one of the two hunters up moving forward. “Bird, left” I hear from the guide as I see a single bird come from over my left shoulder and move out in front of me. Already about to close the door on my shot that I momentarily had…I cover him up and pull, he collapses and falls. I had plenty of other shots, most of which I missed, but all of which will keep me wanting one more redemption shot. Herein lies reason number 2, and it is a huge one, for why we hunt quail (as well as want to sight cast to fish).

9. A dog heads in to find and pick up the downed bird(s). This completes reason number three, watching the dogs locate and point birds and then getting to watch a little bolt of lighting zip around through the brush to locate something there isn’t a chance in hell any human is going to find; it feels like an honor for being witness to such a dramatic show.
The shot, the chance, the moment…where a certain amount of skill is required to capitalize before it is too late is like a drug to many of us. Add in the comradery, and the power of nature like those dogs or a tailing tide and it is easy to understand why so many great memories stem from these experiences.

August '11 Routine of Firsts

Just yesterday, I had a client (Mike) ask me, “Do you ever get tired of fishing?” I thought for a minute, not because I was contemplating saying yes, but because that question applies to me a little differently. When my wife asks me if I am fishing tomorrow, she means are you on the schedule, instead of you better not be because you have a list of things to do around here. So the answer to the question “Do you ever get tired of work?” is yes, though that is usually limited to having to get up early or just being worn out from working out in the sun day after day. The answer to his actual question is certainly not.

That answer makes me think about a video I made of my 2 year old niece. My niece watched it more than anyone else; she had never seen a video of herself like this on television. She watched it over and over, picking out every little detail of how it looked to see herself from the outside. This was exciting for her because it was new to a young child. My other thought went to how a friend and client of mine recently told me that each day with his new son is even better than the day before as he watches him become more aware and responsive. Whether child or adult isn’t that really one of the things that many of us are after in life, some new experience? More often though, it is the child that doesn’t put up with the mundane wtih so many experiences being new to them.

That’s it, why I don’t get tired of fishing…I am still a child when it comes to fishing. I refuse to put up with the mundane. If every redfish took a fly the same way I would get bored, if every cobia swam in a straight line and ate the fly on the second strip I would stop fishing for them, and if every time a tail from a redfish stayed put long enough to make a cast to it no matter how far away I was when I saw it the first time I would hang that up also.

Fortunately part of me has been transformed into wanting to see others experience the unpredictable things that happen out on the water. This past month has been filled with firsts both for my clients and me. Amazingly this August is only one month in my seven and a half years of guiding.
Back on August 2 I had a gentleman by the name of Tuck Tucker head out with me at day break to fish the incoming tide, which is a first in itself because I have never had another Tuck on the boat. It was the high tide that yielded two firsts. From inside the grass we were headed out to fish that were busting mullet and I looked over my left shoulder and saw two tails about ten feet apart. Spinning the boat around I said, “Alright we have two behind us tailing, let’s get them first.” The more distant fish stopped tailing but the closer one was coming around the edge of an exposed grass island in crystal clear water. “Lay that fly right next to the island so the fish doesn’t have time to see us when he gets into open water,” I instructed. Mr. Tucker’s cast was headed that way but a little hook at the end left the redfish with an open visual to our boat. The fish stopped tailing and slowly moved away from us. A little dejected, Mr. Tucker and I dropped our heads in unison only to find in the thick green marsh grass under the boat and 4 inches under water was a tail five feet off the bow. The grass surrounded the body of the red so the only visual we had was his tail and he had no idea we were there. Mr. Tucker tipped the butt section of his rod up by his head with the tip pointed downward and the Dupree spoonfly hovering slightly in front of the tail. As the fish tilted upward he lowered the rod tip to let the Dupree flutter down. When the fish sucked in the fly it was like you could see the realization of the looming boat and what he had just done for a split second just before he tore off to the right. It was unbelievable and I doubt I will ever see another red eat that close to boat in such clear water for the rest of my life.

After fishing tails Mr. Tucker and I found a group of big reds in about 5 feet of water outside the grass cruising around looking for some mullet to take advantage of. As the orange water of about 60 reds got close enough Mr. Tucker cast a Dupree spoon fly to the edge of the school and the largest red of his life, 33”, hooked in. The fish took him to his backing 3 times on his 9wt and afterwards you couldn’t wipe the smile below his mustache away with anything.

A few days later on August 6th, I fished with a super nice couple Andrew and Torrey. Andrew is a good fly caster but has never put a Redfish on the fly. Torrey is just getting started; she had her first fly lesson the day before our trip. After getting a few shots here and there we had a nice school head toward us down the edge of a bar, and Andrew led the school with a redfish toad. From my kneeling position on the tower I quietly said, “leave it…leave it, okay strip.” Two strips in and Andrew’s first red nailed it and took off. After that we had plenty of fish around but the wind took it to us. Torrey kept powering through the wind and while she didn’t get a red that day I know she now has the bug to beat one of these reds at the fly casting game.

On the 9th of August I fished with the Frauen brothers, Larry and Bill, in my boat. We had always done well on past trips. Talking to Bill the evening before I verified that we were only going to fly fish because this was the first time we had cast the fly together. I honestly became a little worried when we pulled up to the first flat early that morning and Larry asked, “Did you go and catch your own bait this morning?” My mind went to thinking did I get this wrong or are we still only fly fishing. I replied, “Bill said we were only going to cast the fly rod today.” Larry said firmly, “alright sounds good.” We fished hard for the next 3 hours, and after some work on casting Larry put his first red on the fly. After another hour working hard we were running low on how much more time we were going to spend on the flats. Bill was continuing to strengthen has cast and finally the opportunity arouse. “Bill they are coming right at us.” I exclaimed as I pointed my pushpole past him toward the fish. I followed up with, “Do you see that little wake coming this way? They’re moving slow. Lay it right toward ‘em.” He did, I slowly backed the boat up a little and he started stripping. Unfortunately old habits are hard to break…this was the first time Bill had cast a fly rod in the salt and therefore when this fish ate his hook setting habits went against my instruction. When he pulled straight up on the rod the fish lifted and turned and the fly was left all alone laying motionless after it popped out of the fish’s mouth. A victory to get one to eat and a defeat in that same moment as it came unhooked. We all just stood there for a moment in silence. I am certain that Bill has told that story a few times and I am also certain he is chomping at the bit to get back to casting to one of these reds.

On August 17th I met Ian and his 6 year old son Ben at Chechesse river landing to head out for Ian casting the fly and Ben using a spinning rod. We started off around a bunch of oysters and quickly found reds horded up in the open areas around the shells. There didn’t seem to be anything but muddy water everywhere so Ian cast and cast and finally his first red on the fly lifted up and zoned in on a razmataz pushing a wake as he sucked it in. While this fight took place I put a shrimp out for Ben and handed him the rod. After we got a picture and released the red Ben started reeling and caught his first flounder ever. Ian later put a doormat of a flounder on my
8wt Helios. Soon after the tide was high enough for tails, we were getting good shots but things just weren’t coming together to get a hook up. Ian then asked if I would cast to a tail with a spinning rod to hook a red up for Ben. The fish were a little spooky so I got out of the boat for the first two shots and still have no idea why neither of the fish picked up the Berkley gulp crab I brought across their paths. I changed to a mud minnow right as the tide started to drop and there were a few fish exiting the flat. As the third one tailed out I was in a good position to intersect him with a mud minnow. After making the cast, I let it sit for about 2 minutes then he approached and I reeled slowly to meet his path…he nailed it. I set the hook and with loose drag I turned to get back to the boat. I tightened it just a bit and handed it off to Ben. You could hear the excitement in his voice saying, “It is pulling too hard for me.” He fought it in from a long way out and earned all the credit on his first struggle with a big red. This was a great first for him, his father, and me to get to be there for the experience. After the trip Ian put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Thanks, you have renewed my faith in fishing guides.”

Two days later on the 19th I had a fly caster and a buddy of his that would like to start to fly cast in the salt get in my Maverick. While there isn’t a lot of story here, Marc the fly caster did get his first red, plus a few more in a fairly short period of time. His friend’s cast got better and better as he worked on it throughout the day and while the fish are safe for now he will be back practiced up to take some of them down.

So back to Mike who I fished yesterday, August 24th. He was the one that asked if I ever get tired of fishing. Again he had never caught a red on the fly before and this day was a little questionable as to how the fish would act with incoming hurricane Irene. The fish were staying skinny so I ended up hopping out of the boat and pushing it up toward the bank so we could get skinner. We put a few flies into the fish but were not getting takes. Finally we switched over to a Razmataz and a few casts in Mike was stripping the fly but was looking somewhere else. A huge push lifted in the water and to make sure he wasn’t going to pick it up to make another cast I said, “Keep stripping.” The fish took the fly and the line started moving slightly to the right but mostly toward us. “Strip, strip, he’s got it.” Mike caught up to him and reeled up the slack line while saying, “He isn’t pulling that hard.” In the middle of that comment the drag zinged and the handle smacked at his fingers. “Wow, now he’s pulling.” Mike went on to land this fish and another about the same size; he later lost one that was a little larger.
While I still love to fish and I know that I have tons of firsts to come in my own angling, I really love to watch another’s reaction to their first time experiences. The child in me lives vicariously through every first my clients have. I don’t get tired of what I do because there is nothing mundane about the routine of firsts I get to see all so often.

Not Ruining The Best Of Conditions

At the beginning of last week we had great conditions with super slick water. This was welcome in a time when the wind has been frustrating. We were able to stay on one flat most of the time and were able to watch a few schools and just about every movement they made. These situations make you feel that there isn’t much you can do to ruin the fishing.

Skipping to the end of the trip I talked with two other boats at the landing that were in fish most all day but really had trouble getting them to eat. I also talked with a few other guys since then that had frustrating results on that same day. We ended the day with 9 hookups and 8 fish to the boat, all on the fly.

The difference really came down to three things, boat handling, patience, and fly selection. At first we found this school (about 300 fish) up on a point and though we did get one to eat the two different flies we cast near the school, there weren’t great responses. Many of the fish would follow but wouldn’t fully eat the fly if they struck it at all. So we switched to a darker pattern, the root beer colored Bay Street Bunny, and the first cast we made got a quick reaction bite, so problem solved on fly selection for this day.

I hear so often from people that they were right in the fish and they just couldn’t get them to eat, and yes that does happen where they just won’t get happy about eating for whatever reason. Most of the time I see in my mind that they have literally gotten right in the middle of the fish, well in that case then no, most likely they aren’t going to eat. Fish all around the boat is not usually a good thing. Waiting on the fish to come back to you or at the least letting them reset is key, this is where your patience comes in.

Boat positioning is easy when the fish turn and come back to you; you just cut them off and strip the fly away from the front of the fish. Most importantly is that any movement you make is done without bumping the boat. When you approach fish that have reset things are a little more difficult. Obviously there are a lot of situations that come from fish direction, sun direction, and depth of water and each one is different. But the outline of those in terms of boat handling is first to help the caster be in position to make an easy cast in front of the fish or as in front of them as possible. Second don’t let shadows from the boat or from the casters fly line lay across the fish. Finally when you are closing in on reset fish try not to get in such shallow water that the bottom rubs this will often spook fish.

Wind, First Times, Parasites, and Negative Tides...Great Fishing?

Hard conditions at times didn't take away from how wonderful this past week was. Horrible winds at the beginning of the week kept everyone else off the water but I got the honor to fish with a great young couple, her from Minneapolis and him from South Dakota. The first day only he came out and 30 mile per hour winds continuously forced casts just short of the mark. After getting on quite a few schools of reds, from 25 fish in some to 200 in another, we saw something I must say I have never seen before, a daisy chain of reds. I have seen reds school in a perfect circle 3 or 4 fish deep with an eye in the center like a hurricane, I have seen small school after small school come down a flat for a full half hour, I have even seen a school sitting almost completely still with more than twenty tails frozen in position above the water, a chain of tarpon or jacks, but I have never seen a chain of redfish. The chain was unbroken for about 50 fish, unfortunately the wind gusts were continues as well, but it was one of those moments that gets etched in your brain.

Tuesday they both came and she fished the entire day. This was the first time she had ever really fished but her learning curve for casting was about as long lived as the life of a spider under foot. Thirty two mile an hour gusts were recorded on Tuesday and yet she made a few fish eat. She now really has the bug to come back because she lost these fish, but for her first trip out I think she was amazing with her ability to sight cast accurately enough to make these fish eat. Quite impressive indeed.

Wednesday I had two experienced fly casters and we started with far too much wind like the day prior but fortunately that dissipated about an hour later. While it was still blowing about twenty we were able to grab one nice fish that was loaded down what I have always called sea lice. I started doing a little studying and found that I was incorrect about what these little parasites are.
This is Anilocra physodes. It’s a parasitic isopod. We usually find these crawling on redfish and every so often one will be embedded in a Red's side, the embedded ones are usually much larger.


That first fish on Wednesday had 8 Anilocra physodes fall off of him as soon as we got him in the boat.


After the wind died off we went on to make another 8 eat and caught 4. Most of the fish we made eat were on an orange and brown clouser, though some ate the Puglisi everglades as well. Pictured here with one of his fish is Sporting Artist Peter Corbin.


On Thursday I fished with a couple from Colorado and the weather was on our side because it was slick everywhere we went and though I think we had some fish that had been run out of the first flat by another boat we soon got on a school of about 600 plus and had a great day. We made 9 eat, and got 6 to the boat. Once again the orange and brown Clouser proved effective and so did the Bay Street Bunny in rootbeer until the water got really skinny then we were able to put fish on the Everglades. "Skinny" is the important part of what we were able to do this day, because the tide was a negative low tide the fish were pushed even further off the flat. That let us stay with this huge school for a complete 2 hours.

This week was a really great one and I look forward to being on the water as we get into warmer times.